How deep should a tattoo needle go? Needle depth and blowouts in fine line tattooing

The short answer

Tattoo ink belongs in the dermis, the middle layer of the skin, about 1 to 3 mm down. For fine line, it's usually nearer 1.5 to 2 mm. Go deeper than that, into the fat underneath, and the ink spreads past your line. That's a blowout.

Depth is something you learn by feel, and it comes with practice. On my Beginners Training you nail your line work on fake skin first, then tattoo live models from day three.

How deep does a tattoo needle go?

About 1 to 3 mm, into the dermis. That's where the ink stays put for life. For fine line, I'd say 1.5 to 2 mm is closer to the truth.

How I teach depth

I teach it by two things. The first is feel: when you're at the right depth, it feels like a cat purring under your hands. The second is your needle. I have my needle hanging at 4 mm, and the top third of it goes into the skin. If you lose sight of half your needle, you're probably too deep.

What is a tattoo blowout, and what causes it?

A blowout is ink that has spread under the skin past the edges of a line. The line looks blurred, and the ink sits outside where it was meant to go.

It comes down to depth. When the needle goes too deep, into the fat below the dermis, the ink can spread outside the edges of the line. Pressing too hard is a common cause, and thinner skin, like the top of the foot or the inside of the arm, may make a blowout more likely.

Needle angle, hand speed and skin stretch

• AngleI hold my machine at a 90 degree angle. It gives you the crispest possible lines.
• StretchA good stretch gives you the best control and the neatest results.
• SpeedHand speed is different for every artist. I usually run my machine at around 6.5 volts.

Fine line and blowouts

The risk of a blowout is the same as with any other tattoo. On fine line it's just easier to see, because the line is the whole design and there's no room for error.

That's also why I teach with needle groupings of 3. I actively avoid single needles, because of the risk of blowouts.

Is it a blowout, or is it just healing?

A healing tattoo goes through stages. The skin is inflamed for the first ten days or so, then it settles over the next few months. In the first month some ink comes out through the top layer of skin, which is normal.

A blowout looks different:

• When it showsOften straight away. But some blowouts don't show for a few years.
• Where the ink isOutside the edges of the line, so the line looks blurred.
• How it's treatedWith a cover-up, laser or surgical removal (more below).

If you're not sure, ask the artist who did it to have another look once it's healed.

How do you avoid blowouts when you're learning?

You practise where a mistake doesn't cost anyone. Then you move onto real skin with someone experienced next to you.

• Before day one: the theoryYour pre-course portal covers bloodborne pathogens and machine and needle theory.
• Day one: machine, needles and fake skinYou learn your machine and needles, how to tattoo safely, and how we use fake skin to nail your line work.
• Day two: more repsMuscle memory and repetition are everything. We do as much as we can on fake skin, then I run a full start-to-finish live demo.
• Day three: live modelsAfter a morning of practice, you tattoo your first real models in the afternoon.

In my opinion, tattooing safely matters just as much as tattooing neatly, if not more. A tattoo that isn't done properly can lead to infections, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, which is why the safety side comes first.

Needle choice is part of depth too. We cover it on day one, and I'll write a separate guide to needle sizes.

Learning fine line from scratch? My Beginners Training is four days in person near Bishop's Stortford, in a group of no more than three. You work on fake skin first and tattoo live models from day three. It's £4,497 inc VAT, IBA accredited and insurable, and a £500 deposit secures your place.

Already a PMU artist? You already understand skin and needles. My two-day PMU course (£2,147) takes you onto live models, and my online course (£497) shows you how to practise on latex before you ever work on skin.

Can a tattoo blowout be fixed?

Yes, it can be made less noticeable. There are three options:

• A cover-upMore tattooing over the blowout, once the tattoo has healed, which can take up to two months.
• LaserLaser can fade a blowout. It can take five or more sessions, and it doesn't work for everyone.
• Surgical removalThe only way to remove a blown-out tattoo completely.

If it's your own tattoo, talk to an experienced artist or a qualified laser practitioner about which suits you.

"Do fine line tattoos always blow out?"

No. A blowout comes from going too deep, and depth is something you learn to control. Getting your depth, angle and stretch right is what practice is for, and it's exactly what we work on in training.