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Tattoo Needle Depth

How deep should we be in the skin?  It does depend on the area your tattooing.  As an example the eyebrows verses the eyelids are different.  Even the eyelids at the tarsal plate are different than the eyelid skin above it.

As a former skin care professional, I can just about look at the skin and know if it's thick or thin, however you can also give it a pinch and feel the skin and note the difference.  Tattooing in thin skin will be more shallow than tattooing in thicker skin.  The best advice I can give is to feel your needles in the skin with your stretching fingers.  It's something you start to intuitively do and you know where you are in the skin by feeling the vibration form the needles.  

It's more difficult to feel smaller needle groupings and also smaller diameter needles such as nano needles.  The vibration is minimal and the nano needles  and smaller groups penetrate the skin quickly so it's important to F E E L where your...

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Tattoo needle configurations guide

The below guide is one of the several downloads from the course and is a suggestion on tattoo needle types and the usages.

  To your PMU success,


PMU Artist & Needle Specialist
Inside Needle Knowledge

Purchase the I.N.K. Course Now

IG jillhoyer

 

 DRAG AND DROP THE NEEDLE GUIDE TO YOUR DESKTOP

 Have you heard of the saying, "it doesn't matter what needle you choose, just as long as you know how to use it." If you're a new PMU artist or  a seasoned artist who is just venturing out of using a couple of different needle configurations, this is a frustrating statement.  How do you know how to use needles when you never were taught needle theory in basic fundamental training?  Today, there is a big need for needle theory. How to use needles makes much more sense when we understand the basics of what we are using and why we are using it. Needles our important as they dictate the footprint left behind in the skin.

In the online course,...

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The Single Needle Pixel Effect

 

Can you believe all the single needle sizes available in today's PMU market?  

The single needle used during the "fine line" era of traditional tattooing for entire tattoos, has been primarily used in PMU for pointillism,  hair strokes and a shaded effect known as "the pixel technique." Although most needles could be used to do the pixel technique, this video and article is mainly about the single needle sizes used to pixel and when you may choose one size over the other. 

Using a single needle or group of needles, the pixel technique is a combination of machine speed and hand speed that creates a dot like pattern in the skin. The slower the hand speed the closer the dots and the faster the hand speed the further the dots are apart. With the pixel technique, there is skin space between pixels and this lends to a soft look similar to powder.

With so many different sizes and tapers of single needles available, which sizes are optimal for pixelating?  ...

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Liner-Shader Guide

 

As PMU artists we have a lot of needle choices.  I use to think I could only use liners for lining and shaders for shading.  I realized I can use any needle, just as long as I know how to use it.  Of course, some needles are better "tools" for the procedure at hand, but I've learned not to limit myself in my needle choices just because they are called a liner or shader.

Knowing how to use a variety of needles with several techniques saves time during procedures as you don't always need to switch needles or have two machine setups. More importantly, is the artistry that develops in understanding our needle patterns or "footprint"  from both liners and shaders and using them interchangeably.  

Since liner needles (more than a single needle) are typically closer together than shader needles, the pattern/imprint of color is denser. You may come across situations where you want to shade with liners or use a shader needle, with it's broader pattern...

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Tattoo Needle Sizes and Tapers

 

With so many needle choices today it can be a bit confusing. Starting with the basics, the video explains all about our needle size systems and tapers.

To your PMU success,


PMU Artist & Needle Specialist
Inside Needle Knowledge

Purchase the I.N.K. Course Now

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Tattoo Needle Class

 

 “I almost missed this class thinking I knew enough about needlesWrong.” 

 Investing in your knowledge and skills is paramount to satisfying clients and attracting more. The I.N.K. Masterclass is designed to get you there – no need to rely on guesswork, be confident in your needle choices. Take the course at your own pace and repeat as many times as you need to.

 Take this opportunity now and make your PMU world a huge success and know your needles!

Start Course Now!

 

 To your PMU success,


PMU Artist & Needle Specialist
Inside Needle Knowledge, I.N.K.

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Q & A With Tattoo Needle Course (Inside Needle Knowledge) Creator Jill Höyer

 

Q/A with Jill Höyer about the online needle course, Inside Needle Knowledge.

Q: What prompted you to develop the Inside Needle Knowledge (INK) program?

A: There’s a need for needle education in our industry.  Many artists initially use one or 2 types of needles they learned on and find it intimidating to try new needles.  I like to say, “the more you know, the more you’ll grow.”  If artists really understand needles they will start combining various needles, techniques, and develop their own style.

Q: Why did you choose this format for the program?

A: I like the idea of a platform where you can watch the course 24/7 and re-watch the course and download the pdfs for reference.  I like how the course is set up with lessons that you can easily replay as needed plus you can post questions after each lesson or email me privately for answers. 

Q: How long have you been studying needles?

A: I’ve done permanent makeup for...

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Manual vs Machine Tattoo Needles

         


I want to share a question I was asked from a PMU artist seeking information about my I.N.K. course and sizes relevant to microblading needles and digital or machine tattoo needles. If you've wondered the same question about the course or needles, hopefully, this helps!  

Message:  Hi Jill
Please, can you advise if your I.N.K. course is relevant to microblading needle configurations as well as digital? Thanks, D.

 Me:  Hi D.
In general, many aspects of the lessons on needles apply to both machine and manual type needles.  As an artist, I use both manual and machine needles.
Maybe you have a specific question I can answer?

 Message:  Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I’ve got an understanding of the different configurations. It’s just understanding the benefits (or should I say drawbacks) of the different gauges of needles. For example, 0.16 needles provide a crisper line, however, when...

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Understanding Tattoo Needles

Most clients really aren’t interested in understanding tattoo needs however, I show clients my tattoo needles before opening the package because it’s required by the health department. A few clients are curious about the needles and others say, “I can’t look.”  It might help you to know that we actually tattoo very shallow in the skin…not deep at all.

Tattoo needles are really like paint brushes that I use to create permanent makeup designs.

 

tattoo needles

 

They come in several shapes, sizes and tapers so there are a lot of options and thought that goes into what I choose for specific procedures. We have amazing needle options from both the USA and Europe.

Using 2-3 needles per case is my norm.  I could just use one but it’s more about what will give me the best result and not improvising when I have the” right tool for the job”.

It has taken time and research to understand all the nuances of tattoo needles but...

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PMU
Liner Shader Guide

This chart helps you pay attention to your hand speed, machine speed, and hand movements when using liners for a liner effect and shaders for a shaded effect.

It also shows how you can use:

  • Liners for a shaded effect 
  • Shaders for a liner effect

A great go-to chart is just the beginning!