The Science

The Science

♦    What skin is made of

♦    How tattoos stay in the skin, and why they fade

♦    Tattooing techniques

♦    The pain factor

♦    Tattoo reactions

Now that we know the origins and social aspects of tattoo­ing, we can move on to understanding how tattoos work.

It is important to understand the details of how the ink stays in your skin and the different layers of your skin. This information will help you to properly care for your tattoo.

In this chapter, we will go over the fundamentals of tattoo­ing, such as how tattoos stay in the skin and how they age. We will also go over the different pieces of the tattoo pro­cess as well as what to expect as far as pain. When it is your turn to get tattooed, you will understand more of what’s going on and perhaps feel much more comfortable.

Epidermis

The epidermis is the top layer of skin. It is the waterproof layer around your body. The waterproofing caused by keratin, a tough and insoluble protein. Carrots are a good source of keratin. As the cells of the epidermis move away from the body, they become cut off from the blood supply. Being removed from the blood source, the cells die and they are filled with keratin, making them stron­ger. This strong layer gives you more protection from disease.

The epidermis is also where melanin is produced. Melanin is the dark pigment in your skin made by melanocytes, which reside in the very first layer of your epidermis, directly above the dermis. Melanin rests above the other

Dermis

The dermis is the next layer of skin below the epidermis. It con­tains all the good, fun stuff, which gives your skin life. In the dermis are hair follicles, blood vessels, and sweat glands. It is also where the nerve endings are. The nerve endings enable us to feel sensations such as heat and cold and getting a tattoo. As we will find out, the dermis is also where the ink for the tattoo will stay.

Hypodermis

The hypodermis is the third layer, which is below the dermis. This layer is mainly for storing fat and holding some proteins. The thick­ness of the hypodermis depends on the amount of fat stored in the body.

How Tattoos Work

A tattoo is made by implanting pigment into the dermis, or second layer of skin. A tattoo is similar to a mini-implant. You are implant­ing tiny granules of color into your skin. Those tiny pieces of pigment are held in place by your skin’s immune system. Your skin has cells called phagocytes. The phagocytes engulf the color particle, which then holds the color particle in place while your skin heals. When the tattoo is fully healed, the color particle will become trapped in place. It is trapped in the connective tissues just below the border between your epidermis, the first layer, and your dermis, the second layer. Because melanin is produced just above the dermis where the tat­too pigment will reside, the melanin will dilute or partially block the reflection of light from the tattoo pigment. This is why tattoo ink color is not as bright and is harder to see on darker skin. The pigment of a recent tattoo is very easy to see because it is so close to the surface of the skin. You can see the pigment right through the first layer of skin. However, as time goes by and skin ages, the pigment slowly recedes more deeply into the dermis layer of the skin. This puts more