How deep does the needle go?

A tattoo needle only goes into the second layer of your skin. A good tattoo artist will try to make sure that it goes in just deep enough to be permanent, but not so deep that a scar can occur. Tattoos that are done too deep also look faded right away because you have to look through more layers of skin to see the tattoo. If I were to tattoo a cheap paper plate, the needle should go in enough to dent the other side but not rip all the way through.