QandAs: Buzz

How Do I Tattoo?

Answer:
A tattoo is a permanent mark that is made on the skin

by inserting indelible ink into the layers of skin. This changes the pigmentation for decorative or other reasons. In humans, a tattoo is usually for decorative purposes, whereas in animals this is usually used for identification purposes.

During the tattoo process, pigment is placed in the skin’s dermis, which is the layer of dermal tissue which lies under the epidermis. After the needle injects the pigment, the pigment gets dispersed throughout the damaged layer down through the epidermis and upper dermis. This foreign material triggers the immune system’s phagocytes in order to engulf the pigment particles. As it heals, the pigment will be concentrated in a layer of skin that is just below the dermis – epidermis boundary. Over time, the pigment will migrate deeper through the dermis, which accounts for the los of detail with tattoos over time. In modern times, the pigment will be inserted through a series of needles that are attached to an oscillating unit. The machine will rapidly and repeatedly drive the needles into and out of the skin, roughly 80 to 150 times every second. This is normally a very sanitary procedure.