How Deep Should a Tattoo Needle Go?

As such, the ink is sealed into the skin and should stay so throughout the tattoo healing process. However, if the healing process isn’t going well, the ink can leave the skin at any time and create issues like tattoo infection. But, that is a topic for another article.

The Tattoo Needle

Tattoo needles are generally made of steel, nickel, and chrome. There are numerous types of tattoo needles, used for different tattooing styles, shading, coloring, dotting, and other tattooing practices.

For example, there are round needles used for shading and lining, flat needles used for cleaner, darker lines, magnum needles used for shading, etc.

Standard needles are between 0.30mm and 0.35mm in thickness. Some tattoo needles are even thinner than that. For example, bugpins, or magnum needles are usually between 0.20mm and 0.25mm in thickness. They are mostly used for detailed shading.

Tattoo needles are pre-sterilized and disposed of after every single use.

Also Read: How To Shade a Tattoo: Best Practices and Techniques You Need To Know About

How Does The Tattoo Needle Work? – Proper Tattoo Needle Depth

The Skin Layers

Now that we know what a tattoo machine and needle are, it is time to understand the other essential factor in tattooing – the skin.

Your, and everyone else’s skin has 3 layers;

• The epidermis (which further comprises 5 sublayers) is the skin surface and the outer layer of the skin. It is responsible for keeping the body waterproof and ensuring the skin tone.
• The dermis, placed just beneath the epidermis, is the layer containing all the connective tissue, as well as sweat glands and hair follicles.
• Subcutaneous tissue or hypodermis is the layer that stores the fat and connective tissue.

Among these three main layers are hair follicles, sweat glands, fat tissue, connective tissue, and blood vessels, which together create the largest organ of the body. Did you know that your skin covers an area of approximately 20 square feet? Well, now you do!