The tattooing process

Make sure you are up to date with your immunizations and find a place where you'll get medical treatment in case your tattoo might become infected. If you have any medical problems or especially conditions that affect your immune system, ask your doctor for any precautions you need to take before getting a tattoo.

 

Tattoos are created by injecting ink into a person's skin. This is done by an electrical machine that can remind you of a dental drill. The needle of the machine moves up and down to puncture the skin and  deposit a drop of insoluble ink into the skin with every sting. The ink will be deposited into the dermis, which is the second layer of the skin. Tattoo artists use sterilization, hand disinfection and disposable materials in order to protect themselves and their clients. To rule out any possibility of infection, many of the materials used are single use.

 

Before starting to work, tattoo artists inspect their hands if they're clean or if they have any bruises. You can choose your tattoo design from a catalog or the artist can design one especially for you. The artist needs to be aware of how deep the needle can go, as deeper punctures than usual lead to bleeding and pain. The first step in the tattooing process is outlining the design by creating a permanent line over the stencil. The area is cleaner and the next step follows, shading, where the artists uses a variety of needles to create a solid line.

The tattoo is then colored, overlapping each line of color for even hues with no uneven areas. Finally, the tattoo is done and the artist cleans the area with soap and water and covers it with a sterile bandage.  Bleeding usually occurs but this disappears after a few minutes.  Any blood will be removed by a sterile, disposable cloth or towel.