Page 20 - An Introduction to Laser Tattoo Removal

Chapter 2 – Fundamentals of Laser Tattoo Removal v1.0
Figure 4: A ‘coil’ tattoo machine – this is obvious from the two coils which create a magnetic field when energised. This field ‘pulls’ the armature bar pin which drives the needles into the skin.
This photo shows two sets of tattoo needles for a rotary machine (you can tell from the round ‘hook’ at the top).
The ‘line’ needle may be formed from groups of finer needles in a tight, circular fashion.
The ‘shade’ needles are usually applied in a flat, ‘brush-like’ fashion.
Tattoo Inks
Figure 5: ‘Line’ and ‘Shade’ needles
‘Line’ needles
Tattoo inks are not technically ‘inks’ at all! They are comprised of pigments suspended in a carrier solution. In the vast majority of cases, the ink is not even in solution, it is a ‘colloid’. This is caused by the ink particles dispersing in a solution, but not interacting with the molecules of the carrier to form a new compound.
Hence the ink particles essentially remain ‘free’ of the surrounding fluid. Most ‘inks’ are primarily metal salts, plastics and some vegetable dyes.
Most ink manufacturers use a combination of water, glycerine, acrylic resin, witch-hazel and isopropyl alcohol as their carrier. The pigments are mixed within this carrier to form a homogeneous, evenly mixed colloid. When alcohols are used as a carrier, the permeability of the ink is increased, allowing more pigment to enter the dermis. Such carriers have little risk of
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Chapter 2 LEVEL A Laser Tattoo Removal
© The Laser-IPL Guys, 2021
‘Shade’ needles