Tattooing - Skins & Needles (2024)

FAQs

How do you know you're going deep enough when tattooing? ›

So, How Deep is the Dermis? A good rule of thumb is that tattoo ink should be deposited 16th of an inch (1-2mm) from the surface of the skin, trapping it in the dermal layer. However, there is no “one size fits all” depth. Your client and the placement of the tattoo will affect the depth of the dermis.

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In addition, any bleeding that occurs when the needle leaves the skin and the ink is drawn in will push some of the ink out. If the ink is too light under the skin, all of the color will be removed before the tattoo heal, the faded tattoo will disappear quickly. Beneath the dermis is the subcutaneous tissue.

A Tattoo needle penetrates 5 layers of the epidermis

That may sound like a lot of skin, but in reality it is only 1/16th of an inch, about 1-2mm. That's pretty tiny. It goes through five layers of the epidermis, through the dermal layer, and into the topmost layer of the dermis.

Pooling can also happen if your needle hang is too short (less than 2mm) when the tip makes contact with the skin and drops a big puddle. Set your needle hang at 2-2.5mm to prevent this – leaving the ability for pigment flow and precision.

Be sure to dip the needle into the ink and hold it longer than you normally would to allow the reservoir to get completely filled.

Once you get your hand speed exactly where you want it at 8 volts and you're comfortable going quicker, you can turn your voltage up from there. For example, Brandon usually uses 10 volts for lining. You will need a slightly higher voltage for a really big liner or a big mag.

#12 Gauge (.

Often referred to as a standard or standard 12, there is a very common and popular needle especially in traditional work, bold lining, and color packing as it offers more ink flow and larger penetration area.

It is often referred to as dry needling or dry tattooing, as no pigment or product is used. I use a specialised needle to work into the surface layers of the skin, just enough to cause a minor controlled trauma and stimulate blood flow and plasma to the area. The process causes minute punctures.

Tattoo blowouts occur when a tattoo artist presses too hard when applying ink to the skin. The ink is sent below the top layers of skin where tattoos belong. Below the skin's surface, the ink spreads out in a layer of fat. This creates the blurring associated with a tattoo blowout.

How do you know if your tattoo artist is going too deep? ›

In addition to excessive pain, bleeding, and scabbing, a tattoo that is too deep may also have a blurred or distorted appearance. When the needle goes too deep, it can cause the ink to spread beyond the intended area, leading to a smudged or blurry appearance.

One way to tell if you're going too deep in fake skin is to look at the back of your fake skin. If you could clearly see that it cuts straight through it, that means you're going too deep in the actual fake skin.

After a month or so, your tattoo should begin to settle in, and you shouldn't be able to feel such a difference between your new ink and the rest of your skin.

All you need to do is push the a-bar down so the needles are fully extended & then adjust the tip so that just 1-2mm of needle is sticking out. Now you just tattoo up to the depth of the tip. This is called riding the tube.