Some studies have found that red tattoo ink often contains azo-based hues. Azo dyes are organic compounds that are of great concern due to their potential toxicity and carcinogenic properties. Red ink appears to be connected to chronic and allergic skin reactions caused by tattoos.
- Red Ink: Often contains mercury sulfide or cadmium, which can cause allergic reactions or skin irritation. - Yellow Ink: May contain cadmium, which is toxic. - Black Ink: Sometimes contains carbon black or other additives that can lead to reactions, especially if they are not high-quality pigments.
All ink is safe, the risks of allergy/negative reaction is overall very low. Black ink is the safest, as its pigment is just carbon.
Tattoo Ink Safety
However, some colors, particularly red, green, yellow, and blue, are more likely to cause a skin reaction.
For those unfamiliar, white ink is notorious for being the most painful part of a tattoo session. So much so, that the tattoo community on the internet is full of memes about the joys of white ink.
Your skin's reaction to tattoo ink can vary. Inks with high levels of heavy metals can potentially lead to poisoning, although this is rare. Reds can cause reactions because some red inks contain mercury sulfide. Yellows and greens might have ingredients that irritate sensitive skin, such as cadmium or chromium.
How bad do tattoos hurt? There's no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to how much pain you'll feel when getting tattooed. But if you're wondering what type of pain to expect, Caranfa says the experience is comparable to the feeling of a cat scratch or a sunburn.
[9,10] Chronic allergic reactions to tattoo ink are the most common chronic tattoo reaction. These reactions can even occur months to years after getting the tattoo.
If you have a medical problem such as heart disease, allergies, diabetes, skin problems like eczema or psoriasis, a weak immune system, or a bleeding problem, talk to your doctor before getting a tattoo. Also, if you get keloids (an overgrowth of scar tissue) you probably should not get a tattoo.
Used by professional tattoo artists for many years, Dynamic Black Ink is easy to use and will keep its deep black colour even after healing, with no blue or purple tint.
Black ink tends to outlast any other color because it is super pigmented. Other darker colors like dark blue, dark green, gray, and dark purple will have a similar lifespan to black ink. Lighter inks like yellows, reds, oranges, whites, and any pastel tones tend to fade a bit more quickly than darker inks.
Black ink lasts the longest and is least likely to blur, making it the best choice of ink color for long-lasting tattoos. Black ink is so reliable it is usually used to help hold in color molecules.
They're removing pigments Blue 15:3 and Green 7, which will destroy most artists' palettes. These two pigments make up almost 70% of tattoo and permanent makeup inks. It'll affect blues and greens, reds, purples, and yellows as well as skin tones and components for a white tattoo.
In 2011, in a study in The British Journal of Dermatology, investigators reported the discovery that nanoparticles are found in tattoo inks. Nanoparticles are ultramicroscopic, making them able to penetrate through skin layers into underlying blood vessels and then travel with the bloodstream.
Kuro Sumi is ISO 13485 certified, which means that the ink is produced in compliance with the highest international safety standards.
Areas like the feet, hands, stomach, chest, elbow, lips, and inner ear are not good tattoo locations. It's essential to consider a few things when choosing a proper placement, such as pain intensity, practicality, and visibility.
If equipment used to create a tattoo has infected blood on it, you can get diseases that are spread through blood. Examples include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. To lower your risk, get vaccinated for hepatitis B before you get a tattoo.
Tattoo placements that are less exposed to the wear and tear of daily life are likely to age more gracefully. Everyday occurrences, such as handwashing, sun exposure, friction from clothing, bloating or trapped sweat, could cause tattoos to fade more quickly or become distorted over time.
Some potential other risks include allergic reaction, skin infection, bloodborne diseases, complications with MRIs, and other skin issues like keloids or inflammation known as granuloma. Although many of these conditions can be treated, they should not be taken lightly.
Henna designs are not tattoos—a tattoo is permanent as ink pierces the skin, while henna is a temporary dye which sits on the skin's surface. Henna is also used to safely dye hair, nails, and fabrics like silk, wool, and leather.
When you get a tattoo, the ink is inserted via needle into the dermis (the second layer of skin). Your body sees this ink as a foreign invader, and activates the immune system to seek out and destroy the unfamiliar material.
Tattoo pain for the inner bicep is fairly painful. The inner bicep/elbow area is host to a couple of sensitive nerves that run down the underside of your arm. Combine this with the thin, sensitive skin of the inner bicep, and you've got a fairly tender tattooing area.
Before choosing a location, assess your pain tolerance. The best lower pain areas are the outer arm, upper thigh and calves. These are all good spots to consider for a first tattoo.