Tattoos have long been a form of self-expression, cultural identity, and art. Beyond aesthetics however, the process of tattooing involves a complex interaction between ink, skin, and the body’s immune system. As the popularity of tattoos continues to rise, so do concerns about their long-term effects on skin health and overall well-being.
The process of tattooing Tattooing is the process of embedding ink into the dermis, the second layer of the skin, using a needle that punctures the epidermis at a high frequency. The tattoo machine, equipped with a group of needles, moves rapidly to deposit ink particles under the skin. Unlike surface-level ink applications, such as henna, tattoo ink becomes permanent as the immune system encases the ink particles in fibroblast cells (cells that help form connective tissue), preventing them from dispersing.
Diya Shaji, a professional tattoo artist from Bangalore, explains that a professional tattoo machine moves the needle anywhere between 50 to 3,000 times per minute. The ink is deposited about 1.5 to 2 millimetres deep, which ensures its permanence, as it sits in a stable layer of the skin.
Tattoo ink composition varies, with pigments derived from carbon, heavy metals, and synthetic dyes. The human body recognises tattoo ink as a foreign substance, triggering an immune response. Macrophages, a type of immune cell, attempt to remove the ink particles, which is why some fading occurs over time.
However, since ink particles are too large f.
