Types of needles and their use

8. Types of Needles and Their Uses

8.1. Roundliner Needles (RL)

Roundliner needles are ideal for drawing lines, but also for shading in powder techniques. These needles are available in various configurations: as a single needle in a 1-liner needle, or—when multiple needles are used—arranged in a circle and soldered together. At the tip, they taper toward each other in a conical shape, making them perfect for outlines. Due to their arrangement and design, Roundliner needles absorb only a small amount of ink, which they retain for as long as possible.

8.1.1. Design and Types of Roundliner Needles

1-Needle Roundliner (1RL): A single needle used for very fine lines, powder techniques, and precise work.

3-Needle Roundliner (3RL): Three needles arranged in a circle, ideal for finer lines, filling smaller areas, and detailed work.

5-Needle Roundliner (5RL): Five needles arranged in a circle, often used for thicker lines, filling in larger areas, and creating a full, dense lash line.

7-Needle Roundliner (7RL): Seven needles arranged in a circle, suitable for thicker lines and fills.

The thickness of the lines varies depending on the number and gauge of the needles. The fewer the needles and the thinner the tip, the finer and more delicate the lines become.

8.1.2. Uses of Roundliner Needles in the PMU Field

1. Fine Outlines for Lip Contours: 1RL needles are ideal for creating precise and fine outlines for lip contours. They produce a clear and defined line that accentuates the shape of the lips. Shading and filling the lips with a size 1 needle and the proper technique produces a perfect, even, and natural-looking result.

2. Decorative Eyeliner: With 1RL needles, you can create delicate and decorative eyeliner. These needles allow for precise control and create sharp, clear lines.

3. Shading with the Finest Powder Techniques: 1RL needles are ideal for subtle shading and powder techniques on the lips, eyebrows, and eyelids. They create soft, even transitions and subtle shading.

4. Filling decorative eyeliners: 1RL and 3RL needles are suitable for filling decorative, wider eyeliners. They allow for even color distribution and cover larger areas.

5. Eyelash Line Thickening: 3RL needles are ideal for eyelash line thickening. They create a natural thickening of the eyelash line and accentuate the eyes.

6. Fine, thin eyeliner (baby liner): 3RL needles are ideal for fine, thin eyeliner, also known as baby liner. They allow for subtle enhancement of the eye area.

Summary

Roundliner needles are an indispensable tool in permanent makeup. Their versatility and precision make them ideal for a wide range of applications, from fine lip outlines and decorative eyeliner to lip shading, powder brows, and lash line enhancement. Depending on the number and gauge of the needles, they can create different line widths and effects, making them a versatile tool in the PMU industry. By selecting and using Roundliner needles correctly, you can achieve aesthetic and long-lasting results in permanent makeup that look both natural and stylish.

8.2. Roundshader Needles

Roundshader needles are special PMU and tattoo needles that are very similar to liner needles. However, there is one key difference: Roundshader needles have a longer solder-free section. This means that the tips of the individual needles are straight and spaced further apart. As a result, a larger bare section is visible, making the needles more flexible and allowing them to spring back when piercing the skin.

8.2.1. Structure and Properties of Round Shader Needles

Arrangement: The Roundshader needles are arranged in a circular pattern, forming a hollow space in the center. This hollow space allows the needles to hold more paint and provides more room for the paint to flow.

Solder-free section: Thanks to the longer solder-free section, the needles are more flexible and can spring back, which is particularly beneficial for delicate and sensitive skin.

Tips: The tips of the needles are straight and spaced farther apart, which helps ensure a more even distribution of color.

8.2.2. Uses of Roundshader Needles in the PMU Field

1. Simple Shading: Roundshader needles are ideal for simple shading. Their more flexible arrangement and larger solder-free area allow for softer and more even shading.

2. Filling with paint: These needles are ideal for filling with paint, 

especially on larger surfaces. The hollow space in the center of the bristles allows them to hold more paint and distribute it evenly.

3. Decorative, wide eyeliner: Roundshader needles are perfect for filling in decorative, wide eyeliner. They allow for even pigment distribution and cover larger areas.

4. Eyelash Line Thickening: Roundshader needles are ideal for eyelash line thickening, especially on delicate, sensitive skin. The flexible arrangement of the needles and their spring-like action ensure a gentler application, which is particularly important for sensitive skin.

Summary

Roundshader needles are an indispensable tool in permanent makeup. Their special design and the longer solder-free section make them more flexible and allow for a consistent

more even color distribution. These characteristics make them ideal for a wide range of applications, including simple shading, filling in color, decorative wide eyeliner, and lash line thickening—especially on sensitive skin. By selecting and using Roundshader needles correctly, you can achieve aesthetic and long-lasting results in permanent makeup that look both natural and stylish. These needles offer the precision and flexibility necessary to achieve the best possible results and are therefore an essential tool for every PMU professional.

8.3. Flat Shader Needles

Flat-shader needles are specialized needles used in the tattoo and permanent makeup industries. They are characterized by their unique arrangement and shape, which make them particularly well-suited for specific applications.

8.3.1. Structure and Properties of Flatshader Needles

Arrangement: Flat shader needles are arranged side by side at the same height. Typically, 3 to 13 or more needles are soldered together in a straight line. This linear arrangement allows for an even distribution of pigments over a larger area.

Color absorption: Color absorption is slightly lower with flat-shader needles than with round-shader needles. Nevertheless, they are effective for larger shading effects and color transitions.

Result: Shading produces a lighter result than Roundliner needles do, since these needles penetrate the skin only once. With lining, on the other hand, the needles are passed through the epidermis one after another, which creates extremely dark lines.

8.3.2. Uses of Flatshader Needles

1. Large Shading Areas: Flatshader needles are ideal for larger shading areas. Thanks to their linear arrangement, they can cover wide areas evenly, which is particularly useful for large shading areas and smooth transitions.

2. Color Distribution: Although flatshader needles pick up less paint than roundshader needles, they allow for even distribution of paint over larger areas. This is particularly helpful for achieving smooth and natural shading.

3. Lighter Shades: When shading with flat-tipped needles, the result is lighter because the needles penetrate the skin only once. This is ideal for subtle shades and gentle transitions that are less intense.

4. Dark lines during lining: During lining—that is, the process of drawing lines—the needles are passed through the epidermis one after another. This results in extremely dark and well-defined lines, which are particularly useful for creating striking contours and outlines.

Summary

Flatshader needles are a valuable tool in tattooing and permanent makeup. Their linear arrangement and specific characteristics make them ideal for a wide range of applications, from large shading areas to extremely dark lines in lining. By selecting and using flat shader needles correctly, you can achieve aesthetic and long-lasting results in permanent makeup that look both natural and stylish. These needles offer the precision and flexibility needed to achieve the best possible results, making them an essential tool for every artist.

8.4. Magnum Shader Needles

Magnum shader needles are specialized needles used in both the tattoo and permanent makeup industries. They are particularly known for their ability to efficiently fill large areas and create even shading.

8.4.1. Construction and Properties of Magnum Shader Needles

Arrangement: Magnum Shader needles consist of multiple needles arranged in two rows, with the needles spaced far apart. This arrangement allows for greater ink absorption and even distribution of ink in the skin.

Ink absorption: Due to their structure, Magnum Shaders can hold and deliver a lot of ink, making them ideal for filling large areas. This reduces the number of passes needed over a single area, which means less trauma to the skin.

8.4.2. Uses of Magnum Shader Needles

Magnum Shader needles are particularly well-suited for:

1. Black & Gray work: It allows for subtle gradations and smooth transitions between shades of black and gray, which is particularly valued in the art of tattooing.

2. All types of shading and color packing: Magnum Shaders are excellent for shading and applying color evenly. They ensure consistent color application, resulting in realistic and vibrant results.

3. Color Realism: Thanks to their ability to fill large areas evenly and create subtle color transitions, Magnum Shader needles are ideal for realistic color work.

4. Traditional and Neo-Traditional Tattoos: These needles are perfect for the bold and often large-scale designs characteristic of these styles.

5. Tribal and Samoan Designs: Magnum Shaders are ideal for the large, uniform areas commonly found in tribal and Samoan designs.

8.4.3. Variations of Magnum Shader Needles

1. Curved Magnum Shader: This variant features a curved needle arrangement that allows for a smoother transition when shading. They are also known as Soft Edge Magnums and are particularly beneficial for even pigment distribution and reduced skin damage.

2. Double Stack Magnum Shader: This less commonly used variant has needles that are spaced closer together, making it suitable for complex shading.

Needle sizes

The most common needle sizes for Magnum Shaders are:

#8 (0.25 mm): For detailed work.

#10 (0.30 mm): The most popular thickness for even pigment flow.

#12 (0.35 mm): Ideal for thicker lines and filling in areas.

#13 (0.40 mm): Primarily for treating large areas.

Summary

Magnum Shader needles are an essential tool for tattoo artists who want to achieve high-quality shading and color fills. Their unique arrangement and high ink-holding capacity make them ideal for a wide range of applications, from black-and-gray work to colored shading and everything in between, including realistic and traditional tattoos. By selecting and using Magnum Shader needles correctly, you can achieve aesthetically pleasing and long-lasting results. These needles offer the precision and efficiency needed to achieve the best possible results.

8.5. Slope Pins

Slope needles are a special type of needle configuration used in permanent makeup (PMU) and tattooing. They are known for their ability to produce precise and even results, especially when creating shading and fine lines.

8.5.1. Characteristics of Slope Needles

Arrangement: Slope needles are arranged at an angle, meaning they are positioned at a specific angle to the skin's surface. This angled arrangement allows for better control and precision during tattooing or PMU procedures. With this arrangement, you can create even shading and precise lines. You can work with just one needle at a perpendicular angle, or—if you tilt the needle to a specific angle—work evenly with all the needles.

Needle thicknesses: Slope needles typically have a needle thickness of 0.4 mm, which makes them versatile for a variety of applications. You can use them for both fine lines and shading.

8.5.2. Applications of Slope Needles

1. Fine cosmetic work: Slope needles are ideal for precise applications in permanent makeup, such as drawing fine eyebrow hairs or defining lip contours. The angled arrangement of the needles allows you to draw very fine, detailed lines that look natural.

2. Shading: Thanks to their special arrangement, you can also use Slope needles for soft shading, making them a popular choice for artists who want to achieve realistic effects. These needles are ideal for creating gentle color gradients and natural shading.

Advantages of Slope Needles

Precision: The angled arrangement of the needles allows for more precise control, which is crucial for detailed work. This is especially important for delicate and complex designs where accuracy is essential.

Versatility: Slope needles can be used for various techniques in permanent makeup and tattooing, making them a valuable tool for artists. They are versatile and suitable for both fine lines and large-area shading.

With Slope needles, you can ensure that your work is not only technically flawless but also meets your customers' high aesthetic standards.