The introduction of permanent pigment into the skin: what determines the quality of the procedure?

“What is the speed of your machine?” a beautician asks at the exhibition, pointing at the machine for permanent make-up. Masters have to hear such unprofessional questions more often than they would like. Confusion in the minds and misunderstanding of the essence of the questions being asked is the result of the ignorance of those who undertake to “enlighten” those who are interested in the topic of permanent makeup themselves, to put it mildly, without understanding the issue.

So what is the speed of the machine?

Firstly, the machine is for tattoo artists (tattoo-machine), who started doing tattoo makeup even before the term permanent makeup and the first primitive devices for this service appeared. In permanent makeup, it is customary to say "apparatus", not a machine.

Secondly, the speed of what? And, thirdly, what will these numbers tell you? The bigger, the better? Are you sure? Let's stop there and try to understand what are the parameters of the procedure and how they affect its quality. Indeed, in the end, it is the quality that is important, that is, the successful introduction of the pigment into the upper layer of the skin in accordance with the developed sketch.

Parameters affecting quality

We propose to conditionally single out seven parameters of the procedure that clearly affect the quality. Let's list them:

– skin elasticity;

- the power of the device, or rather the force that the device can potentially create at the tip of the needle;

- the pressure imparted by the hand of a specialist to the needle, when it is exposed to the skin;

– frequency of reciprocating movements of the needle;

is the speed of needle movement along the skin surface;

- skin tension

- the number of needles currently used (single or a bunch of needles in one configuration or another);

A favorable combination of these seven parameters of the procedure is required for the qualitative introduction of the pigment into the upper layer of the skin.

Let us consider each of them in more detail and analyze the mutual influence of these parameters.

Skin and its elasticity

The parameter that we cannot control is the elasticity of the skin. It is given for a given area of the skin.

Experts know that, for example, on the lips in different areas there may be a different density of connective tissue fibers. Herpes, often recurring in the same places, leads to thickening of the skin. This can make it difficult for the needle to penetrate to the required depth. Using an apparatus of sufficient power with a stable amplitude of reciprocating movements, the specialist will more easily solve the problem of uniform immersion of the needle to a given depth throughout the entire area of influence, even on such “complex” skin.

There are cases when, on specific, easily injured skin, a single needle hooks on the skin due to its insufficient elasticity. If it is not possible to get out of this position by reducing the pressure of the hand on the skin, and by adjusting the frequency in the direction of decreasing it, then a possible way out of the situation is to switch to working with a bundle needle, for example, in a 3-needle configuration.

Some professionals state that they exfoliate the area of skin to be treated prior to the procedure to reduce the skin's resistance to the needle. In fact, the very first pass of the needle over the skin solves the problem of peeling the stratum corneum of the epidermis automatically, and no peeling preparation of the skin with scrubs has any practical meaning. Unless you consider this technique as a marketing move for a more successful sale of a service, standing out in the eyes of an ignorant consumer.

Machine power

A professional device must have sufficient power to overcome the resistance of the skin of any density. The pressure of the needle, at the same time, on the skin should be minimal.

Experienced masters know how difficult it is sometimes to inject pigment into the skin if procedures have already been performed on a highly traumatic tattoo machine or on primitive devices designed in the 80s (even if they are currently produced). This is due to the fact that the healing process in the skin occurred mainly not due to tissue epithelialization, but due to the formation of connective tissue fibers.
The pressure on the skin of the hand that controls the pen with the needle should be as minimal as possible, but sufficient for the effective introduction of the pigment. This is desirable so that the hand feels the nuances of the skin as best as possible and ensures the implementation of the skin micropigmentation method.

Recall that micropigmentation is, on the one hand, a procedure in professional permanent makeup, and on the other hand, it is a method of introducing pigment into the upper layer of the skin, which implies minimal traumatization.

It is possible to minimize the effective pressure of the needle by resorting to a special technique of setting the needle at an angle to the skin surface, in which it seems to pry off the scales of the stratum corneum of the epidermis, and does not push them through as in the usual setting of the needle perpendicular to the skin surface.

Sufficiently powerful professional devices are also good because they do not require the needle to be pressed against the skin to overcome its resistance and retain the sensitivity of the hand to the nuances of the skin.

By the way, powerful tattoo machines do not provide such an opportunity, since the sensitivity of the hand is coarsened by the high vibration of the tattoo machine, which is not the case with a professional permanent makeup machine.

Minimal, but quite effective hand pressure is easier to implement when using needles with a special conical sharpening and a polished surface, and more difficult when using the so-called “bullet” sharpening of the needle.

Needle reciprocating frequency

This is the parameter that for some reason is often called speed and which is displayed on the display of the control unit for all modern devices. Yes, the frequency of reciprocating movements of the needle depends on the angular velocity of the motor rotor, but is not equal to it. The speed value is never displayed, as it has no practical interest.

The frequency of reciprocating movements of the needle is actually equal to the number of needle punctures of the skin per second. Our studies have shown that the operating frequency range of practical importance is from 70 to 120 units/s.

The higher the frequency, the closer the handle of the device, equipped with a needle, to the cutting tool. And, therefore, the more difficult it is to comply with the principle of minimal skin trauma. At frequencies above 150 units/s, a pen with a needle can practically work like a scalpel, and it is difficult to work with such a device atraumatically.

Let's leave on the developers' conscience the high frequencies that appear on the displays of some devices. Also completely unfounded are the advertising claims of some trade managers that the higher the speed (read frequency), the less painful the procedure will be. Such marketing moves that allow you to stand out in a competitive environment are designed for an ignorant buyer and can successfully work to increase sales.

In fact, studies have shown that if micropigmentation is performed on the skin of increased injury, then the optimal frequency for the procedure corresponds to approximately 70 units / s, but it is very important that the speed of the needle along the skin surface be minimal. Only under these conditions it is possible to successfully continue the procedures, for example, on the “torn” skin on the lips.

Needle speed

Another parameter is the speed of movement of the needle along the surface of the skin. With a certain frequency, elasticity of the skin and pressure, it is possible to pass the needle along the surface of the skin so quickly that it will slip over it without introducing pigment into the skin. Another limiting case is the zero speed of the needle movement along the skin surface.

Consider the example of a very thick stratum corneum of the epidermis sometimes found between the eyelashes. In particular, with short eyelashes in the body, a compensatory mechanism for building up the stratum corneum can work. The body, as it were, is trying to “grow” eyelashes. After all, it is known that morphologically eyelashes are a continuation of the stratum corneum of the epidermis. To fill the interciliary space in this case, the only possible technique will be the “puncture” needle control technique, when the speed of the needle movement along the skin surface is equal to zero. In this case, the pigment is introduced pointwise, gradually filling the desired area of the inter-ciliary space.
If we look at the work of experienced craftsmen from the side, we will see that the speed of the needle movement along the surface of the skin is different for them. But this parameter cannot be considered separately from the pressure of the needle on the skin, frequencies, needle configurations, etc.

I strongly recommend that all novice specialists work very slowly at first, leading the needle over the skin. Only in this case it is possible in the future to learn to feel the skin, to “hear” with your own hands that the skin is not only different for different people, but also differs in different parts of the skin of the same person.

Skin tension is the most important technique in micropigmentation. If on the eyelids it is simply impossible to do without proper skin tension, then on the lips a very different needle manipulation technique is used and, accordingly, a different degree of its tension - from significant to almost zero.

The number of needles currently in use determines the choice of other procedure parameters and the needle manipulation technique itself. Above, we considered another case, when we chose the number of needles in the bundle to ensure the possibility of carrying out the procedure on easily injured skin. Each specialist subjectively decides for himself which options in the configuration of the needles he uses in certain cases. In permanent make-up, there is only one apparatus, when everything has already been decided for the specialist at the production site. In this apparatus, the design of the needle movement drive provides for the use of only single needles. That is, this procedure parameter is fixed, and for a favorable combination of various procedure parameters, the specialist controls others.

If the specialist chooses for the procedure or for one of its stages a bundle needle, for example, in a configuration of 5 needles when blending on the border of the lips, then he can no longer vary the angle of the needles with respect to the skin surface. In this case, in order for all 5 needles to simultaneously touch the skin with the same force, it is necessary to place the pen perpendicular to the skin surface.

There are specialists who, even having bought a device with an adjustable frequency of reciprocating movements of the needle, do not use these capabilities of the device and work only at a frequency, for example, 100 units / s. At the same time, they can control other parameters of the procedure to maintain their favorable combination.

In general, experts recommend that beginners do the work at a frequency of 100 units / s for the first few dozen procedures. Then, having learned to feel the skin, you should try to change the frequency during the procedure and “hear” the difference. As a result, each specialist develops his own intimate logic for adjusting the frequency of the reciprocating motion of the needle. The device gives the possibility of adjusting the modes, and how to use them, the specialist decides for himself.

There is a device where the operating modes are programmed by the manufacturer, and there is no way to take into account the capabilities of the skin and adjust the frequency value at your own discretion. Such a device with pomp is presented to the buyer as programmed, computerized. But this is again a marketing ploy acting on an ignorant buyer. When selling such a device, where everything has already been decided for the user by the designers, a disadvantage that is obvious to an understanding specialist is presented as an advantage. In order for the future specialist not to get into trouble with the choice of apparatus, it is necessary to start with the search for a school, and not with the search for an apparatus. And it is logical to trust the advice on equipping the workplace to the one to whom the future specialist entrusted his training.

In order to learn how to successfully coordinate the elasticity of the skin, the frequency of the reciprocating movements of the needle, the speed of the needle along the surface of the skin, the tension of the skin, the force of pressing the hand, etc., you need a lot of experience, the ability to feel the skin, and then the internal computer will automatically tell you what and how it should be changed during the procedure to ensure its quality.

We wish all beginners a lot of practice to comprehend the difficult but beautiful art of permanent makeup.