One of the most common questions in the minds of amateur tattoo seekers and even the more seasoned tattoo lovers is the quality of the Dyes & Pigments. This part of tattoo art is better understood by seasoned tattoo artists (tattoo professionals). However, having a basic understanding of dyes and pigments used for creating tattoos is critical since these are external agents that are eventually placed under the outermost layer of the skin.

Decoding Tattoo Inks/Pigments

The nature of tattoos or the kind of equipment used in making the tattoo is seldom responsible for causing allergic reactions, i.e. it is the tattoo ink that is the usual culprit. However, this doesn’t mean that all kinds of tattoo inks induce allergies. Such adverse reactions are caused when inappropriate kinds of ingredients are added in tattoo ink. Please note that most of the tattoo ink/dyes/pigments have not been approved by public healthcare bodies like the FDA but still, the tattoo industry observes some quality parameters to define what can be interpreted as safe-to-use tattoo ink and those that are merely cheap (and unsafe) alternatives. The cheaper tattoo inks are essentially toxic tattoo pigments that create a similar cosmetic effect as compared to the recommended tattoo inks but are very harmful to the human skin.

Some Common Tattoo Inks

• Metal Tattoo Inks are among the most controversial of tattoo inks. These are associated with causing problems like cancerous growth or causing serious allergic reactions.
• Organic Tattoo Inks are considered the safest for the skin. These inks were also used during ancient times. However, some cheap and unsafe versions of organic Tattoo Inks too are known to exist. The purest of organic inks are those that are squeezed from vegetables grown without using harmful chemicals.
• Backlight Tattoo Ink (used for glowing tattoos) is the shine-inducing Tattoo Ink that is very popular these days. However, dangerous versions of this ink include those loaded with ingredients like phosphorus.
• Alcohol Carrier Tattoo Inks are also considered unsafe. These are Tattoo Inks that use a basic, unfiltered form of alcohol that is used for maintaining the consistency of the Tattoo Ink.

Tattoo Inks & Toxicity

Yes, the more famous of tattoo professionals are likely to be secretive about the ingredients used by them in their tattoo inks. This is because the consistency and formulation of the tattoo ink tends to vary with each tattoo artist. The most common kinds of pigments added to the tattoo ink to create the desired visual impact include metal salts and organic pigments. Many tattoo professionals like to use vegetable dyes and highlight their art as herbal or organic tattoo making. Irrespective of the nature of the tattoo ink or its ecological impact, it is imperative that you question the tattoo artist about the overall safety and skin compatibility of the ingredients used. For instance, some tattoo experts use industrial paints for inducing darker shades but these are not recommended for people with sensitive skin. Many tattoo pigments are spiked with lead, copper and lithium that can be toxic when used in high concentrations.

Composition of Common Tattoo Inks

Each of the common tattoo inks is produced using some easily available chemical compounds. For instance, White tattoo ink combines either titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, lead carbonate or Barium Sulfate. Other tattoo inks and their formulation ingredients have been listed below:
• Black tattoo ink—is usually sourced from Iron Oxide, Logwood or Carbon
• Brown tattoo ink—is created from Ochre, Silica or Iron oxide
• Red tattoo ink—is synthesized from Cinnabar, Cadmium Red, Iron Oxide and Napthol-AS
• Orange tattoo ink—is formulated using Disazodiarylide or Disazopyrazolone or Cadmium Sulfide
• Yellow tattoo ink—is usually made from Cadmium Yellow, Ochre’s or Curcuma Yellow
• Green tattoo ink—is commonly created using Chromium Oxide, Malachite, Ferricyanides, Lead chromate or Monoazo pigment
• Blue tattoo ink—is produced using carbonate, azurite, sodium aluminum silicate, Egyptian blue, cobalt aluminum oxides and chromium oxide
• Violet/Purple Tattoo Ink—is mostly manufactured using Quinacridone or Carbazole.