To be clear, most of the tattoo pigment stays put after a person gets a tattoo. The ink that's not cleared away by special repair cells, called macrophages, stays in the dermis within trapped macrophages or skin cells called fibroblasts.
The particles of ink injected into the skin can travel through your lymphatic system and into the bloodstream. Not all of the ink particles make their way here, but enough to cause some concern. Some of the ink that finds its way into your bloodstream is broken down by the immune system.
Pigments are lodged in the dermis
Every day, thousands of epidermal cells are shed from your skin and replaced with new cells. Ink injected into the superficial skin layer would simply come off within 3 weeks.
The oscillating ink-coated needle punctures the skin in the range of 100 times per second, depositing the ink pigments 1.5 to 2 mm below the skin surface. Thus, the needle penetrates the skin through the epidermis and into the papillary layer of the dermis, where the ink particles accumulate.
Your epidermis regenerates in about two to four weeks. Over time, tattoos will fade as a body's immune system slowly breaks down the alien pigment particles and the macrophages take them away to be destroyed. But for the most part, the ink will stay with you forever.
In reality, it's all about the body's immune system and its inability to remove the ink. Though they may be permanent, tattoos can also fade or lose their sharpness over time. If the tattoo was applied too deeply in the skin, the ink pigments can start to migrate to new areas.
Your tattoo will naturally fade over time. For some people, it can take only a couple of years for them to start to notice that the ink doesn't look as strong anymore. For others, tattoo fading won't be noticeable for decades.
A Tattoo needle penetrates 5 layers of the epidermis
That may sound like a lot of skin, but in reality it is only 1/16th of an inch, about 1-2mm. That's pretty tiny. It goes through five layers of the epidermis, through the dermal layer, and into the topmost layer of the dermis.
Tattoos breach the skin, which means that skin infections and other complications are possible, including: Allergic reactions. Tattoo dyes — especially red, green, yellow and blue dyes — can cause allergic skin reactions, such as an itchy rash at the tattoo site. This can occur even years after you get the tattoo.
Older tattoos may be raised due to scar tissue
Thicker lines, and more pressure applied during tattooing, can cause some scarring. It's nothing to be concerned about, but it can sometimes raise up, and this is generally caused by changes in body temperature or weather conditions, as well as general health.
While not likely, there is a possibility that a tattoo needle could go too far and puncture the hypodermis and rupture a vein. Tattoos typically do not puncture regular veins, but there is a higher risk of encountering more problems with spider veins. So, yes, you technically could try to tattoo over a spider vein.
Research published in The British Journal of Dermatology found that the nanoparticles in tattoo ink are so small they can penetrate through the skin layers and into the bloodstream. These particles have potential toxic effects in the brain, cause nerve damage and may even be carcinogenic.
When it comes to cancer, black ink can be especially dangerous because it contains a very high level of benzo(a)pyrene. Benzo(a)pyrene is currently listed as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
The safest way to quickly remove a tattoo is by laser therapy. Our revolutionary LightSense laser system is a unique and innovative option, using ultra-fast and physician-approved pulse speeds to quickly and safely break down ink pigments.
Tattoo blowouts, while not super common with advancements in tattooing practices and equipment, can occur to any tattoo design. A blowout is the result of the tattoo ink spreading beyond the lines of the design, often creating a distorted image.
Lying flat on your tattoo can also ruin it. Putting pressure on your new ink can also cause swelling. Or, it can actually push the ink out of your pores and dull the color. It might sound difficult to sleep comfortably without rubbing or lying on your tattoo!
The tattoo machine's needle aims to deposit the ink in a region of 1.5 millimeters to 2 millimeters below the surface of the skin. You may be asking, why this specific depth? It all has to do with the various layers beneath your skin's surface.
After 6 months, your tattoo has completely healed in all skin layers and the colour has been completely absorbed by your skin. You can now treat the tattooed area like the rest of your skin.
It can take several years for a tattoo to begin noticeably fading. This is dependent on: Your skin health. How well you protect the area.
Generally speaking, a well-cared for tattoo that has more fine lines will fade in fifteen years. Bigger, bolder lines can maintain their look for thirty to forty years plus if you got them when you were young and cared for them well.
No, tattoos do not take years off your life. There was a study done in 2014 that did suggest that people with tattoos, on average, have a shorter lifespan. Obviously, there are millions of variables that go into a study like that, but the takeaway is that tattoo-havers also tend to be higher on the risk-taking chart.
For instance, getting a tattoo can release adrenaline (resulting in an adrenaline rush) and endorphins, which is why many may feel such a positive mental reaction after getting one.
Guess how tattoos stay there forever, even as your skin cells die and are replaced? French researchers say they have found the answer, and it's a little bit surprising. They found that immune system cells called macrophages eat the ink, and then pass it to their replacements when they die.