How tattoos are done

A tattoo is a permanent mark or design made on the skin with tattoo ink. Usually, a tattoo artist uses a handheld machine that acts much like a sewing machine. The machine has needles that pierce the skin many times. With every puncture, the needles insert tiny drops of ink into the top layer of the skin.

Tattooing causes a small amount of bleeding and some pain. As they create tattoos, tattoos artists usually don't use medicine to ease pain, called anesthetic.