So there’s actually a lot more you could’ve gone into in this video, I’m a tattoo artist out of Las Vegas but I’m also kind of a big Science nerd so I’ve done a lot of research into how tattoos actually work, the hole injection theory isn’t the only misconception about tattoos. Most people don’t fully realize how crazy a healed tattoo is and how it works, most people think the skin heals around the ink and traps it ‘dying’ the skin but what really keeping the ink in your skin is your white blood cells. Considering ink is a foreign substance entering the body it only makes sense that your white blood cells wouldn’t take it too kindly, But white blood cells can’t break down tattoo ink so instead they trap it and quarantine themselves staying in the same place till they eventually die. This not only is why your tattoos stay where they are but it’s also part of the reason tattoos fade and smudge over time because when each white blood cell quarantining dies another white blood cell will swoop in and take its place but not it’s exact spot and sometimes it doesn’t catch all the ink. This also helps explain laser tattoo removal, what the laser is actually doing is burning the white blood cells to get rid of the ink, But the laser can’t fully get rid of the ink so some of it stays and the rest flows down your bloodstream to be deposited in your liver. That’s also why laser tattoo removal takes so many sessions. Hope this wasn’t annoying and maybe it was interesting to someone out there lol
Gave me chills when I saw the "pale blue dot" tattoo. My wife asked me if I wanted to participate in our counties "painted rock" thing, where you hide painted rocks. The first thing that came to mind, was "pale blue dot." I wanted to share a incredible speech to others who may have never encountered it. Bravo sir, great decision.
Not sure about the US laws but... If a tattoo artist inks himself, wouldn't that be also tax deductible, since he his making it to advertise his buisness?
I did my fist tattoo myself a night when I was 12 years old while reading Henri Charrière’s “Papillon” in which Henri makes a tattoo with a razor blade and ink. My 12-year-old mind with no sense of consequence said “I wonder if it works, I have to try this!”. Well, it did. So at the age of 12 I had a prison tattoo of what was supposed to be a heart, but in reality looked like a liver with cirrhosis. My middle school friends were in awe, my middle class parents, not so much.
As a tattoo artist of 15+ years, I can definitely say this is all true (I had to learn this during my 5 year apprenticeship.) However, just to add some extra information, the tattoo machine will usually run at roughly 3000-5000 "punctures," for a lack of terminology, per minute. We also go roughly 1/16th of an inch into the skin as to not create severe heavy scarring. As for the capillary effects, it actually does continue even after you're healed. This is why most artists will recommend not going below certain sizes on tattoos, as the ink does "bleed" into other skin cells over time. Think of it as a sharpie marker on a paper towel, just much slower. If a tattoo is done too small, the design can actually "bleed" into itself within anywhere from a few months to a year, depending upon the size of the tattoo. Even when a tattoo is done at a decent legible size though, ink does still spread a small amount over time, causing touch ups to be needed. Actually, the capillary effect, quality of skin care, and UV exposure can effect the way your ink heals, and how long it lasts. I know I'll usually recommend Dove or Ivory unscented soap and then unscented lotion after it drys, but always follow your artists instructions as they know best how their ink heals. That said, lotion and sunscreen will prolong the life of the tattoo and make it to where you won't need touch ups within a couple years.
As someone with sensitive skin I found the only sunscreen I could use on mine were sunscreens that didn't cause my face to break out. My ink saw a lot of Olay UV Daily Protectant over the years (they all need to be redone now, but the youngest is more than old enough to buy alcohol). The ink keeps moving over time, too - the longer you've had it (especially noticeable with black ink) the more ink a pathologist will find in your lymph nodes at your autopsy. Thanks for the extra details from a pro!
I mean yes, but also tattooing has come a long way in the last 15 years and micro tattoos are a lot more doable nowadays with techology and skill changing and improving
Interestingly of all my tattoos my Irezumi show the least impact of time. Very little bleeding or fading. But you definitely get a better view of the capillary action at work.
I honestly never thought about the science behind tattoos. I’m not comfortable enough yet to get one, but I’m always hungry for cool science information and this was super educational? Thanks so much 1990tattoo!
@@patricia1333 it took me 42 years before I got my first one. I needed my first one to have meaning behind it, because I didn't want to get something random slapped on my body permanently. My first was a memorial tribute to my dad. It was Goofy as a firefighter (my dad loved goofy, and he was a retired firefighter) up on my right shoulder. I got my second one a year later. It's Thing 1 & Thing 2 from Cat in the Hat. I refer to my two boys as Thing 1 & 2 all the time, so it was more than fitting. The only advice I can offer you, is to plan out what you want, where you want it, and go talk to the artist that you're interested in working with. I've known my artist for 25 years now, we went to high school together, and he works at one of the best shops in my area. He's done my two (planning another already), my mom's two, and my wife's one. Everything 1990tattoo said is spot on, always make sure you follow the artists specific instructions of caring for your new tattoo!
HEY, if Kevin isn’t holding up paper towels and other such menial tasks, they would be merely lumps of useless flesh. I mean, you don’t want a bunch of Kevins running around the surface world now do you? The cost to dispose of them All is too great, so, they serve a purpose, no matter how small.
tried to get the pulsar map under my skin a couple of times, everytime the artists said the lines are to close to each other for a small tattoo, they will wash out after some time and fuse together. Now I am seeing yours and might give it another go. It looks great, very well done.
The bigger the tattoo the easier the artist can make precise lines that will stay where they're supposed to for years. You might need to get a bigger tattoo than what you imagined at first
While the capillary action is what gets the ink into the skin (punctured by the needle), it's the immune system and namely the macrophages that keep the ink down by actually consuming the ink and then staying there as they die, leaving their inky cell membranes behind, other macrophages will eventually eat that material and the process continues on... Tattoos also eventually fade, due to sunlight's UV. Laser removal (fading) blasts the inky macrophage chunks into smaller bits, so they get better removed.
That helps explain why I have a "tattoo" from where a pencil got accidentally stabbed into my upper wrist back in junior high. There's a clear dot there to this day, even though it wasn't ink.
I got my first tattoo during my "mid life crisis". That one was the Queensryche logo (because it's so cool and I am a huge fan) I knew a guy from a bar I used to frequent who had ink all over and I asked him who did some of the highly intricate work and he told me "Long John" at a local tattoo shop. I went over and walked in and there's a bunch of big scary biker dudes and they looked at me and I almost walked out, but asked for Long John and this big hairy motorcycle guy with a 45 strapped to his side came over and I told him Gregg sent me and he said "couple of sandwiches short of a picnic Gregg" and I busted out laughing. (That describes him to a "t") So he took my back to his "office" and showed me a book of some of the artwork he did and damn, he is good. So I showed him what I wanted and he said no problem and we set up an appointment and I said you realize I am going to scream and cry like a little girl and he said bring a CD of what music you like and we'll turn it up. So the day came and I went in all scares and sweaty and handed the CD to one of the guys and went in. H explained what was going to do and cleaned and sterilized my arm and did the overlay and went to work. After about 10 minutes he stopped and said "that was the worst of it (the outline) and took a smoke break. He came back in and started the rest and I kept nodding off and he kept asking me if I was OK and I said, yeah, I'm fine and he went back to work. I didn't look at it until he was completely done and I stood up and looked in the mirror and DAMN, IT WAS AWESOME. The detailing was incredible. As I turned around all the rest of the staff were standing there and said "We thought you were going to scream and cry like a little girl" and even had a video cam running. So, I said thanks and I would send people his way and the said "you'll be back" and I said no way, one was enough. Three weeks later I went back and had the Pearl Jam stick figure done on my other arm.
As a professional tattooer I’m so happy to see you make a video about this! I’ll never explain it to a client ever again. I’m just gunna tell them to look up this video.
Yeah I thought he was being a little "ramble-y" when he was getting the tattoo. At least his "hide the pain" technique wasnt making some stupid wincing face like mine when I got my ribs tattoo'd. Wouldnt have made for a very attractive video
This was really cool, I had only ever thought about the biology of why the ink stays, not the mechanism by which it got there in the first place. Also, excellent choice of tattoo, it's a fantastic idea and looks great! P.S. I want to do experiments in the jelly lab, that looks fun, hehe
Kyle got a tattoo in this episode but didn't have a tattoo at the end which must mean one of the Kyle clones has escaped while kyle got a tattoo in an attempt to over throw the current Kyle Mountain, making himself the superior Kyle and soon will take over the facility dooming the remaining Kyle clones to eat ketchup flavored ice cream for all eternity. I guess we will find out which Kyle will reign supreme at the next live, will it be tattoo Kyle or nontattooed Kyle? I hope it's tattooed Kyle, he has a really cool tattoo.
I'm in the "escaped Kyle is one of the clones" and Supreme Kyle is the one doing videos because of the Supreme Intelligence without needing an AI to supplement him. Unless.. He does.
This needs a link to SmarterEveryDay’s video on tattoos. In slow motion you can see the capillary action almost appearing to suck in the ink and it even grips the head of the tattoo needles.
Congrats on your first tattoo, be sure to follow the artist's instructions for care, they know best. As someone with tattoos and curiosity I pestered my artist with questions. This is a fun video so thanks!
"...into which ink can seep." Actually, Kyle, since capillary action is the method of getting the ink "all up in it" as you mentioned earlier in the video, I believe the correct word would have been 'wick' instead of 'seep'.
Wick is typically used in the context of a "thing" (candle wick, paper towel, etc.) using capillary action to move a liquid. Seep is typically used in the context of a liquid filling a void. You make a good argument, given that wicking explicitly mentions capillary action, but I believe Seeping is still perfectly valid.
@@YamiOni This commented just viscerally reminded me of something I read about once - a medieval torture technique where the would use a similar process to wick candle wax under the skin and effectively turn people into candles. Evidently inquisitors didn't fuck around...
It's not just capillary action. The ink also gets dragged in by the needle. Edit to add more details, the pigments in tattoo ink are solid and this not subject to capillary action the same way liquid is. The larger particles are stuck in the skin and can't be removed by your body. When you get a tattoo removed by a laser, it's being broken up into smaller particles the body can remove. These particles are getting dragged into the skin by the needle.
you could also argue that those particles get dragged around by the fluid from adhesion to the fluid, As they do remain dispersed amongst the ink and does not settle separately.
Kyle never said it was the only action allowing the tattoo just the primary action, all of what you said is true aswell , most things in the world don't just have one action causing them its alot of different things that add up to one whole
Yeah I don't think I ever questioned how the ink got down there. My question was always, if we're constantly regrowing skin and foreign objects tend to work their way out, how does the dyed skin stay dyed and not completely faded over time. I know tattoos get lighter and green/blue. Is that it working it's way out? Sun breaking down the pigment? If we lived longer, would tattoos eventually disappear?
@@BensBrickDesigns So the pigment is below the layer that is constantly regenerating. That keeps it from going anywhere. Sun damage is the main cause of discoloration, but so is pigment breakdown. The particles migrate over time through the skin, though very slowly, and that's why old tats get fuzzy.
@@KalijahAnderson So what is the property of the ink/pigment that keeps it regenerating? Does it live in like a pigment layer of skin that's beneath the layer of skin that's constantly regenerated and eventually sloughs off? Genuinely curious.
Capillary Action and Osmosis is one reason why you're not supposed to soak a tattoo until it's fully healed. The water can get in and dilute the ink, making the tat look bad Additionally, the simplest tattoo ink is carbon particles (in the form of soot) and a carrier like purified water or alcohol. The carrier is carried away by the body, leaving a tube of particles of carbon in your skin. The top layer eventually heals, leaving a "bubble" of carbon under your skin. The particles are too big for the body to carry away, so they stick around pretty much forever. Over time they do break down a bit, especially with UV exposure, and thats why tats fade! Laser tattoo removal is basically a concentrated form of that process, breaking particles down small enough for the body to carry away
I HATE people that HATE other people. The comment I respond to did not spread HATE. That is good. BUT! I get a lot of HATE comments on my amazing videos and I HATE it. Please don't start spreading HATE. Do I have to HATE you too, dear eric
I was kind of surprised - the only thing I've ever seriously considered getting a tattoo of was either this specific quote or "we are a way for the cosmos to know itself"...
I have a shit ton of tattoos, and that’s a good one. Love that Carl Sagan Speech. I don’t have anything so universally profound on me but it’s an art form that I love and can’t get enough of.
This was a brilliant demonstration of capillary action. SmarterEveryDay also has a great video showing the mechanism of the machines themselves in slow motion which I think would compliment this video very well.
Got my first piece when I was 19, I got a huge raven on a dreamcatcher and I don't regret it not even a little, I love all my tattoos and they are all symbolic to me. They really don't hurt much either besides certain areas, otherwise you could end up falling asleep in the session like me lol. Also I would recommend getting large pieces, but that's just me :)
I've got 5 smaller pieces on my forearm at the moment. Got the first when I was 22 or so. Plan to eventually be covered, lol. Love them all, and no regrets except wishing my first had been in color like the rest.
I'm a FPI (Florescent penetrant inspector) and I never thought of tattoos being an example of capillary action thanks you have made teaching capillary action easier to explain to the people that ask what I do.😃
I have met quite a few without any art on them. There's many reasons these guys and gals don't get them. Some don't like the pain associated with it. Some don't for more practical reasons like religion or family. At the end of the day, it remains one of the few ways people who are artistically inclined can make a stable income. Being an artist is hard. Not everyone is getting classical works put into gallery's or selling them on the sidewalk. This is something that people will forever see and appreciate (well most not everyone will love their "mistake") themselves, show off, etc.
@Eldritch Abomination I have dozens of tats and never once have regretted it no matter who did it. Why wouldn't I trust them? Don't talk out of your ass if you know nothing of the culture. Tattoo artists are some of the most diverse and understanding people on the planet. I have seen it first hand.
NGL, that's an amazing piece of personal art. Not just the quality but the design. Something permanent should have a personal significance way beyond the ephemeral or fashionable. I can't think of anything more appropriate for who Kyle is. Bravo
4and a half hours for that !? Holy cow, was it his first tatoo ? My very well reputed local Tatoo artist did my half sleeve, reaper background woid , moon and crows, a half sleeve in 2hours... (I jnow she does work fast comparatively to normal Tatoo artist i was expecting 4hours for mine) but what kyle got she wouldve done it in... 30mins max. Im speechless...
I was thinking the same thing! I've had a total of 7 artist do work on me throughout my life and none of them took that long... I have a 4in by 3in (ish) piece on my leg that was done by a newbie but he still only took 1 and a half hours for line and fill! The Main artist I go to has done a lot on me and we're currently finishing up my full sleeve-a session has never been over 2 hours even on pieces with lots of precise lines followed by some fill... (my guys been doing his work for 20 years though so... Experience maybe?)
It might very well not be the artist's fault, there are a lot of factors at play when someone is getting a tattoo. This artist could be relatively new or he could have wanted to be careful. Or maybe they were just setting up shots for like 60% of that time heck if I know. Point is, with experience comes speed, and I can't imagine that being filmed at work would help my nerves if that were me
The complete quote from Carl Sagan is used in the music video "Ad Astra" from Nightwish where they team up with World Land Trust to spread awareness of deforestation and animals getting extinct. Your tattoo looks very nice man.
Great Video, 100% correct.. needles make a hole and when it’s removed there’s a vacuum created and the ink is sucked into the hole. Being well hydrated and exfoliating dead skin cells days prior helps..The artists ointment creates a layer to hold ink in, Dimethicone lotion 30 min before tattoo can help hold ink in while being tattooed since silicone is "self healing". Products like Saniderm help keep the ink in during healing and prevent damage that could remove ink, also eliminating the need to constantly clean and moisturize. Takes serious skills to get ink into the correct layer of the epidermis, too deep and you get blowouts, to shallow and the ink won’t stay.
Kyle!!!!! I've been looking for new Because Science episodes for a year now, and I just saw someone post in the community that you have your own channel! I'm sad it took so long to find but so excited to see you're still active and now I have a ton of content to catch up on!
I love getting inked, it's the best therapy and properly chilled, I often struggle to stay awake and the buzz of the pen is surprisingly relaxing, only one more session to complete my colourful Hawaii sleeve. My tattoo artist, Jak, who I'd highly recommend from Sakura Tattoo Studio in South Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England, wishes he could do more full colour tattoos for people, but everyone seems to just want black and shading. Get creative people and make your skin exciting!
0:58 that transition got me good. Good job, Kyle (I don't know if you have an editor or is just a Kevin, but assuming it's NOT a Kevin, good job to you too, hipothetical editor)
Congrats on your first tattoo - I can’t think of a better design to have. The Pale Blue Dot is my favorite quote/monologue/passage from Cosmos. I think I’ll watch it again now. 💫
I have had many tattoos, and I absolutely had no idea they were this scientific. I am now more informed about the many hours of torturing myself because skin pictures are pretty!
@@nah9585 thanks for being a pedant and all. I am aware. I didn't think of it like that because it's just not something most people think about when they are being tattooed and even if i did I wouldn't have thought about it that way. I'm not an idiot. I'm grateful for learning something new about a hobby I, and many others have. You only know what you know and I didn't know this. I wouldn't be watching a science RUclipsr if I had no interest or some knowledge on the topics being discussed. Thank you for the condescending input.
Reminds me when I used to do bat work. I assisted with virologists in the capture of bats, and the virologist would use a tattoo gun to mark the bats on the wing. At the time it was a relatively new technique, and the tattoos would be less stressful for the bats, as rings would cause chaffing on the bats wing. It also appeared to be successful, as I was there when they made a recapture of a bat.
The real question though is what did the bat get tattooed on its wing though? Was it something edgy like a skull with a knife through it? Or maybe a reassuring quote like Kyle got?
Welcome to the family, you'll be back for more ink. Everybody is. And as much as you talk with your hands, I'm surprised that left arm didn't move at all. Also, never make your tattoo artist laugh when he's applying ink. And thank you for sharing this Kyle.
"You can look at the needles..." No, I infact cannot. 7 tattoos down and still cant :'D Congratulations again for the first piece! The signals spreading from our lil planet is a wonderful touch.
Those lines are on the Golden Record. They are a "map" designed by NASA that would theoretically allow an advanced alien civilization to determine the location of our Sun, if they find the Voyager probe.
@@yondaime500 Oh neat, thanks for telling 👍🏼 I was thinking on the lines of the signals (radio?) we've sent out from earth and how relatively short distances they've travelled so far, in the grand scheme of things.
idon't see how getting a regular tattoo prooves anything, the best way i can think of testing your hypothisis is to tattoo some skin with a clean needle and then apply ink over the top with a brush like with the geletin test, if you're correct it should look no different from a regular tattoo, and i have serious doubts that would be the case
An alternative guess: its left behind by the force of pulling the needle back out. The skin makes a seal around the needle, and vacuum pressure from trying to make an air gap where the needle was pulls all kinds of everything, including the ink, in to fill the space
My impression was that the needle was coated with ink, it dragged the ink threw the skin, so some ink came off the needle and stayed in the skin. One ancient form of tattooing, where a need was dipped in pigment then pushed straight through, under the skin, and pulled out another hole, creating a line from a single puncture, seems to work this way. It’s hard to identify if, in the jello experiment, the color is drawn in threw static capillary action, or if the force with which the color was brushed onto the jello was pushing the color in, or if the deformation of the jello was drawing the color down. A better demonstration would have the jello in a clear, glass container, preferably with flat sides to reduce distortion, and to gently drip the coloring onto the punctured jello. That way we could see the color moving down the holes. The ink appearing on the skin after the tattoo needle has passed suggests the needle could be pulling a lot of ink in with it, and the excess ink is pushed out leaving the tiny amount that becomes the tattoo. In fact, the ink appearing on the skin after the needle has passed strongly points to the ink being deposited de the action of the needle. The better way to show that the ink is drawn in after the needle has made a hole, would be to puncture the skin with a clean, un-inked needle, then apply the ink to just the surface of the skin. If the capillary hypothesis it true, the ink will be drawn down, into the holes created by the needle. But I would guess the ink wouldn’t penetrate to be deposited as nearly well; and I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t leave permanent mark at all. You should be able to run this test with just a few, single dot tattoos.
It's also not just capillary action. The groupings of the small tattoo needles, and why most needle bars do not have just a single needle, are created specifically to help push (not inject) the ink into the hole that was just made by the machine. We have capillaries pores and microscopic holes in our skin across every inch of it and if it was all only capillary action the tattoo would not be as crisp and specific bc the ink would not only be sucked up by the holes the machine made but also by other micro holes and pores. I have heard of some artists using a shading technique that involves using an empty needle and then spearing the ink across the holes the empty needle made on the skin but that's the closest to capillary action being the reason for ink going into the skin that I can find.
Nice video! What's also worth mentioning is the biology behind tattoos. The ink doesn't entirely sit passively in the skin. It is a foreign body after all and our immune system will react against it. After getting a tattoo, a part of the ink will be ingested by macrophages, which will usually stay at the spot where the ink is initially placed but some of them will move, and some eventually dye and get reingested by other macrophage cells. What we see as a tattoo is not only "the ink in the skin" but also, for the most part, a collection of our own immune cells trying to eat up and digest the foreign body. And it is a dynamic system. As time passes, and these macrophages migrate, some of the ink might be lost or displeased causing the tattoo to possibly fade and become less sharp over time.
Before I get very far into this video, I just wanna say thank you to Destin from Smarter Every Day for the couple episodes he released a few years back about tattoos and their removal. I'm excited to see what else Kyle Hill of the ill science ilk has to teach me.
jesus christ. that took 4.5 hours? my entire forearm piece outline ( which is quite detailed, i drew the piece and the artist actually had to make a judgement call to adjsut my original piece because some parts were too detailed to show up well in a tattoo) the outline took 4 hours and it was for my entire forearm. kind of wild that took 4 hours. no shame on the quality, it looks great and lettering is touchy as hell. just surprised by the time it took.
Hey Kyle: why the tattoo don't completely disappear with time? I mean, our cells are always dying and new ones appearing... why the ink continues there?
Ink particles are too big for your body to separate… If they wouldn’t be, ink would go into your blood and then into your urine (I know I’m not Kyle, but I hope you find that helpful 🙂 )
Your white blood cells nom the DANGEROUS INVADING MATTER (ink bits), preventing it from being shed with your regular skin. When the white blood cells die and the ink is free again, more white blood cells nom it. There’s a bit of loss over time, but for the most part this quirk of exploiting the body’s defensive systems keeps the ink largely exactly where you put it for a very long time.
Well, your body fights the ink over time and the particles, heavy metals, end up in your lymph nodes. Let's just say you do not want ink deposited and sitting in the lymph nodes as it will cause health problems. Also tattoo ink isnt regulated so who knows what the composition that is used. Studies are still being done but we know what happens when heavy metals, some carcinogenic deposit in the body.
In the 4th grade I accidentally gave myself a graphite tattoo in my hand trying to throw my pencil into the drop ceiling at school. It is still there to this day, over 20 years later
That tattoo took 4 and a half hours? Like the whole process of designing, making the stencil, some then doing the tattoo? Or 4-1/2 hours of actual tattoo work? If it’s the latter, then that’s absurd.
Yeah, if it's a very detailed design with careful simmetric lines it takes time. A bigger tattoo but with a plain, simple design could take as little as 2 hours for comparison.
@@alanbator5118 i am a tattoo artist. I’ve been a tattoo artist for almost 16 yrs. I know how long things take. Especially when it’s just line work and when using a stencil.
I would also guess there was lots of delays with recording it, science talk and loads of stuff that failed to make the edit that slowed the process down.
The post-credits scene answered the exact question I was thinking. You are quite right that time has no meaning, especially if the Facility is hoarding all those time-crystals.
10:45 fountain pens are self feeding of ink, those are dip pens. Ironically fed by capillary action. I highly recommend people to try out fountain pens at least once vastly superior writing experience and yes they are still a thing today ;)
One of the reasons I don't have a tattoo is that I can't think of anything I'd want permanently on my skin. The only thing I'd consider is pictures of my cats. But then the expense and pain comes into it. Your tattoo design is awesome though, that speech always gives me chills. Good choice!
There is one thing that bothers me about the tattoo. Mostly because I'm a picky bastard that thinks too much about stuff that bugs ME. If I had that same tattoo I would have flipped it upside down. BUT, that being said, Kyle did say it was more for him. He wants to look at it as a personal reminder. Now, if it wasn't for that, I would have flipped it upside down so it would be easier to show other people who are in front of me. Otherwise, it's a cool tattoo. Simple but effective. Hopefully there are more to come.
@@MrInfinity418 You can point to shirt graphics and I'll point to nurse's watches. A shirt is for other people to see but a nurse's watch is for them to see so it's "upside down" for everyone else. Some people have tattoos that are for them.
@@phyphor btw you can get your tattoo however you want. I am however a tattooer and do use shirt graphics as reference for flow and general layout. I point to how you could want future tattoos and then really start considering orientation and layout as a whole. Then you would start to feel like your current tattoo is upside down. You got it on your skin…it’s obviously for you. You should be able to get the meaning with it facing the other way.
Not only can I get a tattoo the way I want, I did get a tattoo the way I want. As did Kyle. And I've had mine for so many years I can't remember how long I've had it, and it isn't upside down, because it's the right way up *for me*. I didn't get it for anyone else. I got it *for me*. And, again, your comparison to "shirt graphics" is countered by my comparison to nurse's watches, or fob watches, where the point is that it's visible to the wearer, because it's for them.
Welcome to the "club" science Thor -- let's just hope you don't get addicted to tattoos now -- they kinda are like Pringles - once you pop you just can't stop 🤣
There's something about getting our first tattoo that makes most us want more, afterwards. That tiny bit of pain might be just enough to be enjoyable, and a little bit cathartic.
I'm a bit confused with the jelly test. Since you put the color on top of the jelly, gravity also made it go down the little holes which is the opposite of the effect you wanted show, since the capillary force should work against gravity, not with it. Wouldn't it be better to pick it up, flip it and put the color on the surface from below?
I have just been wondering if you could use/ design a type of tattoos for a type of iron storage your body could slowly eat away and get the iron from it. Bam, no more iron suplements.
@@joshuathorson8813 as someone with hemachromatosis, this is a very strange thing to think about. I wonder if you could infuse it with other trace minerals.
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So there’s actually a lot more you could’ve gone into in this video, I’m a tattoo artist out of Las Vegas but I’m also kind of a big Science nerd so I’ve done a lot of research into how tattoos actually work, the hole injection theory isn’t the only misconception about tattoos. Most people don’t fully realize how crazy a healed tattoo is and how it works, most people think the skin heals around the ink and traps it ‘dying’ the skin but what really keeping the ink in your skin is your white blood cells. Considering ink is a foreign substance entering the body it only makes sense that your white blood cells wouldn’t take it too kindly, But white blood cells can’t break down tattoo ink so instead they trap it and quarantine themselves staying in the same place till they eventually die. This not only is why your tattoos stay where they are but it’s also part of the reason tattoos fade and smudge over time because when each white blood cell quarantining dies another white blood cell will swoop in and take its place but not it’s exact spot and sometimes it doesn’t catch all the ink. This also helps explain laser tattoo removal, what the laser is actually doing is burning the white blood cells to get rid of the ink, But the laser can’t fully get rid of the ink so some of it stays and the rest flows down your bloodstream to be deposited in your liver. That’s also why laser tattoo removal takes so many sessions. Hope this wasn’t annoying and maybe it was interesting to someone out there lol
whoa i didn't know that about the white blood cells! That is so cool. I def hope Kyle sees this because your explanation was really great!
The minute spent reading this comment was at least 15 times more useful than this whole video
Thank you
I did not know this and had not even thought about it to that extent. This is pretty awesome info
As someone with 80% of his skin tattooed I found this pretty interesting. Thanks for taking your time to write all that down. Much appreciated.
That was actually super interesting. Thanks for taking the time to share!
Gave me chills when I saw the "pale blue dot" tattoo.
My wife asked me if I wanted to participate in our counties "painted rock" thing, where you hide painted rocks.
The first thing that came to mind, was "pale blue dot." I wanted to share a incredible speech to others who may have never encountered it.
Bravo sir, great decision.
The most impressive thing about this to me is Kyle has a tax deductible tattoo now
Had the exact same thought
Good, I'm not the only one that thought that.
Gottem lmao
Wait what does that mean? English is not my main language and honestly there are still quite some concepts i dont know.
Not sure about the US laws but... If a tattoo artist inks himself, wouldn't that be also tax deductible, since he his making it to advertise his buisness?
I did my fist tattoo myself a night when I was 12 years old while reading Henri Charrière’s “Papillon” in which Henri makes a tattoo with a razor blade and ink. My 12-year-old mind with no sense of consequence said “I wonder if it works, I have to try this!”. Well, it did. So at the age of 12 I had a prison tattoo of what was supposed to be a heart, but in reality looked like a liver with cirrhosis. My middle school friends were in awe, my middle class parents, not so much.
As a tattoo artist of 15+ years, I can definitely say this is all true (I had to learn this during my 5 year apprenticeship.) However, just to add some extra information, the tattoo machine will usually run at roughly 3000-5000 "punctures," for a lack of terminology, per minute. We also go roughly 1/16th of an inch into the skin as to not create severe heavy scarring. As for the capillary effects, it actually does continue even after you're healed. This is why most artists will recommend not going below certain sizes on tattoos, as the ink does "bleed" into other skin cells over time. Think of it as a sharpie marker on a paper towel, just much slower. If a tattoo is done too small, the design can actually "bleed" into itself within anywhere from a few months to a year, depending upon the size of the tattoo. Even when a tattoo is done at a decent legible size though, ink does still spread a small amount over time, causing touch ups to be needed. Actually, the capillary effect, quality of skin care, and UV exposure can effect the way your ink heals, and how long it lasts. I know I'll usually recommend Dove or Ivory unscented soap and then unscented lotion after it drys, but always follow your artists instructions as they know best how their ink heals. That said, lotion and sunscreen will prolong the life of the tattoo and make it to where you won't need touch ups within a couple years.
As someone with sensitive skin I found the only sunscreen I could use on mine were sunscreens that didn't cause my face to break out. My ink saw a lot of Olay UV Daily Protectant over the years (they all need to be redone now, but the youngest is more than old enough to buy alcohol). The ink keeps moving over time, too - the longer you've had it (especially noticeable with black ink) the more ink a pathologist will find in your lymph nodes at your autopsy.
Thanks for the extra details from a pro!
I mean yes, but also tattooing has come a long way in the last 15 years and micro tattoos are a lot more doable nowadays with techology and skill changing and improving
Interestingly of all my tattoos my Irezumi show the least impact of time. Very little bleeding or fading. But you definitely get a better view of the capillary action at work.
I honestly never thought about the science behind tattoos. I’m not comfortable enough yet to get one, but I’m always hungry for cool science information and this was super educational? Thanks so much 1990tattoo!
@@patricia1333 it took me 42 years before I got my first one. I needed my first one to have meaning behind it, because I didn't want to get something random slapped on my body permanently. My first was a memorial tribute to my dad. It was Goofy as a firefighter (my dad loved goofy, and he was a retired firefighter) up on my right shoulder. I got my second one a year later. It's Thing 1 & Thing 2 from Cat in the Hat. I refer to my two boys as Thing 1 & 2 all the time, so it was more than fitting.
The only advice I can offer you, is to plan out what you want, where you want it, and go talk to the artist that you're interested in working with. I've known my artist for 25 years now, we went to high school together, and he works at one of the best shops in my area. He's done my two (planning another already), my mom's two, and my wife's one.
Everything 1990tattoo said is spot on, always make sure you follow the artists specific instructions of caring for your new tattoo!
"If I don't turn my entire life into content, how will people know my life has any meaning!" (Cries) I could not stop laughing, brilliant!
Kyle oh Kyle 🥺
The Facility: *has extremely hi-tech equipment, spacecraft and supercomputers*
also The Facility: *requires a Kevin to hold up a paper towel*
And a stick
jokes on you Kevin is a Synth Kyle is the only "human" in the facility
Kevin is the most high tech creation there.
HEY, if Kevin isn’t holding up paper towels and other such menial tasks, they would be merely lumps of useless flesh. I mean, you don’t want a bunch of Kevins running around the surface world now do you? The cost to dispose of them All is too great, so, they serve a purpose, no matter how small.
@@GuitarsRockForever His parents fucking thought so.
tried to get the pulsar map under my skin a couple of times, everytime the artists said the lines are to close to each other for a small tattoo, they will wash out after some time and fuse together.
Now I am seeing yours and might give it another go.
It looks great, very well done.
The bigger the tattoo the easier the artist can make precise lines that will stay where they're supposed to for years. You might need to get a bigger tattoo than what you imagined at first
While the capillary action is what gets the ink into the skin (punctured by the needle), it's the immune system and namely the macrophages that keep the ink down by actually consuming the ink and then staying there as they die, leaving their inky cell membranes behind, other macrophages will eventually eat that material and the process continues on...
Tattoos also eventually fade, due to sunlight's UV. Laser removal (fading) blasts the inky macrophage chunks into smaller bits, so they get better removed.
This is more of what I was hoping the video would cover. Thank you for leaving this comment.
Yeah I was expecting this to be in the video!! Thanks for the comment, was looking for it specifically lol
Tyvm. Always wondered how they stayed when our bodies are generally good at repairing injury and kicking out foreign materials.
This is actually the much more interesting aspect.
Also is it only the capillary action or is some of it injection by ink on the needle as well?
That helps explain why I have a "tattoo" from where a pencil got accidentally stabbed into my upper wrist back in junior high. There's a clear dot there to this day, even though it wasn't ink.
"A pale blue dot" is one of the most beautiful text ever written.
Excellent choice for a tatto.
I got my first tattoo during my "mid life crisis". That one was the Queensryche logo (because it's so cool and I am a huge fan) I knew a guy from a bar I used to frequent who had ink all over and I asked him who did some of the highly intricate work and he told me "Long John" at a local tattoo shop. I went over and walked in and there's a bunch of big scary biker dudes and they looked at me and I almost walked out, but asked for Long John and this big hairy motorcycle guy with a 45 strapped to his side came over and I told him Gregg sent me and he said "couple of sandwiches short of a picnic Gregg" and I busted out laughing. (That describes him to a "t") So he took my back to his "office" and showed me a book of some of the artwork he did and damn, he is good. So I showed him what I wanted and he said no problem and we set up an appointment and I said you realize I am going to scream and cry like a little girl and he said bring a CD of what music you like and we'll turn it up.
So the day came and I went in all scares and sweaty and handed the CD to one of the guys and went in. H explained what was going to do and cleaned and sterilized my arm and did the overlay and went to work. After about 10 minutes he stopped and said "that was the worst of it (the outline) and took a smoke break. He came back in and started the rest and I kept nodding off and he kept asking me if I was OK and I said, yeah, I'm fine and he went back to work. I didn't look at it until he was completely done and I stood up and looked in the mirror and DAMN, IT WAS AWESOME. The detailing was incredible. As I turned around all the rest of the staff were standing there and said "We thought you were going to scream and cry like a little girl" and even had a video cam running.
So, I said thanks and I would send people his way and the said "you'll be back" and I said no way, one was enough.
Three weeks later I went back and had the Pearl Jam stick figure done on my other arm.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this short little story. Tattoos are great! Mine says yeet in beautiful calligraphy
"Couple of sandwiches short of a picnic Gregg" could mean so many things and they're all funny hahaha
My mom has the Pearl Jam stick fella on her leg :D
I love this story :)
@@JSowder21 The funny thing as ALL of those many things applied. He was a big, strong goof.
As a professional tattooer I’m so happy to see you make a video about this! I’ll never explain it to a client ever again. I’m just gunna tell them to look up this video.
this episode has given us
"Hide the pain Kyle"
*LMAO*
In my opinion, from personal experience, he got it in the least painful spot.
@@jackvos8047 I’d say the tattoo I got at the top of my shoulder blade/bottom of trap what’s the most least painful spot, hardly felt it
@@TwoBitty I haven't had that spot done so couldn't include it.
Yeah I thought he was being a little "ramble-y" when he was getting the tattoo. At least his "hide the pain" technique wasnt making some stupid wincing face like mine when I got my ribs tattoo'd. Wouldnt have made for a very attractive video
This was really cool, I had only ever thought about the biology of why the ink stays, not the mechanism by which it got there in the first place. Also, excellent choice of tattoo, it's a fantastic idea and looks great!
P.S. I want to do experiments in the jelly lab, that looks fun, hehe
Kyle got a tattoo in this episode but didn't have a tattoo at the end which must mean one of the Kyle clones has escaped while kyle got a tattoo in an attempt to over throw the current Kyle Mountain, making himself the superior Kyle and soon will take over the facility dooming the remaining Kyle clones to eat ketchup flavored ice cream for all eternity.
I guess we will find out which Kyle will reign supreme at the next live, will it be tattoo Kyle or nontattooed Kyle?
I hope it's tattooed Kyle, he has a really cool tattoo.
Plot twist: The facility didn't like Kyle getting a tattoo that wasn't for nefarious purposes and used high tech lasers to remove it in his sleep.
@@fcasias7 Specifically the lasers on top of their sharks
I'm in the "escaped Kyle is one of the clones" and Supreme Kyle is the one doing videos because of the Supreme Intelligence without needing an AI to supplement him. Unless.. He does.
I wonder, if you clone somebody that has a tattoo, will the clone have a tattoo as well?
@@stonedwookiee278 probably not the tattoo is not biological
i love the quote you chose! i expected something science related, but this one is truly inspiring
After the "how does it get in there"? Episode, you should do the "how does it stay there Episode"?
More immunology than physics, but fascinating.
Hey Kyle, glad you made it through your first tattoo! It's amazing to see the science behind the procedure.
This needs a link to SmarterEveryDay’s video on tattoos. In slow motion you can see the capillary action almost appearing to suck in the ink and it even grips the head of the tattoo needles.
Congrats on your first tattoo, be sure to follow the artist's instructions for care, they know best.
As someone with tattoos and curiosity I pestered my artist with questions. This is a fun video so thanks!
"...into which ink can seep." Actually, Kyle, since capillary action is the method of getting the ink "all up in it" as you mentioned earlier in the video, I believe the correct word would have been 'wick' instead of 'seep'.
Wick is typically used in the context of a "thing" (candle wick, paper towel, etc.) using capillary action to move a liquid. Seep is typically used in the context of a liquid filling a void. You make a good argument, given that wicking explicitly mentions capillary action, but I believe Seeping is still perfectly valid.
@@YamiOni This commented just viscerally reminded me of something I read about once - a medieval torture technique where the would use a similar process to wick candle wax under the skin and effectively turn people into candles. Evidently inquisitors didn't fuck around...
“Some of you feel called out, and I don’t care.” - I don’t have tattoos but that’s damn funny. 🤣💯
This answers a lot of questions about tattoos, but raises another one:
Does it _actually_ require ten thousand foxes to get some sick skin art?
We would have to ask the fox, but no one knows what the fox says.
Yes, they are tiny foxes that help with the capillary action.
It's why no one has any fox to give. They're all trapped in LA.
It's really closer to 8.6k foxes, but redundancy is good.
The first time I heard that Carl Sagan speech and saw that photo of Earth, I cried. Great tattoo.
Same
It's not just capillary action. The ink also gets dragged in by the needle.
Edit to add more details, the pigments in tattoo ink are solid and this not subject to capillary action the same way liquid is. The larger particles are stuck in the skin and can't be removed by your body. When you get a tattoo removed by a laser, it's being broken up into smaller particles the body can remove. These particles are getting dragged into the skin by the needle.
you could also argue that those particles get dragged around by the fluid from adhesion to the fluid, As they do remain dispersed amongst the ink and does not settle separately.
Kyle never said it was the only action allowing the tattoo just the primary action, all of what you said is true aswell , most things in the world don't just have one action causing them its alot of different things that add up to one whole
Yeah I don't think I ever questioned how the ink got down there. My question was always, if we're constantly regrowing skin and foreign objects tend to work their way out, how does the dyed skin stay dyed and not completely faded over time. I know tattoos get lighter and green/blue. Is that it working it's way out? Sun breaking down the pigment? If we lived longer, would tattoos eventually disappear?
@@BensBrickDesigns So the pigment is below the layer that is constantly regenerating. That keeps it from going anywhere. Sun damage is the main cause of discoloration, but so is pigment breakdown. The particles migrate over time through the skin, though very slowly, and that's why old tats get fuzzy.
@@KalijahAnderson So what is the property of the ink/pigment that keeps it regenerating? Does it live in like a pigment layer of skin that's beneath the layer of skin that's constantly regenerated and eventually sloughs off? Genuinely curious.
Capillary Action and Osmosis is one reason why you're not supposed to soak a tattoo until it's fully healed. The water can get in and dilute the ink, making the tat look bad
Additionally, the simplest tattoo ink is carbon particles (in the form of soot) and a carrier like purified water or alcohol. The carrier is carried away by the body, leaving a tube of particles of carbon in your skin. The top layer eventually heals, leaving a "bubble" of carbon under your skin. The particles are too big for the body to carry away, so they stick around pretty much forever. Over time they do break down a bit, especially with UV exposure, and thats why tats fade! Laser tattoo removal is basically a concentrated form of that process, breaking particles down small enough for the body to carry away
Kyle just got a tattoo that he can write off on his taxes 🤣
I HATE people that HATE other people. The comment I respond to did not spread HATE. That is good. BUT! I get a lot of HATE comments on my amazing videos and I HATE it. Please don't start spreading HATE. Do I have to HATE you too, dear eric
@@AxxLAfriku bro... you just said you hate people who hate other people... that would mean you hate yourself...
@@scribethrive wait..... you dont hate yourself? What's wrong with you?
@@anatole9995 no one else likes me. Someone has to. Might as well be me! 🤣
@@scribethrive no love like self love 😁
I was kind of surprised - the only thing I've ever seriously considered getting a tattoo of was either this specific quote or "we are a way for the cosmos to know itself"...
I made a diagram on this a few months ago actually. I'm a tattoo artist and was feeling inspired by watching your videos. I'll DM it to you!
Truly legendary. Could have never given a scientific lecture during my first tattoo. You are a great scientist, Kyle.
Ever since Kyle hit 1 million subs it's gone to his... production budget.
I have a shit ton of tattoos, and that’s a good one. Love that Carl Sagan Speech. I don’t have anything so universally profound on me but it’s an art form that I love and can’t get enough of.
Does anyone else feel honoured to see Kyle get his first tattoo?? Great job Science-Thor!!
Except when I gasped and said aloud "OH NO" when he got that stencil on upside down.
@@publius791 But it’s personal to him. It’s common for people to get it upside down since it’s personal anecdote rather than to show off per say
@@hayosh9309 i have wrist tattoos that gives a different meaning if someone looks or i look lol
so he’s… Sore?
I can't believe this video made me watch a Kyle get a tattoo, for science.
Talk about perfect timing for this video to come out (for me), I've been looking into getting a tattoo! Thank you science man, very cool.
This was a brilliant demonstration of capillary action. SmarterEveryDay also has a great video showing the mechanism of the machines themselves in slow motion which I think would compliment this video very well.
Got my first piece when I was 19, I got a huge raven on a dreamcatcher and I don't regret it not even a little, I love all my tattoos and they are all symbolic to me. They really don't hurt much either besides certain areas, otherwise you could end up falling asleep in the session like me lol. Also I would recommend getting large pieces, but that's just me :)
I've got 5 smaller pieces on my forearm at the moment. Got the first when I was 22 or so. Plan to eventually be covered, lol. Love them all, and no regrets except wishing my first had been in color like the rest.
Kevin's hands make their first appearance on-screen, still no plaque
And that one's last...
Everytime I hear any part of the "Blue Dot" quote I choke up ever so slightly. Inspired choice my friend.
The 'pale blue dot' speech gives me chills every damn time I listen to it.
I'm a FPI (Florescent penetrant inspector) and I never thought of tattoos being an example of capillary action thanks you have made teaching capillary action easier to explain to the people that ask what I do.😃
HOLY COW you've hit ONE MILLION subscribers. I remember when you made this channel not too long ago. Congrats Kyle you deserve this and more!
I like the new format....i do very much miss the old, coloured markers on glass format.
Honestly, the quips aimed at the people with tattoos compelled me to subscribe to this page.
It is so weird seeing a tattoo artist that doesn't have any visible tattoos
I have met quite a few without any art on them. There's many reasons these guys and gals don't get them. Some don't like the pain associated with it. Some don't for more practical reasons like religion or family.
At the end of the day, it remains one of the few ways people who are artistically inclined can make a stable income. Being an artist is hard. Not everyone is getting classical works put into gallery's or selling them on the sidewalk. This is something that people will forever see and appreciate (well most not everyone will love their "mistake") themselves, show off, etc.
Watch it be something like their job doesn't allow visible tattoos ._ .
@@ramenguy2186 that would be hilarious
@Eldritch Abomination I have dozens of tats and never once have regretted it no matter who did it. Why wouldn't I trust them? Don't talk out of your ass if you know nothing of the culture. Tattoo artists are some of the most diverse and understanding people on the planet. I have seen it first hand.
@Eldritch Abomination As if a surgeon who had never performed surgery on themselves is bad.
Some operations require both hands to be free.
NGL, that's an amazing piece of personal art. Not just the quality but the design. Something permanent should have a personal significance way beyond the ephemeral or fashionable.
I can't think of anything more appropriate for who Kyle is. Bravo
4and a half hours for that !? Holy cow, was it his first tatoo ? My very well reputed local Tatoo artist did my half sleeve, reaper background woid , moon and crows, a half sleeve in 2hours... (I jnow she does work fast comparatively to normal Tatoo artist i was expecting 4hours for mine) but what kyle got she wouldve done it in... 30mins max. Im speechless...
I was thinking the same thing!
I've had a total of 7 artist do work on me throughout my life and none of them took that long... I have a 4in by 3in (ish) piece on my leg that was done by a newbie but he still only took 1 and a half hours for line and fill!
The Main artist I go to has done a lot on me and we're currently finishing up my full sleeve-a session has never been over 2 hours even on pieces with lots of precise lines followed by some fill...
(my guys been doing his work for 20 years though so... Experience maybe?)
It might very well not be the artist's fault, there are a lot of factors at play when someone is getting a tattoo. This artist could be relatively new or he could have wanted to be careful. Or maybe they were just setting up shots for like 60% of that time heck if I know. Point is, with experience comes speed, and I can't imagine that being filmed at work would help my nerves if that were me
That speech is def a top 10 speech
The complete quote from Carl Sagan is used in the music video "Ad Astra" from Nightwish where they team up with World Land Trust to spread awareness of deforestation and animals getting extinct. Your tattoo looks very nice man.
Love that video! Nightwish are amazing, though not quite as amazing as Carl Sagan was. 🖤🤘
@@neuralmute they are amazing in their own way. As was Carl Sagan
@@rickyapril104 I mean, you can't compare kick@ss bands and astrophsysicists, really. Unless you're talking about Dr. Brian May. 😉
@@neuralmute I see what you did there 😂
I came here to comment the same thing. I had to go listen to Ad Astra after watching this video when I saw the quote.
Great Video, 100% correct.. needles make a hole and when it’s removed there’s a vacuum created and the ink is sucked into the hole. Being well hydrated and exfoliating dead skin cells days prior helps..The artists ointment creates a layer to hold ink in, Dimethicone lotion 30 min before tattoo can help hold ink in while being tattooed since silicone is "self healing". Products like Saniderm help keep the ink in during healing and prevent damage that could remove ink, also eliminating the need to constantly clean and moisturize. Takes serious skills to get ink into the correct layer of the epidermis, too deep and you get blowouts, to shallow and the ink won’t stay.
Scotty must have had an interesting day when he's doing a tattoo for science
Kyle!!!!! I've been looking for new Because Science episodes for a year now, and I just saw someone post in the community that you have your own channel! I'm sad it took so long to find but so excited to see you're still active and now I have a ton of content to catch up on!
I'm gonna level with you.
As someone who has tattoos... once you get one, you're gonna want more.
As someone who got my first tattoo a couple months ago this is very true and I already have an appointment for more
I started 22 yrs ago...
I'm on nr.3 and have sketches for nr.4, heh
@@MrRaggy91 Awesome, to everybody here! I love all my tats, and I just want everyone to have tats they love too! Enjoy your ink!✌
Tattoos are just the souvenir from the experience
Love that you added the pulsar lines from the Voyager Golden Record too!
As an extremely heavily tattooed biologist, I greatly approve of this video. Thanks for making it 😊💜
I love getting inked, it's the best therapy and properly chilled, I often struggle to stay awake and the buzz of the pen is surprisingly relaxing, only one more session to complete my colourful Hawaii sleeve.
My tattoo artist, Jak, who I'd highly recommend from Sakura Tattoo Studio in South Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England, wishes he could do more full colour tattoos for people, but everyone seems to just want black and shading. Get creative people and make your skin exciting!
0:58 that transition got me good. Good job, Kyle (I don't know if you have an editor or is just a Kevin, but assuming it's NOT a Kevin, good job to you too, hipothetical editor)
Congrats on your first tattoo - I can’t think of a better design to have. The Pale Blue Dot is my favorite quote/monologue/passage from Cosmos. I think I’ll watch it again now. 💫
I have had many tattoos, and I absolutely had no idea they were this scientific. I am now more informed about the many hours of torturing myself because skin pictures are pretty!
Same but I kinda knew some of what into it because I like asking questions and the artists I have had, all know about the machines and how it works
Everything is scientific. Just saying.
@@nah9585 thanks for being a pedant and all. I am aware. I didn't think of it like that because it's just not something most people think about when they are being tattooed and even if i did I wouldn't have thought about it that way. I'm not an idiot. I'm grateful for learning something new about a hobby I, and many others have.
You only know what you know and I didn't know this. I wouldn't be watching a science RUclipsr if I had no interest or some knowledge on the topics being discussed. Thank you for the condescending input.
@@ithomas7788 I understood where u were coming from, just felt the urge to point that out. Hope u understand.
Also, the ink just doesn't sit there. Your leukocytes absorb and release the ink constantly.
coming back to this after three years and see Kyle's tattoos spread around his arm is fascinating
I hope your tattoo heals quickly and the line work stays clean!
I meditated when I had my tattoo done, that's how I blocked out any pain and stayed still as possible for the artist.
Reminds me when I used to do bat work. I assisted with virologists in the capture of bats, and the virologist would use a tattoo gun to mark the bats on the wing. At the time it was a relatively new technique, and the tattoos would be less stressful for the bats, as rings would cause chaffing on the bats wing. It also appeared to be successful, as I was there when they made a recapture of a bat.
The real question though is what did the bat get tattooed on its wing though? Was it something edgy like a skull with a knife through it? Or maybe a reassuring quote like Kyle got?
@@ZarniwoopIII That would have taxed the virologists skills, I am afraid. It was basically the date it was captured, along with an ID number
@@xenogil180 Your virologists should really work on their tattooing skills. Those bats deserve some sweet ink for science!
@@xenogil180 I wasn't being serious. Just trying to be funny. Guess I failed, haha.
@@ZarniwoopIII Not to worry, text doesn't always convey tone very well. I did find it funny after I answered.
Welcome to the family, you'll be back for more ink. Everybody is. And as much as you talk with your hands, I'm surprised that left arm didn't move at all. Also, never make your tattoo artist laugh when he's applying ink. And thank you for sharing this Kyle.
"You can look at the needles..." No, I infact cannot. 7 tattoos down and still cant :'D
Congratulations again for the first piece! The signals spreading from our lil planet is a wonderful touch.
Same. Multiple tattoos and piercings, still cannot look at the needles.
Those lines are on the Golden Record. They are a "map" designed by NASA that would theoretically allow an advanced alien civilization to determine the location of our Sun, if they find the Voyager probe.
@@yondaime500 Oh neat, thanks for telling 👍🏼 I was thinking on the lines of the signals (radio?) we've sent out from earth and how relatively short distances they've travelled so far, in the grand scheme of things.
I've gotten a few curiosity boxes and I've loved every single one. Not to mention the boxes themselves look cooler than all hell.
idon't see how getting a regular tattoo prooves anything, the best way i can think of testing your hypothisis is to tattoo some skin with a clean needle and then apply ink over the top with a brush like with the geletin test, if you're correct it should look no different from a regular tattoo, and i have serious doubts that would be the case
I agree, his experiment was far off from the real thing.
An alternative guess: its left behind by the force of pulling the needle back out.
The skin makes a seal around the needle, and vacuum pressure from trying to make an air gap where the needle was pulls all kinds of everything, including the ink, in to fill the space
Always wanted a sleeve of a bee hive because I love hive minded organisms. Cool to learn more about them, thanks for the video.
My impression was that the needle was coated with ink, it dragged the ink threw the skin, so some ink came off the needle and stayed in the skin. One ancient form of tattooing, where a need was dipped in pigment then pushed straight through, under the skin, and pulled out another hole, creating a line from a single puncture, seems to work this way.
It’s hard to identify if, in the jello experiment, the color is drawn in threw static capillary action, or if the force with which the color was brushed onto the jello was pushing the color in, or if the deformation of the jello was drawing the color down. A better demonstration would have the jello in a clear, glass container, preferably with flat sides to reduce distortion, and to gently drip the coloring onto the punctured jello. That way we could see the color moving down the holes.
The ink appearing on the skin after the tattoo needle has passed suggests the needle could be pulling a lot of ink in with it, and the excess ink is pushed out leaving the tiny amount that becomes the tattoo. In fact, the ink appearing on the skin after the needle has passed strongly points to the ink being deposited de the action of the needle.
The better way to show that the ink is drawn in after the needle has made a hole, would be to puncture the skin with a clean, un-inked needle, then apply the ink to just the surface of the skin. If the capillary hypothesis it true, the ink will be drawn down, into the holes created by the needle. But I would guess the ink wouldn’t penetrate to be deposited as nearly well; and I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t leave permanent mark at all. You should be able to run this test with just a few, single dot tattoos.
Dang it Kyle! for once I thought cool I already know this! But no you had to be all thorough and teach me even more about how tattoos work
It's also not just capillary action. The groupings of the small tattoo needles, and why most needle bars do not have just a single needle, are created specifically to help push (not inject) the ink into the hole that was just made by the machine. We have capillaries pores and microscopic holes in our skin across every inch of it and if it was all only capillary action the tattoo would not be as crisp and specific bc the ink would not only be sucked up by the holes the machine made but also by other micro holes and pores. I have heard of some artists using a shading technique that involves using an empty needle and then spearing the ink across the holes the empty needle made on the skin but that's the closest to capillary action being the reason for ink going into the skin that I can find.
Ok Kyle just for that quote alone on this tattoo I will love you forever
Space plumbing is really cool. It’s a lot harder to separate liquids and gases.
I’m ready for science budget Thor!
Why are we calling him "budget"
@@jakes.house. You know, that’s a very good point.
Nice video! What's also worth mentioning is the biology behind tattoos. The ink doesn't entirely sit passively in the skin. It is a foreign body after all and our immune system will react against it. After getting a tattoo, a part of the ink will be ingested by macrophages, which will usually stay at the spot where the ink is initially placed but some of them will move, and some eventually dye and get reingested by other macrophage cells. What we see as a tattoo is not only "the ink in the skin" but also, for the most part, a collection of our own immune cells trying to eat up and digest the foreign body. And it is a dynamic system. As time passes, and these macrophages migrate, some of the ink might be lost or displeased causing the tattoo to possibly fade and become less sharp over time.
Ok so it's been like... God 12 years since my last tattoo... These things don't have cords anymore?!?!
What a time to be alive...
The thing had buttons and LEDs at the top too. That shit threw me off a bit.
Before I get very far into this video, I just wanna say thank you to Destin from Smarter Every Day for the couple episodes he released a few years back about tattoos and their removal.
I'm excited to see what else Kyle Hill of the ill science ilk has to teach me.
Kyle you are amazing. Thank you for doing what you do
jesus christ. that took 4.5 hours? my entire forearm piece outline ( which is quite detailed, i drew the piece and the artist actually had to make a judgement call to adjsut my original piece because some parts were too detailed to show up well in a tattoo) the outline took 4 hours and it was for my entire forearm. kind of wild that took 4 hours. no shame on the quality, it looks great and lettering is touchy as hell. just surprised by the time it took.
Hey Kyle: why the tattoo don't completely disappear with time? I mean, our cells are always dying and new ones appearing... why the ink continues there?
Ink particles are too big for your body to separate… If they wouldn’t be, ink would go into your blood and then into your urine (I know I’m not Kyle, but I hope you find that helpful 🙂 )
Your white blood cells nom the DANGEROUS INVADING MATTER (ink bits), preventing it from being shed with your regular skin. When the white blood cells die and the ink is free again, more white blood cells nom it. There’s a bit of loss over time, but for the most part this quirk of exploiting the body’s defensive systems keeps the ink largely exactly where you put it for a very long time.
Also that what tattoo removal does. The laser breaks apart the large particles, allowing them to exit the body.
Well, your body fights the ink over time and the particles, heavy metals, end up in your lymph nodes. Let's just say you do not want ink deposited and sitting in the lymph nodes as it will cause health problems. Also tattoo ink isnt regulated so who knows what the composition that is used. Studies are still being done but we know what happens when heavy metals, some carcinogenic deposit in the body.
In the 4th grade I accidentally gave myself a graphite tattoo in my hand trying to throw my pencil into the drop ceiling at school. It is still there to this day, over 20 years later
That tattoo took 4 and a half hours? Like the whole process of designing, making the stencil, some then doing the tattoo? Or 4-1/2 hours of actual tattoo work? If it’s the latter, then that’s absurd.
I hope it's the whole process, that's not a 4.5 hour tattoo lmao
@@CheeseypiPlays definitely not.
Yeah, if it's a very detailed design with careful simmetric lines it takes time. A bigger tattoo but with a plain, simple design could take as little as 2 hours for comparison.
@@alanbator5118 i am a tattoo artist. I’ve been a tattoo artist for almost 16 yrs. I know how long things take. Especially when it’s just line work and when using a stencil.
I would also guess there was lots of delays with recording it, science talk and loads of stuff that failed to make the edit that slowed the process down.
The post-credits scene answered the exact question I was thinking. You are quite right that time has no meaning, especially if the Facility is hoarding all those time-crystals.
10:45 fountain pens are self feeding of ink, those are dip pens.
Ironically fed by capillary action.
I highly recommend people to try out fountain pens at least once vastly superior writing experience and yes they are still a thing today ;)
I’d recommend glass dip pen. Just don’t drop them!
@@quagernag I've got one, I prefer my fountain pens but cool hearing from another pen nerd ;)
Dang, why do I want to try a fountain pen now? Do they write smooth ( and small)
i have 1 tattoo, and after 3 days i still don't regret it. i see this as an absolute win
Looks great Kyle! Just pulled my phone up after getting a tattoo and saw this video. Affirms to me that it was the right decision 🧐
One of the reasons I don't have a tattoo is that I can't think of anything I'd want permanently on my skin. The only thing I'd consider is pictures of my cats. But then the expense and pain comes into it. Your tattoo design is awesome though, that speech always gives me chills. Good choice!
There is one thing that bothers me about the tattoo. Mostly because I'm a picky bastard that thinks too much about stuff that bugs ME. If I had that same tattoo I would have flipped it upside down. BUT, that being said, Kyle did say it was more for him. He wants to look at it as a personal reminder. Now, if it wasn't for that, I would have flipped it upside down so it would be easier to show other people who are in front of me. Otherwise, it's a cool tattoo. Simple but effective. Hopefully there are more to come.
I always point to shirt graphics.
@@MrInfinity418 You can point to shirt graphics and I'll point to nurse's watches.
A shirt is for other people to see but a nurse's watch is for them to see so it's "upside down" for everyone else.
Some people have tattoos that are for them.
@@phyphor all tattoos are for the person who got it. A watch is a tool. A tattoo is a graphic.
@@phyphor btw you can get your tattoo however you want. I am however a tattooer and do use shirt graphics as reference for flow and general layout. I point to how you could want future tattoos and then really start considering orientation and layout as a whole. Then you would start to feel like your current tattoo is upside down. You got it on your skin…it’s obviously for you. You should be able to get the meaning with it facing the other way.
Not only can I get a tattoo the way I want, I did get a tattoo the way I want. As did Kyle. And I've had mine for so many years I can't remember how long I've had it, and it isn't upside down, because it's the right way up *for me*. I didn't get it for anyone else. I got it *for me*. And, again, your comparison to "shirt graphics" is countered by my comparison to nurse's watches, or fob watches, where the point is that it's visible to the wearer, because it's for them.
This absolutely convinces me that tattooing doesn't hurt. Kyle is for sure a weenie and didn't flinch.
As someone with skin in this game, this was some good stuff!
A new addition to the "Kyle's coolness is over 9000" Playlist.
Welcome to the "club" science Thor -- let's just hope you don't get addicted to tattoos now -- they kinda are like Pringles - once you pop you just can't stop 🤣
As someone who has multiple skin and vascular issues, I would never contemplate getting a tattoo. However very interesting to see how it works though
On my left arm, I have "I Must Not Fear" from Dune. The Litney against Fear has gotten me through a lot rough moments.
I have been impacted by that quote the same way
Gay
@@anonymoose6873 your're mum
@@MA-ve6be I wonder how many people have been helped by that quote. When I have CTs or MRIs, I recite it. I've had techs ask me what I'm saying, lol!
@@anonymoose6873 Why, yes. I am. Thank you.
There's something about getting our first tattoo that makes most us want more, afterwards. That tiny bit of pain might be just enough to be enjoyable, and a little bit cathartic.
I'm a bit confused with the jelly test. Since you put the color on top of the jelly, gravity also made it go down the little holes which is the opposite of the effect you wanted show, since the capillary force should work against gravity, not with it. Wouldn't it be better to pick it up, flip it and put the color on the surface from below?
There's also Buckaroo Banzai's similar quote: No matter where you go, there you are.
Tattoos are just ultra cringe no matter what
I LOVE your tattoo. Carl Sagan is one of my heroes and The Pale blue dot is one of my favorites quote ever
I have just been wondering if you could use/ design a type of tattoos for a type of iron storage your body could slowly eat away and get the iron from it. Bam, no more iron suplements.
Hmm, thats a pretty cool idea
Traditional tattoos do slowly get absorbed into your bloodstream so it seems like the main hurdles would be iron-based ink and dosage
@@joshuathorson8813 as someone with hemachromatosis, this is a very strange thing to think about. I wonder if you could infuse it with other trace minerals.
As the process for absorbsion is very slow i doubt you could get any significant nutrients from infused ink.
7:27 This is UNCOMFORTABLY
relatable, Kyle