New types of cartridges for permanent makeup

If a tattoo machine is the master’s main working tool, then needles are the main intermediary between the skin and the machine.

Indeed, with correctly selected needles or cartridges it is much easier to achieve the desired permanent makeup result. In addition, thanks to needles suitable for a particular technique, for different skin types, etc. You can significantly shorten the recovery period for the client, and reduce to a minimum (and even to zero) the very likelihood of complications or undesirable effects (pigment migration, its degradation, etc.). But in order to make the right choice, you need to freely navigate the entire variety of modern assortment. And this, at first glance, is not very simple, given the “stepwise” classification of needles and cartridges. The specialists of the online store “Everything for Permanent Makeup” have prepared for you a detailed guide on these tools - it will help you understand tattoo needles and independently select the models you need.

The importance of choosing the right needles

At its core, a permanent makeup needle is a tool used to puncture the skin. Simultaneously with the formation of a puncture, a pigment is introduced into it, creating the desired effect - shading, shading, individual strokes and lines, etc.

It is at the moment of puncture that the importance of the “right” needle becomes obvious. Its diameter, length and sharpening angle determine how the pigment will “lay down” and how accurately the details will be drawn, whether the gradient will be evenly applied or the shading will be dense.

Also, experienced tattoo artists know: the same needle configuration behaves differently (creates different pigment effects) on different skin types. Therefore, when choosing needles for a specific session, it is very important to assess the client’s skin type - without this, upon completion of skin regeneration, you can see an undesirable or downright unpleasant result.

In short, tattoo needles are critical tools that, along with the performance of the machine and the professionalism of the artist, determine the final result.

Classification of needles by material of manufacture

The material used to make needles has virtually no effect on the quality of work with them. But it quite significantly affects the cost of the instruments themselves and, accordingly, the cost of a tattoo session. Among the most common materials are the following:

• Platinum. Such needles are among the most expensive, and this is justified: they are 100% biointeractive - they do not cause any reactions with organic compounds and do not provoke rejection. In normal situations, their use is inappropriate, since it only increases the cost of consumables and, accordingly, the session itself. But in cases where tattooing done unprofessionally is being corrected (formation of scar tissue, incorrectly selected pigment and allergies to it, etc.), it is recommended to choose such needles. They are also often used for clients with a high potential for complications - very problematic skin, chronic acne in remission, etc. Platinum is more often used as an alloying (reinforcing) component and for the outer coating of needles.
• Surgical steel. The most common material for making needles is relatively cheap, hypoallergenic, resistant to mechanical, chemical, and thermal influences. Depending on the grade of steel, the cost of needles may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
• Nickel. Today this is the rarest material, since well-known manufacturers refuse it due to its high allergenic potential. May be present in other alloys for making needles. It is important to consider the presence of nickel in the needles (if any), and to use only in clients who are not allergic to this metal.

Classification of permanent needles by design The most extensive classification of tattoo needles is related to their design. This is a large list of criteria, each of which can have a huge impact on the final result.

Traditional tattoo needles

This design consists of a steel base onto which individual needles (usually from one to five) are soldered. The base itself is inserted into the tattoo machine through a holder, which serves as an additional fixation for the needle and prevents its vibrations. This element can be disposable or reusable, but in the latter case, after each session, the holder must undergo a full sterilization cycle. The needle also needs an addition - a tip (or nozzle), which you cannot do without. It serves as a container for pigment and a barrier against dye splashing. Thanks to the tip, splashes and drips of pigment do not prevent the artist from seeing the base pattern and the pigment already applied to the skin, which eliminates errors and mistakes, especially when forming thin contours or when working in the hair technique.

Traditional tattoo needles are relatively cheap, but the need to change the needle and tip each time you change the technique or area of tattooing significantly increases the duration of the session.

Another drawback is that such designs may be incompatible with the new generation of tattoo machines.

Cartridges for tattooing

The cartridge is a modular system that includes a plastic housing with a built-in needle solder. There is also a pigment reservoir here. The cartridges are attached to the tattoo machine using a special holder and bar, which, just like in the case of needles, can be single- or reusable.

The main advantage of cartridges is the integrity of their design, which minimizes vibration and oscillatory movements of the needles, and increases the accuracy of the master’s work. In addition, changing the cartridge is carried out in one motion - replacing one configuration with another takes just a couple of seconds, which makes the technician’s work more comfortable and saves his time. Cartridges are available in standard and membrane types. In the second case, the module is equipped with an elastic thin diaphragm, which protects the machine from pigment fragments, skin particles, blood, etc.

Classification of tattoo needles by type of sharpening

The sharpening angle and height form a cone of a certain length on the needle tip. In accordance with this, tattoo needles are divided into three conventional types according to the type of sharpening.

Long point needles

Such needles are marked with the designation “LT” (Long Taper). These include needles with a cone length of about 2 mm.

A long sharpening and a thin point ensure deep penetration into the skin, and, taking into account the large amount of pigment that the long point holds on itself, a larger volume of dye is introduced. This type of needle is most often used to create thin and clear contours and strokes. Also, LT models are often used for tattooing on dry and/or aged skin, as they are the least traumatic and minimize the risks of possible complications.

Some manufacturers produce subtypes of long sharpening - needles marked DLT (Double Long Taper), ELT (Extra Long Taper), SLT (Super Long Taper), SELT (Super Extra Long Taper), the length of which varies from 2.5 mm to 7, 0 mm. But they are rarely used in permanent makeup, and only in isolated cases.

Medium sharpened needles

The medium sharpening is marked as “MT” (Medium Taper) and is one of the most common. Such needles can be called universal, since they “cover” most of the tasks required for tattooing. The length of the cone varies from 1.5 to 2.0 mm. They are not suitable for fine lines and strokes, but they perfectly perform the functions of creating contours, shading, and shading.

Short point needles

These are needles marked “ST” (Short Taper), which have a cone length of about 1.5 mm. The point of the needle resembles a bullet - a short cone forms a “blunt” working end. These are the most traumatic needles, leaving wide punctures (compared to other sharpenings). But you can’t do without them when working with dense shading to create smooth gradients and transitions. There is also an ultra-short grind (US), with a cone length of less than 1.5 mm.

It will be useful for novice craftsmen to know that from different manufacturers the LT, MT and ST markings may indicate traditional length options. So, your usual LT with a cone length of 2 mm may have a length of, for example, 3 mm from another brand. Therefore, when purchasing needles from a manufacturer with whom you have not previously dealt, check this indicator.

Also, a number of manufacturers have needles with double-sided sharpening or other variations. For example, in the OPTIMA series from Quadron you can find the marking “PT” (Point Taper) - double-sided sharpening + additional sharpening on the very tip of the needle.

Classification of tattoo needles by surface texture

The purpose of the needle is to make a puncture in the skin and deliver pigment into it. Depending on the surface texture of the needles, they can handle this differently.

Smooth needles

This is a classic tattoo - during the production process, the needles are thoroughly polished, which ensures a perfectly smooth surface. Such needles, even of large diameter, injure the skin less, but do not capture enough pigment, and in most cases a repeat pass will be required to correct the color intensity.

Polished needles are used for any technique and in any area. Their advantage is minimal pain for the client, and the ability to create exceptionally thin and clear lines.

Smooth needles are also used in situations where there is a high probability of pigment migration (features of the tattoo area or the individual properties of the client’s skin). Thanks to an even and smooth puncture, the pigment penetrates only into this “channel,” which reduces the risk of blurry contours.

Textured needles

Such needles are also polished, but microscopic notches remain on their surface, which capture more pigment (compared to non-textured needles).

Such modifications are used in all cases where it is necessary to deliver the maximum amount of dye into the skin in one pass.

There is a misconception about the invasiveness of textured needles; the allegedly “rough” surface creates the preconditions for severe trauma to the skin and its subsequent slow (and sometimes complicated) healing. This has nothing to do with reality. The texture of the needle is truly microscopic, and the point is very thin and sharp, so additional injuries are excluded. And even vice versa: for problematic skin prone to the formation of keloid scars, such needles are best suited. This is due to the fact that the greatest harm is caused by repeated passes over barely healed tissue. Therefore, a single pass that does not require additional pigment will save the client from a long recovery period.

But textured needles are not recommended for fine, precise lines, as the likelihood of pigment migration is slightly higher than with smooth needles.

Classification of needles by diameter

In permanent tattooing, a diameter in the range from 0.10 to 0.40 mm is mainly used. The importance of the diameter of the needles is difficult to overestimate, since depending on it, the artist receives either jewelry-precise lines, or a soft gradient, shading, or shading.

If you examine the puncture made in a horizontal projection (top view) under a microscope, the difference will become obvious: a thin needle creates a very small point with clearly defined edges, and a thick one creates a large point. Therefore, the smaller the diameter, the better the needle is suitable for precision jewelry techniques and lines, and the larger the diameter, the easier and faster it will be to do shading or shading.

The reference point is a needle with a diameter of 0.30 mm, which is considered universal, suitable for most techniques and areas. Accordingly, if you need to make a very clear and thin drawing, you should reduce the diameter of the needle, and to create a denser shading and shading, move towards increasing the diameter in relation to 0.30 mm. Different manufacturers mark the diameter differently; this must be taken into account when choosing needles.

Thus, needles with a diameter of 0.30 mm may be designated “30” or “10” on the package.

Classification of needles by type of soldering

The type of soldering of needles in a classic form factor or in a cartridge is the contour that the entire set of needles forms and how tightly their points are collected. The purpose of such soldering is to speed up the work of the master and make it more comfortable. In theory, any technique and area can be worked with just one needle, but this is extremely labor-intensive and slow. But in order for “multiple” needles to help make the process more comfortable and speed up, you need to know which ones are needed for what.

Round soldering needles

Regardless of the number of needles, during tattooing they form a round “spot” consisting of 3 or more points. On the packaging they are marked as R (Round), with an additional L or S, depending on the purpose.

Round Liner (RL)

Round Liner is a round soldering format in which the tips of the needles are collected in a tight bunch. This design allows you to make an outline, individual lines or strokes. The smaller the diameter of the needles and the longer the sharpening cone, the finer the lines you can make.

Round Shader (RS)

Round Shader is a round soldering format in which the tips of all needles diverge to the sides. This type of soldering is necessary for shading, creating smooth gradients and transitions. The larger the diameter of the needles and the shorter the sharpening cone, the smoother the shading and transitions between zones will be. Flat solder needles In such soldering, the needles are located in one line, which gives the name

Flat soldering.

Most often these are needles of a fairly large diameter and with a short or medium sharpening cone. They are used primarily for shading and shadowing, as they allow you to cover a large area in one pass.

Depending on the required shading density and the area the artist is working with, you can select flats with different numbers and diameters of needles to achieve the desired effect.

Experienced craftsmen also use this type of soldering to create distinct outlines - depending on how the needles or cartridge are positioned in relation to the design (along or across), you can create both shading and lines.

Soldering needles of a different configuration

In addition to round and flat soldering, complex configurations such as “Magnum” are also used in tattooing. Depending on the characteristics of soldering, they are divided into the following three groups.

Magnum M1 needles

This type of soldering involves staggering two rows of needles. In horizontal projection, Magnum M1 looks like two rows of dots that form a zigzag outline. Such needles are used to create transitions and shading.

Magnum M2 needles

The same two rows of needles as in the previous model, but located one above the other. In the horizontal projection of the needle, two rows of dots appear, each of which forms its own short row. These needles are designed for dense and quick painting.

Round Magnum needles

This type of soldering differs from M1 and M2 in that the tips of the needles are located at different heights - at the edges they are raised higher. Such needles provide soft shading and gradients, since the outer needles plunge into the skin to a shallower depth than the central ones. Thanks to this, the inside of the zone with the pigment added to it looks darker than the outside.

Other, more complex needle configurations can be found from different manufacturers. For example, flat soldering with a beveled lower beam profile, which is very convenient for microblading and other techniques that involve applying precise and thin strokes.

Needle size

The diameter of the needle, which is indicated on the product labeling, is the size of one individual needle in the solder. But there may be several such needles in a bunch or row, which is important to consider when choosing any specific configuration. So, in round soldering needles there can be up to 18 such piercing units, and in flat ones - up to 17.

There are other variations, but they are used extremely rarely in tattooing. It is important to understand that the combination of “needle diameter + number of soldering needles” determines the thickness of the contour and the density of the shading. It is these indicators that determine how thin or wide the mark the needles will leave on the skin.

What to base the choice of tattoo needles on

The first thing you need to start from is the characteristics of your tattoo machine. There is no point in purchasing cartridges for induction machines - the inductor can simply “accelerate” the module to the operating frequency and impact force. But rotary ones will cope with this task perfectly.

The second most important criterion is the characteristics of the needles or cartridges themselves. In this case, the marking on the packaging will come to the rescue, in which the manufacturer indicates the diameter of the needles, their number, type of soldering, and sharpening length. A master working in different techniques and with different zones should by default have a basic set of needles or modules - liners and shaders, and a set of tools within each group. For example, to work with a contour on the lips and eyelids, you will need liners with different diameters of needles and different numbers of them in the solder (to create more or less thin boundaries). And for shading, shading and gradients you will need both round shaders and flat single- and double-row needles (flat and magnum). In a word, before purchasing “your” set of needles or cartridges, evaluate the techniques you work with and their features. This will allow you to more accurately select needles that will make your work more comfortable and the tattoo results even more professional.