Understanding what different permanent makeup cartridges are available and what they are used for is extremely important when training to become a PMU artist. All reputable, accredited training courses should cover this topic in detail. However, we have put this guide together for any complete beginners considering a training course or for experienced artists looking for a quick refresher.

Micropigmentation is a form of permanent makeup where the artist uses a digital permanent makeup machine and needle cartridges to implant pigment into the skin for cosmetic or medical purposes. Sometimes referred to as the digital or machine method, it is widely used across a range of treatments such as brows, lips, eyeliner, scalp and areola.

Although there are some styles of cartridges used in both PMU and traditional tattooing, in this article we will only be focusing on those used in permanent makeup. For our guide on microblading and micro-shading needles for manual methods, please see our blog here.

There is a huge amount of choice available when it comes to cartridges and this can be daunting for a PMU artist. It is important to remember that what cartridge you use can depend on a number of factors such as the treatment being carried out, the desired effect, the client’s skin type and your own preference.



There are several widely accepted terms for each cartridge configuration although you may find some brands refer to them differently. This can cause confusion so you may want to check needle shape and diameter across brands for comparison.


PMU Cartridge Configurations


Round Liner


Like the name suggests, round liner configurations are used for creating lines such as hair strokes in the brows, winged eyeliner outlines or crisp lip lines. They can contain 1 single needle or multiple needles but are always used for ultra-delicate line work.

This configuration is hugely popular in the industry, which we cover in our blogpost here. Some artists even use this configuration with multiple needles for shading and pixel work, depending on their preference. 


Round Liner used for lip line: @bydemiuk

Round Shader


Like round liners, the clue is in the name with the round shader configuration. Round shaders contain multiple needles grouped together and they are useful for packing in colour and creating light shading, for a pixelated effect in treatments such as brows or lips.


Magnum


Also widely used in traditional tattooing, magnum needle configurations are for packing in colour – particularly when artists are having difficulty implanting pigment using high-needle count round liners or shaders. Magnum cartridges usually contain 2 rows of needles grouped together.

The Curved Magnum configuration means that the 2 rows of needles are grouped together with a slight curve, which is useful when working on a natural curve in the treatment area such as the eyelid, brow arch or the lips. Some brands such as KWADRON refer to these as ‘Soft Edge Magnum’ cartridges, but they are basically the same style.


Magnum used on lips: @tanyabuxton

Flat


Flat configurations are usually used for creating precise geometric designs in treatments such as brows, eyeliner or lips. They’re not as popular in PMU, compared to round liners which a lot of artists use for creating lines but that does depend on preference and there are still plenty of artists who use flat configurations in their treatments.


Slope


Slope cartridges include needles that are grouped together at an angle and they can be used for creating lines, shading or pixels across multiple treatments. This style of cartridge is mostly used in lip and brow treatments and are available from some of the biggest brands in the industry such as KWADRON. However, not all PMU brands include slope configurations in their line of PMU cartridges. 

Once you get an understanding of the different configurations of PMU cartridges available, you can then move on to learning how the needles within each configuration can differ depending on what the artist wants to achieve.


Numbers & Diameters of Needles


The number of individual needles within each cartridge can differ depending on what it is being used for. The higher the number of needles that are grouped together in the cartridge, the larger the area that pigment will be implanted into.

The number of needles within the cartridge can vary between 1 and 12 depending on the configuration, but cartridges from the most popular brands would usually contain between 1 and 7. Single needles would only usually be found in round liner cartridges and how the needles are grouped together in each cartridge depends on the configuration (round liner, round shader, flat etc.), as discussed above. A larger number of needles would most likely be found in magnum cartridges.

Needle diameter refers to the physical diameter of each individual needle tip within the cartridge. Similar to the number of needles, the smaller the diameter of the needle, the more delicate and precise the pigment placement. This means that fewer needles and smaller diameters will create much finer lines compared to more needles and larger diameters, which will deposit pigment across larger areas of the skin. 

In PMU, the needles used are generally thinner to allow for extra accuracy meaning that the majority of cartridges on the market will include needles between 0.20mm and 0.35mm. These thinner needles also help reduce trauma to the skin, to encourage healthy healing.



Understanding the packaging


Understanding how the number of needles and needle diameters within a cartridge works makes reading packaging and identifying the correct cartridge 100 times easier! The labelling can differ depending on the brand you are using but most cartridges will be labelled very similar to the below, if not exactly the same:

1RL0.25

You will often see people referring to their needle cartridges using this format across social media too, for example ‘created using a Killer Beaty 1rl 0.25’. The number (1) refers to the number of needles, the letters (RL) indicate the configuration which in this case is round liner and the number with a decimal place is the needle diameter – 0.25mm in this instance. 

When beginners first see these labels, they may be completely bewildered as to what this combination of numbers and letters mean but breaking it down into number of needles > configuration > diameter makes it much easier to understand.



Long vs. Short Tapers


The length of the needle ‘taper’ refers to how long the actual point of the needle is. Shorter taper needles are able to implant pigment much quicker, but they do leave a larger puncture in the skin, compared to long taper needles.

Most PMU cartridges from well-known brands contain medium to long taper needles, which will further reduce trauma to the skin. These needles can take longer to implant pigment, but it is the norm to carry out multiple passes in any PMU procedure to get the desired saturation in the skin. 


PMU cartridges VS traditional tattoo cartridges


There are many similarities between permanent makeup cartridges and traditional tattoo cartridges, but one of the key differences is that needles within PMU cartridges are much thinner. This allows for the extra precision and accuracy required in cosmetic tattooing. PMU procedures often require artists to create much finer details across smaller areas of the skin, compared to larger traditional tattoos.

Using cartridges specifically designed for PMU also ensures that they meet all safety/hygiene requirements, fit PMU machines and work well with pigment to ensure satisfactory implantation with no complications. Most PMU cartridges also come with transparent plastic encasing and elongated tips which gives a clear view of the pigment flow and shows you exactly where it is being implanted, reducing the risk of error.


Which cartridge should I choose?


With so many different options available, the choice can be overwhelming. Which cartridges you use during a treatment depends on a number of factors such as your preference, your training, the client’s skin and much more. We cover all of this and more in our blog here.



There you go! Our guide to permanent makeup cartridges including all the different styles and configurations within the industry. 

Understanding the difference between all the options available makes it much easier to select the right cartridge for your treatment. For beginners still getting to grips with the different cartridge styles, we would always suggest lots of latex practice and trying out sample boxes from brands such as Vertix or our own Killer Beauty PMU cartridges, to help you discover which style of cartridges works best for you and your clients.