You may have gotten tattooed a few times but don’t really know how a tattoo machine works, right?
If you’ve made it this far, welcome to our studio specialized in piercing, microblading, and all types of styles including fine line tattoos in Madrid. Today we want to explain how we manage to transfer ink into your skin and make it stay there.
How a tattoo machine works
If you’ve ever been tattooed or seen it done, you’ve noticed it involves a sterilized needle that penetrates the skin several times per second, injecting ink with each puncture.
But why does the ink stay in the skin?
This happens due to three main factors: the penetration of ink into the dermis, the way the ink is deposited, and how it binds to the skin.
Why does a tattoo stay fixed?
The first aspect of how a tattoo machine works is the penetration of ink into the skin:
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The machine’s needles move up and down at very high speed (several times per second).
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These needles pass through the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin) and reach the dermis (the layer beneath).
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The depth of penetration is crucial.
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It must be deep enough to reach the dermis but not too deep to avoid excessive damage.
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Normally, needles penetrate between 1 and 2 mm.
The second aspect is ink deposition:
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The needles have small reservoirs containing ink.
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As they move in and out of the skin, they gradually deposit the ink in the dermis.
The third aspect is ink fixation:
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The entry of needles and the deposition of ink trigger an immune response.
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Our body recognizes the ink as a foreign substance.
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Immune cells try to phagocytize (ingest) the ink particles.
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These particles are too large to be fully removed.
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As a result, the cells surround, encapsulate, and immobilize the ink in the dermis.
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Collagen fibers also help keep the ink particles in place.
This is why the ink remains in the skin and does not fade away.
Of course, over time, the body’s natural metabolism may cause tattoos to lose definition. In those cases, you can always book an appointment with us to touch them up and make them look brand new again.
What do you think about the way a tattoo machine works? Did you know it’s actually our immune system that encapsulates the ink? If you want to learn more curiosities about the tattoo world, keep following our blog.