Most tattoos are more evident on the Caucasian lighter skin, but that does not mean that they can not be beautiful on a darker tone. You just have to use the correct colors for your shade of skin. Medium toned skin is perhaps the best for tattooing, as any bright or light color, such as blue or white, is suitably apparent on the skin. People with dark skin tones should avoid images with shading, and light colors like pink and white pop against their darker skin. The general rule is that the colors should either be much darker or lighter than your skin tone.
When you are going for a tattoo, you never believe that you will want it removed a few years down the line, but you should always plan for a contingency. If you tattoo your significant other's name on your body, then break up shortly afterward, you do not want that reminder for the rest of your life. If you are not completely sure that you are going to keep the image forever, it is best to use a darker ink, such as black, for your image. Black absorbs all wavelengths of light, so a laser will be able to remove the coloring fairly easily.
All tattoos fade a little bit as they sink deeper into the dermis of your skin, but there are certain colors that will fade and absorb into skin faster than others. Light colors like pinks, whites and yellows are likely to fade and eventually disappear from your tattoo without frequent maintenance, which can become expensive. Darker colors, such as blacks, greens and blues, are less likely to fade. UV light causes the ink in most tattoos to fade, so keep your tattoo vibrant by always protecting the skin over it with sunscreen.
When you are looking at a colorful image, you want a color that will be accented by your skin tone and remain vibrant for years to come. For Caucasians who desire colorful body art, purples, reds and blues are suitable options for your skin. Medium toned skin is best accented by dark purples, oranges and yellows. Darker skinned individuals should look into images with whites, pale pinks or solid black lines for their body art to highlight the images.