As tattooing becomes increasingly socially acceptable, many college students are itching to be inked for the first time or to add to their body art collection.
For a significant and potentially life-changing experience, the science of tattooing is relatively simple. Tattooing was transformed in 1891 by the invention of the electric tattoo machine, and has remained practically unchanged. Today’s tattoo artists only need a few items: an electric tattoo machine, needles, ink and a willing participant.
Modern tattoos are done with an electric tattoo machine — a simple tool based on a rotary system. There is a needle attached to a circular spinning device, allowing it to move up and down into the skin. The needles attached to the machine pierce the skin approximately 50 times per second and do not go deep into the skin.
The needles used in a tattoo machine are quite different from the needles doctors use, so needle phobes need not fret when considering being inked. Tattooing calls for hypodermic needles, which are no more than sharp tubes. There are two kinds of tattooing needles: liners and shaders. Both must be sterilized and used only once per person, according to California law.
When the tattoo machine is equipped with the appropriate needles, the needles are dipped into tattoo ink. Tattoo ink used for intradermal tattoos is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and is used to give tattoos color. The term “ink” is used loosely because most of the substances used aren’t inks at all. So-called tattoo ink is made of two basic components: pigments and carriers. Pigments are anything that can be finely ground to provide color and are mixed with a carrier. Carriers are liquids used to deliver the pigments beneath the skin, distribute the pigment evenly and keep it from clumping together. The ink is injected beneath the outer layer of skin where the color remains. Tattooing is basically implanting tiny granules of color into the skin. The pigment is held in place by the skin’s immune system’s phagocytic cells. Phagocytic cells engulf the color particle, allowing the skin to hold the color while it heals.
Once the tattoo is fully healed, the color particle is trapped in place by tissue between the first and second layer of skin, the epidermis and dermis.
As time goes by and skin ages, the pigment recedes into the dermis. This puts more tissue between the tattoo and the top layer of skin, making the tattoo blurry and more difficult to see. However, don’t let that put the kibosh on future tattoo ideas. This process happens throughout decades, so a tattoo will be in its prime for many years.
While the science of tattooing is simple, a tattoo stays with its owner forever and should not be done without serious consideration and research, especially with larger pieces. So, needless to say, they are an immense commitment. Large tattoos can cost as much as a car, and will require many sessions. Before becoming living art, keep in mind that it will be painful. Choose a tattoo artist based on skill, not price, and try not to be arbitrary or impulsive.
People from all walks of life have tattoos of every style and size. Knowing the fundamentals of tattooing grants ink lovers with the facts they need before sitting in the chair and can help shape decisions they can be happy about for a lifetime.
