• Choosing the correct depth for your needles

    It is important that you learn about choosing the correct depth for your needles because;

    • This will ensure that ink ends up where it is supposed to and your design looks colorful and vibrant.
    • The danger of going too deep is that it will cause blood returning via the puncture marks you have just made. There will be a whole lot less bleeding when you select the correct depth.
    • You will find that shading and coloring is far easier when you have the depth correct and you will not have to use so much ink.
    • Get the depth wrong and it will increase the pain that your customer will need to endure. It is important that you practice getting the depth just right because of this.

    Like everything else the only way that you will become good at judging depth is through continued practice. Practice getting this depth right as you practice handling your machine. Always keep in mind that it is only by continued practice that you will get any good at making tattoos. Arm and hand fatigue will also influence your ability to get the correct depth. You hand or arm will get tired from holding the machine and this is likely to make the needle drop excessively in depth thus pushing your needles too far into the pores. It is important that you build up good stamina in order to stop this type of thing happening.

    What depth is correct?

    You will hear this question asked a lot by novice tattoo artists. It is the layers of skin that decide the correct depth.

    If you take a look at a tattoo you are actually viewing the ink through the outer layer of the skin (epidermis). The ink is in the second layer of the skin which is called the dermis. Cells in the epidermis are far less stable than the dermis so the tattoo ink will take hold better in the dermis. A tattoo will fade over time, but the dermis is the best place for your ink.

    Over time the epidermis loses layers of skin and new layers are added by your body. Avoid getting ink into the hypodermis because this will cause a lot of pain for your customer.

    How you can tell that you have the correct depth

    New tattoo artists often like to ask about this and with good reason; getting the depth correct is of utmost importance.

    You will be able to tell that your needle is at the right dept because;

    • The customer is not complaining of excessive pain; if you are going too deep then your customer is bound to let you know about it. Some customers feel pain more than others, but all will let you know when the pain is out of control and you are doing something wrong.
    • Excessive bleeding is another sign that you are too deep
    • If your color is vibrant then you are likely at a good depth
    • If the color is not coming out of the pores and seems stable then this too is a good sign.

    The correct depth will differ between different people; we are all unique after all. As a general guide you should be aiming for 1mm which is between 1/16 and 1/32 of an inch. Then following are problems associated with going too shallow or too deep’

    Too shallow;

    • The color fades straight away
    • Skin become scratched
    • Your ink will keep on coming back out of the puncture

    Too deep;

    • A lot of pain
    • More than usual bleeding
    • More than the usual amount of scarring