What is a tattoo?

Tattoo – it’s grooves in the skin that are filled with a special dye. First, master, with help of needles, scratches out the picture on the skin, and then fills the space of piercing with paint. Tattoo stays on the skin for a long time, as the paint is injected not into the epidermis (outer layer of skin, which is regenerated throughout life), but the dermis, the second, deeper layer of skin. The cells of the dermis are very stable, so the tattoo is usually long-lasting.

 In earlier times tattoo was made by hand – first, master pierced the skin, and then applied the paint. This method is still used in some countries, but most tattoo shops use a machine for tattooing. Machine for a tattoo – is a handheld electrical device that consists of a tube of paint and a needle. At one end of the machine - a sterilized needle attached to a tube of paint. Foot switch starts the machine, and the needle pierces the skin while injecting dye into 1/8 inch (3 mm) in the skin.

It is important that the master knows how deep to pierce the skin, because if not deep enough, tattoo will be rough, but if it's too deep, it can cause bleeding and pain. The process of applying tattoo can last for several hours, depending on the selected pattern and size.