How Deep Does A Tattoo Needle Go?
Just How Far Does The Needle Go? – Now that you know a little more about the machine and the needle, it’s time to discuss the third essential piece of the puzzle—your skin. The tattoo needle goes through 1/16th of an inch of skin. That might not sound like a lot of skin, but it is really going through five sublayers of the epidermis, the dermal layer, and also the top layer of the dermis.
- Among these layers is a collection of sweat glands, hair follicles, connective tissue, fat, and blood vessels;
- During a tattoo session, the needle passes through the epidermis and epidermal-dermal junction, opening a passage in the 2mm-thick dermis;
The dermis is ideal for a couple of reasons. It is far enough not to bleed out and isn’t exposed. Knowing this, the tip of the tattoo needle is minutely adjusted to ensure that it enters the skin to the correct depth. If you were to look at a tattoo needle in the machine, you will see that it sticks out no further than 2mm.
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How far does a tattoo needle penetrate?
So, Where Should The Needle Go? – The tattoo needle should go into the dermis layer of the skin. This layer lies in the middle, and is the perfect spot for ensuring the ink will stay in the skin, and not ‘bleed out’ as the tattoo heals. The epidermis is not a good ink location since it is too exposed and too outward, while the hypodermis is too deep into the skin, which means the ink won’t be as visible and the pain during tattooing would be twice as intense.
Also, if the needle penetrates the hypodermis, the client will most certainly experience an infection. So, how deep, to be exact, should a needle go into the skin? The answer is – approximately 1/16th inch deep into the skin.
This means that the ink will be placed exactly between the 2mm of the dermis layer. If you’re wondering how a tattoo artist knows where the dermis layer is in the skin, we’ve got you covered with that as well. Before the tattooing process begins, the tattoo artist adjusts the tattoo machine and the needle in regards to the parameter of the dermis layer location.
- So, the dermis layer is approximately 1/16th inch deep into the skin;
- With that knowledge, the tip of the tattoo needle is adjusted to only enter the skin at such depth, not a millimeter shallower or deeper;
This means that the tattoo needle should not stick out the tattoo machine more than 2mm, or less than 1mm.
Can a tattoo needle hit a vein?
– This type of tattoo isn’t entirely risk-free. But then, getting a tattoo always involves some level of risk, with an infection being the main cause for concern. The risk for an infection gets a little higher when it comes to tattoos on veins, according to Dr.
Stacey Chimento, a board certified dermatologist at Riverchase Dermatology in Bay Harbor Islands, Florida. “Tattoos involve applying pressure on your skin with a needle, which can rupture the vein, making it bleed into the surrounding tissue and cause an infection,” she says.
If you have varicose veins, Chimento goes on to explain, this could make things worse and result in veins that protrude even further. “Varicose veins struggle to heal due to their pre-existing damage. If pierced during the tattoo session, they could randomly bleed internally or externally, affecting surrounding organs,” she says.
- Another thing to keep in mind when considering a tattoo to cover varicose veins? How that tattoo could potentially impact any future treatment of the veins;
- “To treat the diseased veins, they need to be somewhat visible;
And if left untreated, the blood can leak into the leg tissue and cause hyperpigmentation. Although rare, infections and undiagnosed veins can cause a need for urgent care if left untreated,” Chimento says.
What happens if a tattoo needle goes too deep?
Ink distortion and blurring – Tattoo artists have to be very careful with the depth they go to with the needle. Too shallow and ink will seep out. Too deep and the ink will disperse into surrounding areas. It’s this dispersing that leads to ink looking smudged or blurry. 
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Does tattoo ink go into blood?
Research Continues into the Safety of Tattoos – As far as tattoo ink getting into your veins goes, the answer is that, yes, it happens. The process involves ink being injected into your dermis, which happens to contain many blood vessels. A skilled tattoo artist can keep the amount of ink getting into your veins to a minimum by injecting the ink at the correct depth.
Do you bleed when getting a tattoo?
– You’ll know you’re experiencing a tattoo blowout within several days of getting a new tattoo. Some people experience mild blowouts, while in other cases, blowouts are more extreme. In all cases, tattoo blowouts cause the lines in your tattoo to blur, and the ink used to create the lines usually moves well outside the edges of the tattoo.
Is tattoo ink cancerous?
When it comes to cancer, black ink can be especially dangerous because it contains a very high level of benzo(a)pyrene. Benzo(a)pyrene is currently listed as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
How long does ink from a tattoo stay in your blood?
Do Tattoos Affect Blood Tests? – No, tattoos do not affect blood tests. Not all ink particles from a tattoo enter your bloodstream, so it shouldn’t interfere with any blood tests you might have to take in the future. If your tattoo is fresh and is still healing, your blood test may result in elevated levels of white blood cells due to the open wound caused by the needle.
Does Colour hurt more on a tattoo?
So, Do Color Tattoos Hurt More? – Generally speaking, ink color doesn’t determine the amount of pain you’ll feel. The color simply doesn’t have to do anything with the pain of the tattoo. As we mentioned, tattoo placement, your pain tolerance, and your tattooist’s technique are the main factors determining how painful the process will be.
- Sure, there was a time when colored ink used to have a thicker consistency than black ink;
- This was an issue since it took the tattooist longer to pack the colored ink, which in itself hurts;
- The longer you’re getting tattooed, the higher the skin damage and the more painful the process becomes;
Nowadays, all inks are of similar consistency, so there isn’t an issue there. Now, if your tattoo artist takes a long time to complete the tattoo, you’ll experience more pain as the process goes on. Also, if the tattoo artist uses a dull needle, chances are the process will hurt more.
Sharp, new needles tend to hurt less. Now, as the needle gets worn out, it remains sharp, but it dulls out a little bit. This small difference in needle sharpness can promote faster skin damage and of course, cause more pain.
If your tattooist uses white ink highlight , you can expect more pain. This is again not because of the needle or the ink color, but rather the pain is caused by the repetition of needle penetration in one place. In order for the white ink to fully show and become saturated, the tattooist needs to go over the same area several times.
- That is what causes skin damage and pain;
- Now, after all of the information, we do have to point out that there are people who swear that the coloring/shading of the tattoo hurts more than the linework or tattoo outline;
Pain is a subjective thing, so it can be hard to be exact with the answer to whether color tattoos hurt more than regular ones.
