For those with dark skin looking to get tattoos, we know you have a tough time finding where to go. You will walk into shops and look in portfolios and not see anyone that looks like you. No matter how talented the artist, we know you want to see work on people that look like you. The question is, why is it so hard to find someone with experience in tattooing dark skin?

Well, it takes someone with practice to make a tattoo look nice on dark skin. It is a different practice than tattooing pale skin but not impossible or difficult. The melanin pigment under the skin, which is present in the dermis cells, acts like a filter and hides some of the colors that happen to be lighter than the color of the skin when tattooed. This means that if you pick light colors or thin lines, it will be more difficult to see on darker skin. However, you are in luck! Color tattoos are possible on darker skins. Latin or African American folks with darker skin should make sure to pick colors that will be darker than the skin tone in the summer. Bold colors like green, red and black ink are usually recommended. However, when you consult with an artist, they may be able to give you a better idea of what color will work best with your skin tone. The should also be able to tell you what variations of shading will work best along with line thickness and design for your situation.

We also tend to get a lot of inquires about white in and watercolor tattoos on dark skin. Much of this depends on the artist and what they are comfortable with. White ink can be problematic for any skin tone so finding an artist with experience in that department is going to make your day much easier. We suggest having a consultation with the artist you are thinking of working with and getting their opinion on what you are looking for. Someone else you may want to talk with before you getting your tattoo is a dermatologist. Keloids is something that people with brown skin need to be aware of. This is where fibrous scar tissue forms over wounds when the skin is injured. African Americans are 7 times more likely to have keloid scarring.