Most individuals searching for Tattoos begin by searching Instagram to locate an artist and design they like. Unfortunately, this process may present unique challenges for people with darker skin tones.
Color Tones
Tattoos are permanent marks, so the design must remain visually pleasing over time. Over time, colors will fade, while skin’s natural melanin can impact how a tattoo appears – this is particularly pertinent for darker skin tones.
Some colors don’t pair well with dark skin tones, such as light blues and pinks; these may look muddy and unattractive. Darker green, purple, and black hues tend to look best against this complexion.
Before getting a tattoo, one must inquire about the artist’s experience with coloring on dark skin. If they claim they have plenty of experience, check Instagram or their website for photos showing healed colored Tattoos on dark skin. If they mention tattooing all shades but only post light skin tone photos, that should raise red flags, as you should look for someone with experience working on diverse complexions and dark skin tones.
Placement
Tattoos are placed beneath your epidermis layer of skin, held in place by healing cells that take on its natural color and take over from there. Over time, however, melanin production by your epidermis may change how well specific colors appear or even make the entire thing look muddy and disorganized.
Finding an artist with experience working with multiple skin tones, especially darker ones, can be challenging. Before selecting an artist, ensure their portfolio features examples of healed work on various skin tones.
Tattoo ink is applied two millimeters below the surface of your skin, so while darker skin tones may seem to scar more readily than lighter tones, scarring can occur regardless of skin tone and overwork or lack of care for an artist’s part. So finding one who fits you properly should be fine!
Skin Tones
Skin tone plays a large part in how a tattoo will turn out, so an artist must be familiar with all its shades and undertones. A skilled tattooer should be able to adapt ink colors based on a client’s undertones so they pop more vividly against darker skin tones; generally speaking, dark colors such as black ink, blue, red, and green work best on darker skin tones, while lighter hues may overshadow or dilute over time; dark shades tend to work better when applied initially on darker skin tones versus more golden hues over time as lighter hues may weaken over time so it is better to start with something darker first!
Before selecting an artist to work on you, it is wise to request images or color tests of their work on people of various skin tones or conduct your color test. If an artist claims they specialize in tattooing all shades but only shows photos of white people as examples, that should raise red flags. Feel free to inform an artist if their skill set does not include working well with darker skin tones- they should be able to accommodate this request.
Artist Experience
Tattoo ink fades over time, altering how a tattoo reads against the tones and undertones of your skin. A knowledgeable tattooer can assist in selecting colors that will stand the test of time while still complementing your complexion.
Myth: Dark skin does not support color tattoos, which is untrue. Your chosen artist should provide you with options and show samples of their work done on various skin tones and brow shades.
Gresham suggests when selecting an artist for a color tattoo; she asks artists if they have worked with any clients with dark skin tones before. Additionally, she suggests looking at healed photos and reading reviews online before choosing.
