Tech Talk #41: Skin Tones & Cosmetic Tattooing

Skin tones and undertones and how they affect your cosmetic tattoos!

Today we are diving into the skin, specifically looking at skin tones — overtones, undertones and colour analysis. With colour analysis trending all over social media, more people are discovering the power and influence of their unique skin tones. Have you ever stopped to consider how they might impact your cosmetic tattoos?

• Pigment placement & layers of the skin
• Skin undertones (influence of the dermis)
• Skin overtones (melanin influence)
• Tone scales (Fitzpatrick Scale & Google's Monk Scale)

Pigment Placement: The layers of the skin

Skin colour has two main components: undertones and overtones.

Whilst both undertone and overtone impact pigment selection for cosmetic tattooing — undertones mainly come from beneath the epidermis, and overtones from the epidermis.

Skin overtones and undertones play an important role in selecting the most flattering makeup, clothing, and hair colours. Understanding skin overtone and undertone is essential for choosing the right pigment! Why? Because it directly influences how the tattoo will appear and heal, ultimately shaping the final look of your treatment.

The diagram above was featured in: Tech Talk #26: Where does the pigment go for permanent make-up? — showing the layers of the skin, and the ideal layer (papillary dermis) for pmu pigment.

Skin Undertone: what influence does it have on skin tone?

Skin undertone is primarily influenced by the blood vessels in the dermis, which carry bright red oxygenated blood and darker red deoxygenated blood (which can appear to be blue at the skin surface).

Other factors can include fat cells, collagen, and melanin — providing muted whites, yellows, reds, browns, blues, and greys. The combination of colours gives us skin undertones classified as cool, warm, neutral, and olive. 

Image from 'WithSimplicity' — Skin Undertones Explained (Vein Test)

Just like how your favourite lipstick shade might look different on you than it does on the model, the undertones unique to you affect how your cosmetic tattoo will look.

All cosmetic tattooists should understand how undertone influences the healed colour, therefore choosing their pigment and colour compensation to avoid issues such as pigments turning an ashy grey.

The image above showcases the same selection of pigments across four different model, as a part of a case study from THink Aesthetics’ SHBBCOS002 colour theory and pigmentology (from the Diploma of Cosmetic Tattooing). This is only a small sample of the 27 (!) clients that were a part of understanding skin types and pigments in THink’s research and development of course content.

Skin Overtone: 

Now for the second component — skin overtones! Overtones primarily come from the melanin content of the epidermis and are typically described in terms of Fitzpatrick Skin Phototype (FSP), ranging from Fitzpatrick I to IV (one to six). Fitzpatrick I is very fair, ranging through to Fitzpatrick VI, being dark brown.

Overtone is another big factor in pigment colour selection, as is the tan condition of a client. Whilst Fitzpatrick I (1) skin does not change colour through tanning, and Fitzpatrick V (5) and VI (6) skin may hardly change colour when tanned, Fitzpatrick III and IV skins may change colour a lot. Your client needs to decide what tan condition is normal to help your colour selection. 

Image from: https://www.skcin.org/skin-cancer-causes/skin-types-and-skin-cancer/ 

Quick Fact — Fitzpatrick Scale, meet Monk Scale

Note that the Fitzpatrick scale dates back to 1975, and started with 1 to 4, with 5 and 6 being added in 1986. The scale does not deal well with melanin rich skin. The more recent Monk Skin Tone Scale, developed at Harvard University in conjunction with Google, is much more inclusive, with a skin tone range of 1 to 10. The Monk Scale is yet to gain popular use in the aesthetics industry.

Using skin undertones and overtones to make the best possible pigment colour selection for your client requires a lot more than a Tech Talk to gain a deeper understanding. The topic is covered in detail in the Diploma of Cosmetic Tattooing unit SHBBCOS002 Colour theory and Pigmentology, as provided by THink Aesthetics.