Understanding How Tattoos Work

A tattoo machine moves its tiny needles thousands of times every minute.

Instead of leaving ink on the surface, the needles place it into the deeper layer

of the skin called the dermis. As the ink enters the dermis,

millions of tiny pigment particles become trapped between the skin's

supporting fibers. This is why the tattoo doesn't simply wash

away.

Your immune system immediately notices the tattoo ink.

Special cells called macrophages try to remove the pigment, but many ink

particles are simply too large to be completely cleared away.

Over the next few days, the tiny needle punctures heal naturally.

Even after the skin repairs itself, the ink remains inside the dermis,

preserving the tattoo's appearance.

A healed tattoo is more than just ink on the skin.

It's a permanent design held beneath the surface by your own skin structure and

immune cells, allowing the artwork to remain visible for

many years