Most cosmetic tattoo professionals are now well aware that the topical anaesthetics that are legal in Australia and work effectively need to be obtained from a compounding chemist. They contain between 5 and 10% anaesthetic (e.g. lidocaine (also called lignocaine), tetracaine, prilocaine or benzocaine). With less than 5% your client is likely to suffer.

Rotary tattoo machines operate very differently to modern digital machines. The needles in rotaries oscillate (vibrate sideways) in  the housing. This tends to rip and tear the skin, whereas a digital cartridge needle move up and down very precisely, producing nice neat perforations in the skin for the pigment.

Does your client want a perfect lipliner or eyeliner, minimum discomfort, minimum swelling and long lasting results? Of course ! Well you need a good machine to consistently achieve this. Hand tool techniques are currently being promoted on the basis of artistry and versatility. THink MBC sells hand tools, for featherstoke brows. For eyeliner and lipliner we strongly recommend (digital) machines, and here’s why!

Most cosmetic tattoo pigments contain iron, with several other metals being common. Some pigments are carbon-based (organic) with no metals. Metals will response to MRI to some degree, although the amounts in a cosmetic tattoo are obviously very small. Body art tattoos may present more of a risk as they are typically much bigger and contain various metals.

New guidelines and regulations in the European Union are encouraging a trend toward more use of “Organic” pigments. What does organic mean? In this case it means carbon-based (nothing to do with environmentally friendly production). Carbon-based pigments include a very wide range of chemicals, and much more vivid colours can be produced.

Generic needles look very similar to the original equipment of respected international brands, but there are typically several differences. The needles are usually not as sharp and the infection control systems within the needle casing are either not there or not as good.