Troubleshooting Cosmetic Tattooing Pigment Problems – The Ultimate Guide

Microblading & Cosmetic Tattooing Pigment : My pigment won’t implant, HELP

A common problem for cosmetic tattooing beginners is encountering clients who’s skin just doesn’t seem to absorb any cosmetic tattooing pigment. Sometimes it can seem like you have made 10 passes and still there is no pigment being implanted into the area. Aaaah so frustrating!

What’s important to learn, and often is overlooked in the training process, is how to troubleshoot this irritating problem when it occurs. Most trainers will teach you how to design the brow and your results during the course are great. 

But then you get home and take your first clients….. and that’s when it happens.

Suddenly it’s not working as it should.

So what’s going on and how do you fix it?

Several factors can cause cosmetic tattooing pigment not to be absorbed by the client’s skin. I will list them below and explain how to eliminate each possibility until you find the solution.

1 – the client’s skin type.

We don’t always get to choose our clients, especially when we are just starting, and trying to build a portfolio. Chances are at least once you will encounter this problem as a result of the client’s skin type. Oily skin and skin with large visible pores tend to be more resistant to absorbing microblading and cosmetic tattooing pigment. Sun damage can also be a factor in preventing the skin from taking color. So how do we work with this? There are two things you can try.

Solution 1: apply some petroleum jelly to the surface of the skin before tattooing over the area. Vaseline (petroleum jelly) reduces friction and softens the skin, making it less resistant to penetration by the needle or blade. Also helps to reduce the swelling. Swelling can cause the pigment to be pushed out of the skin.

Solution 2: Use a slightly darker pigment. If the color is not absorbing after you have tried everything else on this list, then you can go ahead and try darkening the cosmetic tattoo pigment color bit by bit until it becomes visible in the skin. THIS IS THE LAST OPTION TO TRY – don’t try this until you have gone through every other possible solution.

2 – The pigment viscosity 

This is not a topic that is always covered during the initial training as most trainers are more concerned with your brow design skills before the application skills are learned. Microblading pigments are supposed to be creamy and have a texture similar to whipped butter or thick yogurt. But cosmetic tattooing pigments that are applied using a dermograph should be a higher viscosity and a texture that is closer to cream. If your cosmetic tattooing pigment is too thick it will not be carried into the skin by the needle and will not be absorbed properly. 

Solution: add some diluent to your pigment a few drops at a time and mix well until the consistency is even. Try applying the pigment again and see if you have a better result. 8 times out of 10 this is the cause of the cosmetic tattooing pigment not absorbing properly. Diluent is something every cosmetic tattoo artist should have in their toolbox. You can purchase our diluent here: https://lovemypigments.com.au/product/diluent/

 3 – The client is a bleeder

If your client bleeds easily and often during the treatment you will have a harder time getting the color to stay in the skin. This is because the blood and other fluids that are produced as a result of trauma to the skin are pushing the cosmetic tattooing pigment out. This is one of the reasons we ask our clients not to drink alcohol or use aspirin before their treatment. Both of these substances are blood thinners.

If your client is taking blood pressure medication this can also cause them to bleed more easily.

Solution: use a topical numbing cream that contains Phenylephrine. This is a vasoconstrictor, meaning that it will raise the blood pressure and help reduce bleeding during the treatment. How do I make sure that my numbing cream contains Phenylephrine you ask? 

A compounding chemist will be able to custom mix topical anesthetics for you. Discuss your needs with the pharmacist and they will be able to supply you with an ideal mixture.