Deciding on a tattoocan be tricky.
The design, the placement, the size all of these decisions are critical.
But the decision that is arguably themostcrucial is choosing your tattoo artist.
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But according to dermatologist and dermatologic surgeonMichelle Henry, that’s not entirely true.
Collagen is the major ingredient in a scar.
“For that reason, we see keloidal scars more commonly in skin of color,” Henry shares.
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All of these mistaken beliefs are rootedin colorism, the prejudice against individuals with darker skin tones.
Getting inked is an intimate experience.
Tattooing is a practice that is quite literally skin deep.
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For Brittany, the deep color is not what makes tattooing darker skin different from other skin tones.
[I only get feedback from] those clients that are frequently coming back to me.
Message your clients and be like, ‘Hey, I’d love to hear how your tattoo healed.
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Send me pictures, tag me on social media.’
And Im very honored to even hold that much importance in someone’s life.
Because tattooing is trauma and our bodies store trauma.
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We moisturize often and use very rich moisturizers like shea butter and cocoa butter.
All of these things play a huge role in how our skin receives the ink.
Our skin is different.
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The way we feel is different.
“Sometimes people choose to do them in discreet places, sometimes people decide to make them standalone tattoos.
Within a week or two of their color test healing, we’ll go in and create their tattoo.
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“If someone is darker, then sometimes the stencils are harder to see.
But [the solution to] that is just adjusting your light, slowing down minor things.”
“We deserve good tattooing.
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We deserve to have good bodies of work on our bodies, too.
For her, building her skills with deep complexions comes from actuallydoing the work.
“That’s really it.
With tattooing, it’s just practice.
If you’re not always doing something, you’ll feel foreign to it.
Debbi is one of the trailblazing Black tattooers changing the landscape in the South.
“He had no people of color there at the time, and I ended up getting a job.
The protests are wild, but it’s shifting [things].
“These are my people,” Debbi shares.
“We deserve good tattooing.
We deserve to have good bodies of work on our bodies, too.
It says that we’re just as talented, no matter the color.
We know good work and we do good work!
[Making it] somewhere comfortable was what I really cared about when I was making my space.”
Cake expresses that she has always tattooed Black and brown people.
“I feel like Black and brown skin is similar to Black and brown hair,” she says.
“It’s more sensitive.
It’s got to be taken care of a little more.”
Taking care of the skin as a tattoo artist begins way before the needle makes contact.
This mindfulness can even begin during the design stages.
“Workingwiththe skin tone [is important],” says Cake.
“My friendAya, she draws on brown paper.
“I never was like, ‘Wow, I hope I get a white client.
I live in New York City.
“I never was like, ‘Wow, I hope I get a white client.
“Some artists, even when they do flash, they’ll do it one time only.
I’m not like that.
The tattoos that became iconic in tattoo culture are because of those flash sheets.
You know, like a rose through a heart or a black panther.
Those were done over and over.
That’s what I want my cherubs to be like.
I want so many people to have it.
If anybody says ‘little cherub baby,’ I want my fucking cherub to come into their head.”
“I feel like a lot of people will be honest, because it’s your skin.
But if not, and you have a wary feeling, I say spin up the other way!
These consequences are often not considered by tattooers who impulsively approach skin types they are unfamiliar with.
This lack of understanding is what makes it harder for Black and brown people to be safely tattooed.
“And then me saying, ‘You know what?
And I still hold that to this day.
This is something that is home for us.
Tattoos are your story.
“I think of tattoos like a collection,” Oba shares.
These tattooers who are racists or rapists stop supporting them.
You gotta stop supporting the bullshit.
I tell everybody: My studio is for marginalized people, but it is forallpeople.
I double-check I hire people who understand the values that we haveandwho believe in these values.”
This inquisitiveness is only the first step in undoing the biases within the industry the next step is representation.
“It is not that they do not do it.
It is that they do not care about it.
But you should be treated like one when you’re getting your tattoo.
You should be treated and respected just like everybody else.
“That is a lazy solution to tattooing.
Your machine does not need to go up any higher on Black skin.
You will cause us to have a keloid, even if you are not a Black person who keloids.
A tattoo machine can cause that shit to happen to you I got one right here.
Theywillshow up if you put them there!
Why are there imperfections?
Answer that question.”
What he seeks is the opportunity to uplift people through his tattoos.
“Our skin is constantly undervalued,” Oba says.
Their goal is to get that white customer.
Their goal is to become ‘white famous.’
My goal is to give people beautiful work.”
“It’s a part of my protest,” Kru says.
Sometimes, Kru adds, that quality work requires research and self-advocacy.
“Do your research on your artist.
Not everybody knows how to approach Black and brown skin.
“It’s important to do your research.
But thats why we ask.”
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