This article seeks to explain what exactly happens to ink once it has been inserted into your skin to form a tattoo.
But first, we need to discuss how it is tattoos are made. We will then discuss what happens to the ink once it has been placed into your skin and your options should you choose to remove your ink.
How are tattoos made?
The simple explanation:
Tattoos are created by using needles to insert pigment under the skin, eventually forming a permanent image.
The more detailed explanation:
On a tattoo machine, the needles are really working like a combination of a plough and a seed drill - there is an element of tearing the skin, as well as creating multiple punctures. As the needle drags across the skin, it creates a channel beneath the surface for the ink to be “seeded” in.
Since this is a process which is traumatic to the skin, artists have to be careful not to “overwork” the needle - too much action will create a lot of scarring. This explains the warped appearance of pieces by inexperienced tattooists.
So what happens when the needle is inserted into your skin (other than it stings)?
But first a bit of science:
Your skin comprises multiple layers, the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis.
Image courtesy of http://archives.evergreen.edu/webpages/curricular/1999-2000/humanbio/TattooInk.htm
The epidermis is the outer layer of skin and is made up of several different strata (or sublayers), which together create the waterproof seal we all come wrapped in. The cells of the epidermis are created at the lowest stratum basale and gradually work their way upwards and outwards. The topmost layer is dead skin cells which are constantly shedding.
At what level in the skin is your tattoo ink situated?
Tattoos are inserted between the epidermis and the dermis. The pigment sits below the stratum basale in the epidermis. This is why the tattoo does not peel away with the dead skin cells from your epidermis. Once the pigments have been put into place, they find themselves trapped amongst the architecture of the lower skin, which includes hair follicles subcutaneous glands and various lymphatic vessels.
Image courtesy of http://archives.evergreen.edu/webpages/curricular/1999-2000/humanbio/TattooInk.htm
What parts of the ink remain in your skin and what happens to the other parts?
Tattoos take advantage of your body’s natural defence systems in order to hold them in place. Your body recognizes the ink particles as being a foreign body not made up of your DNA and will send troops, white blood cells, if you want to be particular, to clear off the new particles.
Soluble substances such as water and isopropanol, which are in virtually all tattoo inks, get distributed locally into tissue and the bloodstream within a short period of time: (1) Other particles, which are not so soluble, will also move into local tissue and towards your lymph vessels. Ink is known to travel by this method to reach the nearest regional lymph node to the tattoo (usually in your groin or armpit). Animal experiments on rabbits show that approximately 1/3 of ink disappears from the skin within 6 weeks of tattooing. This finding was also confirmed by pigment extraction from long-existing tattoos: (2)
However, if your immune system encounters a pigment which is inert and non-toxic, a particular kind of white blood cell (macrophages) will begin to form scar-like granulation tissue. The dermis gradually heals thanks to collagen growth, while the battle-scarred epidermis simply flakes away; meanwhile, the ink pigments settle into a single layer and the tattoo is held in place by fibroblast cells.
It is presumed that some ink particles are too large to be transported into the local tissues and/or lymph nodes: (3) Applied correctly, if the tattoo will look sharp and bright for some time, however, it will inevitably fade and look a little worse for wear as the pigment layer sinks further into the base of the dermis. This process also causes the tattoo to lose its definition which is why old tattoos take on a softened appearance.
To date, there is very little information as to how or whether tattoo inks travel to other organs of the body, as most studies done in this area have been done on small animals, such as rabbits. It is therefore questionable as to whether there is a similar traveling processes in humans.
Inks, lymph nodes and tattoo removal:
Your lymph nodes act as an important first pass organ before ink travels into the bloodstream and is then excreted through body processes such as urination or defecation.
Several studies have found that ink can coalesce in the lymph nodes nearest the tattoo. This is particularly so for heavily inked people or for older tattoos. One study examined a patient who had his tattoo for 40 years. Examination showed the ink had settled deeper in the dermis and also travelled into the regional lymph nodes. It is thought that tattoo ink is naturally dispersed to the lymph nodes to process, however it can get caught in the node if the particle is too big to pass through.
Laser tattoo removal takes advantage of the lymphatic system to pick up and process ink which has been fractured into tiny fragments during the treatment session. These particles are so small the lymphatic system is able to identify them and process them from the body via normal extortion methods.
At City Tattoo Removal we use Fotona’s QX MAX, which is one of the best machines in the world for laser tattoo removal. The QX MAX shatters ink into fragments so small they are easily and naturally excreted from your body.
If you are curious about removing a tattoo, why not contact City Tattoo Removal today and make a consultation booking to discuss your removal needs in person.
Contact points:
Phone: 07 3003 0358
Endnotes:
(1) The Council on Health and Disease Prevention “Tattoos - Health, Risks and Culture: With an Introduction to the “Seamless Prevention; Strategy”, Jorgen Serup et all p102
(2) www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/369222
(3) www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/369222; http://archives.evergreen.edu/webpages/curricular/1999-2000/humanbio/TattooInk.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment