Permanent Makeup Needle Guide & Size Chart

SofTap permanent makeup needles in 33 round click tip, 18 round click tip, 24 fine disposable pen, and cartridge types with black click handle on white marble background.

How to Choose a Permanent Makeup Needle

The right permanent makeup needle depends on three things: the procedure, the effect you want to create and the amount of coverage or precision the area requires.

Smaller groupings are generally used for fine details, edges and controlled placement. Larger groupings can cover more area efficiently, while the shape of the needle grouping (such as round, single-row, multi-row, smudger or hairstroke) changes how the pigment is placed in the skin.

Start with the finished result you want, then choose a needle that gives you the appropriate balance of precision, softness and coverage. The client’s skin condition and your professional technique should always be part of the final decision.

SofTap Needle Types Explained

Curved Needles

Curved needle groupings designed to create natural-looking hairstroke patterns.

Choose a finer configuration for delicate strokes or a larger grouping for more visible definition.

Smudger Needles

Designed to place soft, diffused color with fewer hard edges.

Smudgers are especially useful for powder brows, ombré transitions, shaded eyeliner, lip blush and gentle blending.

Single-Row Needles

Needle points arranged in a straight line for controlled placement and structured definition.

Single-row needles can be used for outlining, fine details, eyeliner and smaller areas requiring precision.

Round Needles

Needle points arranged in a circular grouping for balanced pigment placement.

Smaller rounds provide precision, while larger rounds offer progressively broader coverage for blending, corrections and restorative procedures.

Multi-Row Needles

Needle points arranged across multiple rows to cover more area efficiently.

Multi-row needles are useful for building saturation, bold powder effects, full lips and larger treatment areas.

SofTap permanent makeup needles are organized by procedure to help artists find the right balance of precision, softness and coverage.

Explore professional needle recommendations for eyebrows, eyeliner, lips, PMU corrections, scar camouflage, areola restoration, scalp micropigmentation, freckles and beauty marks.

A close-up of SofTap 17 curve nano pmu needle click tip, resting on a white marble surface.

Eyebrow PMU Needles

A close-up of SofTap 10 fine pmu needle click tip, resting on a white marble surface.

Eyeliner PMU Needles

Lip PMU Needles

A close-up of SofTap 8 round pmu needle click tip, resting on a white marble surface.

PMU Correction & Cover-Up Needles

A close-up of SofTap 18 round pmu needle click tip, resting on a white marble surface.

Scar Camouflage PMU Needles

A close-up of SofTap 3 round pmu needle click tip, resting on a white marble surface.

3D Areola PMU Needles

Scalp Micropigmentation Needles

Freckle & Beauty Mark PMU Needles

Nano, Fine & Regular PMU Needle Gauges

Needle gauge describes the thickness of each individual pin. SofTap offers three gauges, allowing artists to choose between ultra-fine detail, gradual color building and stronger pigment placement.

Nano Gauge
SofTap’s thinnest pins, designed for crisp hairstrokes and highly controlled detail. Best for: ultra-fine hairstrokes and delicate work.
Fine Gauge
Thinner pins that build color gradually for greater control over softness. Best for: natural hairstrokes, subtle shading and thin or mature skin.
Regular Gauge
Thicker pins that place pigment more efficiently and build visible saturation faster. Best for: stronger definition, broader coverage and bolder results.

Nano offers the finest detail, fine is great for delicate skin and velvety smooth saturation, and regular delivers pixely saturation and is great for thick skin.

Click Tip, Pen or Cartridge: Which SofTap Needle System Do I Need?

Some SofTap needle configurations are available in more than one system. The needle performs the same general function, but the attachment or handle style differs.

Click Tip
Individually packaged needle tips designed to click securely onto a compatible SofTap reusable handle. Best for: artists who prefer a variety of needles.
Disposable Pen
A complete single-use SofTap hand tool with the needle already attached. No separate reusable handle is required. Best for: convenient setup and an all-in-one disposable option.
Cartridge
Individually packaged needle cartridges designed for compatible original-style SofTap hand tools. Best for: artists who use prefer autoclavable handles.

Permanent Makeup Needle FAQs

Start with the procedure and desired effect, then consider how much precision or coverage the area requires. Needle gauge, configuration, client skin and artist technique should all be considered before making the final selection.

The number indicates how many individual pins (or points) are in the needle configuration. For example, a 3 Round contains three needle points, while a 36 Round contains thirty-six needle points. The arrangement of those pins determines whether the needle is round, single-row, multi-row, smudger or curve.

Gauge describes the thickness of each individual pin. Configuration describes how the pins are arranged. Two needles can have a similar number of pins but produce different effects because their gauges or configurations differ.

Yes. Many SofTap needle configurations can support more than one procedure or technique. The appropriate choice depends on the effect, treatment area, amount of coverage and the artist’s professional judgment.

No. SofTap needles are designed for manual permanent makeup procedures using the SofTap hand method. They are not standard rotary or digital PMU machine cartridges.

These options describe how the needle is packaged or connects to its hand tool. Choose the version that matches your SofTap system and preference. The available options vary by needle configuration.

Professional SofTap artist performing hand method lip blush procedure with precision technique.

Permanent Makeup Needle Expertise Since 1988

SofTap has supported permanent makeup professionals with hand-method needles, pigments, education and artist guidance since 1988.

The recommendations in this guide are based on decades of product development, artist training and practical experience creating brows, eyeliner, lips, restorative procedures and corrective work. They are designed to give trained artists a reliable starting point while leaving room for professional technique and client-specific judgment.

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How to Choose a Permanent Makeup Needle