Tattoos have fascinated people for centuries. The ink under the skin is shrouded in mystery. But what actually happens during the tattooing process? What makes tattooed skin different?
We did some research to find out exactly what makes tattoo ink special, how it interacts with the skin, and how the two relate to each other. Skin researchers know pretty much exactly why the ink stays in the skin and how a tattoo changes the skin. And, of course, they also know what kind of care tattooed skin needs. Now we know, too.
Ink plus skin equals a tattoo. What happens there?
Tattooing involves using needles of varying thicknesses to inject a special ink beneath the skin. Tattoo needles come in a wide variety of shapes, and the ink can be red, black, blue, or green. However, it always penetrates up to two millimeters deep into the skin, reaching the dermis, which lies beneath the outermost layer of skin (the epidermis). This is because the dermis can store the color pigments for a long time.
The pigments that end up in the epidermis during tattooing will eventually fade away. The epidermis is constantly renewing itself. After about three to four weeks, these superficial colors will have disappeared. This is called fading, and it’s a natural process. A small amount of ink always ends up in the epidermis; that’s normal. It has nothing to do with the tattoo artist’s skill.
So, to summarize: Tattoo artists use special needles to inject tattoo ink into the dermis, where it remains permanently.
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What is tattoo ink made of?
Indigenous cultures use a mixture of ash, charcoal, and fats for tattooing. They inject the ink under the skin using a needle made of bamboo or bone shards. This is unthinkable in Europe, where tattoo inks are subject to strict regulations. Tattoo inks consist of small, solid pigment particles. These particles are so tiny that we cannot even see them. Only under strong magnification does the ink reveal that it consists of liquid and solid components. It is the pigment particles that give the tattoo its color. The liquid that binds them together consists of solvents and preservatives and, at first glance, has nothing to do with the color of your tattoo.
Do you have allergies? If so, you should pay close attention to the ingredients in the tattoo ink. This is because some of the ingredients can trigger allergic reactions. Just ask the tattoo artist what inks they use. You should also ask for a photo of the ink’s ingredients. In general, the inks can be traced back via a batch code, i.e., the manufacturer’s production number.
So we can't say for certain exactly what tattoo inks are made of. The exact ingredients and their proportions vary depending on the manufacturer and the product.
How does the tattoo ink behave after the procedure?
Your tattoo is still fresh, and you have a bandage over it. Take a close look at the bandage: it’s colorful, isn’t it? Some of the tattoo ink is carried out by the wound fluid after the tattooing process. That’s the ink you see on the bandage. The scab that forms on the tattooed skin may also be colored. Please don’t panic—this is all completely normal. Tattoo artists know this and ink your tattoo taking this color loss into account.
But why does the body just flush the ink out? Isn’t it supposed to stay in the skin? To your body, tattoo ink is initially a foreign substance. And foreign substances have no place in wounds. That’s why your body works to remove or break down as much of the ink as possible. A fairly large portion of the tattoo ink is already transported into the lymphatic system during the wound healing process. Small particles (the pigments) and soluble components of the ink end up there in particular. Only the parts of the tattoo ink that are too large to be transported remain in the dermis. That is the ink that forms your tattoo.
A Brief Overview of the Skin: Epidermis, Dermis, and Subcutaneous Tissue
Although some ink does penetrate the epidermis during tattooing, the epidermis renews itself every three to four weeks. As a result, ink that remains in the epidermis fades quickly. New skin cells are constantly being produced through cell division in the basal cell layer, which forms the boundary between the epidermis and the dermis.
Beneath the epidermis lies the dermis. This layer of skin contains a network of collagen, proteoglycans, and other fibers that make the skin tear-resistant and elastic. This strong network supports the dermis. Because this layer of skin is so firm, it reliably traps the larger pigments from the tattoo ink. But the dermis is also richly supplied with blood and crisscrossed by lymphatic vessels. And the dermis also contains the immune cells that aid in wound healing after the tattoo is applied.
Beneath the dermis lies the subcutis. The subcutaneous tissue consists primarily of fat cells and connective tissue; it generally does not come into contact with the tattoo ink. This raises the question: How much pigment actually remains in the skin after the tattoo has healed? This varies from person to person. Up to 80 percent of the originally applied ink can be broken down and eliminated. This happens because some of it is washed out through the fluid as the wound heals, and because the lymphatic system carries away some of the pigments. UV rays also destroy some of the color pigments. So even after the tattoo has fully healed, it has not yet reached its final color.
Color Perception and Tattoos
Why do tattoo inks look different in the bottle than they do on tattooed skin? It all comes down to the light. When light hits the ink directly, it shines very brightly, though it can sometimes appear rather faint. On tattooed skin, however, the light is filtered through the skin. The light only partially penetrates the skin. This is because your skin is pigmented and filters the light. This happens to protect your body—including from harmful UV radiation.
The pigments in a tattoo also filter light. If light is absorbed across the entire spectrum, the tattoo appears black. If the pigments filter only part of the visible light, the tattoo appears colorful. The blue can, however, be any other color—from yellow to green and red. Tattoo care products help ensure that the colors retain their vibrancy for a long time.
Tattooed skin is altered skin
To date, there have been very few scientific studies on how tattooed skin changes. However, we do know for certain that tattooed skin is different from “untouched” skin. There are certainly reports to this effect: People with tattoos report greater sensitivity and increased sensitivity to light and sunlight. Tattooed skin is more prone to itching and is therefore more easily irritated.
You may have heard that tattooed skin can no longer sweat. That’s nonsense. Like pigments, sweat glands are located in the dermis. But pigments don’t block the sweat glands. Large, dark tattoos get very hot in the sun. That’s why you should protect your tattooed skin with skincare products and sunscreen (SPF 50+).
Temporary and permanent tattoos
Airbrush and henna tattoos are not permanent; the ink sits on the skin’s surface. Because the cells of the epidermis renew themselves every three to four weeks, temporary tattoos fade away quickly. This happens especially quickly on the hands: due to frequent washing, drying, and contact with all sorts of things, the outer layer of skin renews itself particularly quickly in this area.
The difference between temporary and permanent tattoos lies in the ink used and where it is applied. With permanent tattoos, the ink is injected into the dermis—the layer of skin beneath the epidermis. The dermis does not regenerate, so the ink remains there.