Tattoo Pigmentation and Skin Tones

   Regardless of the tattoo style or theme proposed by the artist or desired by the client, there are two options for creating any of them, and these options lie in colors. A tattoo can be colored or black and gray.

    However, due to the type and color of skin, the outcome of the same design will certainly vary. The key lies in melanin.

    Biology has blessed us with two types of melanin: Eumelanin and Pheomelanin. The former presents a color range from black to brown, while the latter varies from red to yellow.

   When exposed to the sun, we notice darkening of our skin. This occurs when melanin is exposed to ultraviolet rays; it is called facultative melanin. Additionally, there is melanin produced due to the action of our genes, termed constructive melanin.

    Understanding this biological aspect, we can grasp what happens with tattoos on different skin types.

    Darker skin tones will certainly have a greater influence on the tattoo outcome. The reason is simple: after tattoo healing is complete, the skin regrows over the applied ink, meaning its natural color will prevail over the artwork. For darker skins, the recommended choice for greater durability and clarity is black and gray tattoos; in this case, the tattoo will be more visible. Lighter skin tones allow for a wider range of colors.

    Color theory teaches us to use colors in a way that harmonizes one with another. In the case of human skin, skin color directly influences the result of colorimetry.

    For instance, if we apply red ink on dark skin, the final result, after the skin heals, will have the natural color overlaying the applied ink. The natural color will prevail, thus colorful tattoos are more evident on lighter skin tones.

    Obviously, this is a client's choice since they will carry the artwork on their skin daily. It's possible to create colored tattoos on both darker and lighter skins, but the outcome of the same design on different skin types will certainly differ.