Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

---

Middle school can be tough. From finishing homework to finding your friends, every kid needs an outlet. For 11-year-old Athena Castillo, widely regarded as one of the youngest tattoo artists in the world, that outlet has been legally tattooing clients since she was 6.

There's no age limit to operate a tattoo gun in Texas, and Athena always loved to draw. Her sketches just may look a little different from kids her age... this prodigy has turned her doodles into an actual craft at her grandmother's tattoo parlor.

Though she isn't old enough to get one of her own, Athena already has a waiting list of folks hoping for ink from this young artist. (Check out a producer of our very own getting a tattoo from Athena!)

Nite Owl Tattoo Studio
7121 West US Highway 90 Suite 230
San Antonio, Texas 78227
Phone: (210) 517-8931
1816 Fredericksburg Road
San Antonio, Texas 78201
Phone: (210) 592-6805
Website: niteowltattoostudio.com

Texas Country Reporter
Episode #: 1996
Original air date: 11-29-2025

Hop in and follow us! 🇨🇱
Tik Tok ► tiktok.com/@texascountryreporter
Facebook ► facebook.com/TexasCountryReporter
Instagram ► instagram.com/texascountryreporter