Tattoo ink manufacturers are not required by law to list their ingredients. Many tattoo artists mix their own formulas and consider their mixtures “trade secrets”. These tattoo inks are actually pigments suspended in a variety of carrier solutions. Some are made from ABS plastic for the vibrancy of the colors, some are vegetable dyes, but the vast majority are made from metal salts. The main concern with the pigments is what is in them besides the carrier solutions and the dyes.
Tattoo shops that do not adhere to strict safety precautions may be exposing their customers to a wide variety of infections as the artist dips the needle in an infected person and then back into the ink container, then into a new customer’s skin. Fortunately most shops are aware of these dangers and take all precautions established by local and state health departments.
Pigment Toxicity
Some pigments can cause an allergic reaction between the ink and skin. If available, look at a MSDS sheet to determine what the possible reactions might be. The reactions can result in photo sensitivity of the tattoo to natural and artificial light or even scarring. The glow in the dark inks, or those that react to black light, can be harmless, radioactive or toxic. The ABS plastic based pigments can prove very difficult to remove should the client choose to have the tattoo removed at a later date. Most inks pose no threat or visible reaction to the skin, but the lack of regulations make some inks risky, be sure to use a reputable artist who will not mind explaining the components of the ink used in your tattoo.
Pigment Carriers
The job of the carrier is to keep the pigment from clumping and in a fluid consistency, inhibit contamination and ease the injection of the ink into the skin. The safest and most common carriers are ethyl alcohol, glycerin, purified water, propylene glycol, witch hazel, and listerine. In the “old days” it was not uncommon to use various forms of alcohol, usually denatured, and other toxic liquids, chemicals or contaminated water.
Tattoo Pigment Being Injected into the Dermis:
“Some white pigments are derived from anatase or rutile. White pigment may be used alone or to dilute the intensity of other pigments. Titanium oxides are one of the least reactive white pigments.”
Tattoo Science
Electric tattoo guns create thousands of puncture wounds in the skin so that the tattoo pigment can be injected to form the tattoo. The ink particles are effectively trapped by a network of connective tissue in the fibroblasts, a type of cell found in connective tissue that produces fibers such as collagen. It is not known for sure, but fibroblasts may last the lifespan of the individual receiving the tattoo.
This entire process causes damage to the epidermis and the dermis and become blended together as a result of the pulverization of the junction of the two layers. The body responds by bleeding up through the skin as a result of the severed capillaries. The immune system responds by swelling to shut down the blood flow. The immune response cells then begin cleaning up by flushing the ink through the lymph system. At first the ink is dispersed in the upper areas of the skin, but within 1 to 2 weeks it gathers into a more concentrated area as new tissue begins to form around the ink and traps it in the dermal fibroblasts. After a month the two layers of skin have reformed to trap the ink and within 3 months the tattoo ink is completely surrounded by connective tissue that holds the ink in place, although over time it will begin to subside deeper into the dermis, or second layer of skin.
Final Thought
What all this means is be sure to think long and hard before getting a tattoo. Find out who runs the cleanest shop in the area and make sure the design is something you are willing to live with for the rest of your life.
Editor’s Note: Article previously published here.
…
Dexter Alto is a Certified Laser Specialist with an interest in the science of tattoo application and the removal of specific tattoo pigments. Mr. Alto has seen first hand the effectiveness of different tattoo removal methods on a variety of different pigment types. He is a contributor to http://healthyskinassociation.org/
Read more articles written by Dexter Alto
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