Tattoo Misconceptions: What Makes a Good Tattoo?
All of us have seen the horror stories and pictures of really bad tattoos! And thanks to Instagram and a few choice accounts on there, it's easier than ever to find terrible tattoos and have a good laugh.
‘Thank god that's not on me!!’
‘Why would anyone want that on them FOREVER?!’
So, what should I look for in a “good” tattoo?
There are many simple ways to tell if a tattoo has been done well. The lines should be crisp, and it should be one smooth line without any obvious breaks. The line should also not have a shadow. A shadow is created when a tattooist does not go as vertical as possible when lining a tattoo, which can cause the ink to spread out under the skin, giving it a 'blown-out' or shadowed look. Lines should also match up seamlessly. Tattoos hurt, so the artist will stop every few seconds; if lining, this means they need to continue a line without it looking like they stopped.
With colour and shading, the blending (going from one colour or shade to another) should be smooth with no obvious blending point. The colour should be saturated, meaning the colour should be vibrant and clear straight after the tattoo (unless it’s red or white, as these probably won’t show up as well initially because blood is red and will mask the white until the body stops bleeding and heals).
Why has my tattoo faded so quickly?
One of the biggest tattoo misconceptions is that the tattooist has not gone “deep” enough, and so your brand spanking new tattoo has faded considerably even after the initial healing period.
Tattoos will fade slightly once healed; the ink has had time to settle down and the skin above your tattoo has fully repaired. So, every tattoo will look slightly less vibrant after two weeks. However, sometimes a lot of people will get a tattoo and the black will fade considerably, the colour will not be vibrant, and a lot of the time there will be spots of linework or colour missing. This is down to two main things: the aftercare applied by yourself, but more importantly, the technique the tattooist has used. If your tattoo has faded considerably and has risen from the normal skin level in an embossed fashion, then the tattooist has done a poor job.
The Science Bit!
Your skin has three main layers. The first layer is the epidermis, which is for waterproofing, and if you get sunburnt, is the layer that peels off. The second layer is the dermis, and the third is the hypodermis.
If a tattooist has done their job correctly, the needle should puncture your skin and leave ink in the second layer, the dermis. This is where the ink will not be taken into the body by your bloodstream, will not come away if you peel or remove dead skin, and will not be considered an “invader” by your body, meaning your immune system won’t attack it and try to remove it.
So, if you do notice an unusually high level of fading, then the tattooist has either gone too shallow or gone too deep (in most instances of raised scarring, they have gone too deep). When a tattooist goes too deep, they actually scar the hypodermis, which is the lowest layer of skin, causing a permanent scar just in the same way as when you get a deep cut.
Once a tattoo has fully healed, it should look like it is sitting just under your skin. There shouldn’t be any scarring, bobbling, or embossing. It should be as smooth as it was before the tattoo was done.
Black and Grey Tattoos
Black and grey tattoos have quickly become one of the most popular styles. But the best part about them is that you can literally tattoo anything in black and grey.
Black and grey tattoos are not actually tattooed with “grey” ink. The grey within the tattoo is diluted black ink (often called a grey wash). If done properly, this should be done with either pre-purchased grey washes or mixed by the artist by diluting black ink with distilled, sterile water. Hopefully, your artist won’t just pop to the sink and dilute it with tap water! The water needs to be distilled and bottled; this is going into your skin and so should be as pure as possible with no contamination. A lot of black and grey tattoos also use the natural skin tone as one of the lightest tones used within the tattoo, which obviously saves time and pain!
Book With Confidence
At Monumental Ink, we only employ the best tattoo artists we can find, making sure they use the right techniques and hygiene practices to ensure your tattoo will be the best it can be and ensuring that your tattoo lasts through the ages.
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