Inside: Single Needle Tattoos Defined.
Whether you’ve been inspired by the script on Selena Gomez’s side, have a delicate tattoo idea that you’d like to get, or saw some of your friends getting incredibly subtle tattoos, chances are that single needle tattoos have gained your attention. These fine line tattoos are becoming increasingly popular nowadays.
From platforms like Instagram and Pinterest to celebrities like Miley Cyrus, it seems like no one can stop raving about single needle tattoos.
However, an Instagram trend or a popular celebrity should not be enough to convince you to get a tattoo. Getting a tattoo is a painful experience and you have to live with it for (potentially) the rest of your life. So if you’re thinking about getting inked, it is important that you do thorough research, weigh your pros and cons, and then make the decision.
What Are Single Needle Tattoos?
Single needle tattoos are a lot more detailed than traditional tattoos. They are mainly made with gray and black ink, with very fine lines. If the tattoo is shaded, it is softer and lighter. This allows people to choose more delicate and fine designs for their tattoos. Tattoo artists use graphite lines and airbrush shading techniques to achieve the results.
However, not every tattoo artist is capable of making single needle tattoos. So you can’t just drop by a tattoo parlor and get a tattoo. Instead, you have to check in advance to ensure what tattoo artists in your locality offer this service.
Even if you do find a couple of fine tattoo artists in your area, always read reviews to know what you’re getting into. As stated earlier, tattoos are – in most -cases – a lifetime commitment. Tattoo removal is an equally painful and more expensive procedure; so make sure you are 100% aware of what you’re getting into.
How Are These Different from Traditional Tattoos?
Traditional tattoos use a multi-needle machine to ink the design on the body. This allows for larger spaces to be covered in shorter periods. However, this method is less precise, as you can’t add too many details to the design. The lines are usually thicker and there is more space within the tattoos.
On the other hand, a single needle tattoo – as the name suggests – makes use of a single needle machine for the process. This allows the artists more area to experiment and cram in more details within smaller tattoos.
Tattoos made using the single needle method are generally smaller in size. Although you can get a large tattoo if you like, there are very few people who opt for it. This is because this tattoo style works better for smaller designs.
Additionally, single needle tattoos take longer and can be slightly more painful than regular tattoos due to the repetitive patterns, which may also contribute to the decision.
2. Danity Flower Bundle Tattoo
5. Starry Constellation Design
Are Single Needle Tattoos Permanent?
There is a common belief that single needle tattoos start fading over the years. This is true to an extent; but it is true to all types of tattoos. This means that every tattoo will start fading a little over time.
When you get a tattoo, the ink bypasses the outer layer of the skin and penetrates 1.5 to 2 millimeters below the skin’s surface. However, our body isn’t aware that you deposited the ink on purpose. Hence, the immune system treats the ink as a foreign substance and starts working to get rid of it.
Of course, the ink is very resilient and wouldn’t just fade away in a couple of days. Yet, over the years, the white blood cells slowly break down the ink into smaller pieces in order to remove them. Additionally, exposure to the sun can speed up the process.
It is also important to note that the ink fades faster on some parts of the body. Fingers, elbows, knees, and feet have faster skin regeneration than the rest of the body. Hence, tattoos in these areas tend to fade away faster than in other parts of the body.
That being said, the process would still take decades to complete. So whether you’re getting a single needle tattoo or a full tattoo sleeve, you don’t need to worry about it fading away any time soon.
Tattoos can be a fun way of self-expression. Single needle tattoos allow you to be more creative and specific with your designs as compared to traditional tattoos. So if you have a specific design in mind or just want a tattoo that looks dainty and delicate, consider getting a single needle tattoo.