Tattoos are permanent marks on your skin made by inserting ink to change your skin pigment, usually for decoration. Tattoos started as tribal art for peoples such as the Borneo, but have grown into a worldwide phenomenon. The art of tattooing started around five thousand years ago. In the United States alone, it is estimated that as much as twenty percent of people have a tattoo. What once was considered only for hippies and Harley-Davidson bikers, tattoos are well beyond a fad. Tattoos are quickly becoming a lifestyle, as there are televisions shows, such as Miami Ink, that focus directly on the art of tattooing.
Most people wonder where the ink in tattoos comes from. Well, technically most tattoo inks are not inks.
“Tattoo inks” are usually made of pigments that are suspended in a carrier solution. Contrary to popular belief, pigments usually are not vegetable dyes. Most pigments used now are primarily are metal salts, but some pigments are plastics and there are probably some vegetable dyes too. The pigment provides the color of the tattoo and the carrier’s purpose is to disinfect the pigment suspension, keep it evenly mixed, and provide for ease of application.
There are important health risks associated with tattooing, both from the inherent toxicity of some of the substances involved and unhygienic practices. To learn more about the risks of tattooing, the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) gives a lot of useful information about any pigment or carrier. The MSDS cannot identify all chemical reactions or risks associated with chemical interactions within the ink or the skin, but it will give some basic information about each component of the ink. Pigments and tattoo inks are not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration.
The oldest pigments came from using ground up minerals and carbon black. Pigments presently include the original mineral pigments, modern industrial organic pigments, a few vegetable-based pigments, and some plastic-based pigments. Allergic reactions, scarring, phototoxic reactions, and other adverse effects are possible with most pigments. The plastic-based pigments are very intensely colored, but many people have reported reactions to them. There are also pigments that glow in the dark or in response to black (ultraviolet) light. These pigments are notoriously risky – some may be safe, but others are radioactive or otherwise toxic.
Tattooing is becoming safer and safer as new regulations and innovations to the industry occur. In the future, tattooing will be nearly 100 percent safe.
