Black Light Tattoos

Black light tattoos are just one of the many new innovations that have recently taken place in the tattoo world. They sound neat, but can this new technology have some foul consequences?

A row of black lights to show off your new tat.

The most simple explanation is that black light tats are tattoos that show up in a glowing, or phosphorescent, fashion under UV (ultraviolet) light. These tattoos use a special UV (black light) reactive ink that is different from traditional tattoo inks. When seen under the correct UV light, it will glow brightly, in the way that glow sticks and other black light reactive materials do in these circumstances.

Black light tattoos are not the same as glow-in-the-dark tattoos, which at the present time do not exist in a safe manner. These tattoos must be seen under a UV light to glow, not just in darkness. These tattoos can either glow in a white/blue color or an enhanced version of the color that you see in regular light (for example, they may appear pink in regular light, but glow hot pink under black light).

Of course, in order to get black light tattoos, special chemicals must be used in the [[Tattooing Process|tattooing process]]. Not all UV reactive inks are equal - some artists and shops use chemicals in their inks that are not meant to be injected under human skin. These chemicals can even include additives such as Everglow, a paint that is meant to be used on boats and other items of that nature (not safe for animal or human use). Other chemicals can include phosphorus, a chemical found in some plants and animals, but one that can be poisonous to humans.

Currently, the consensus among tattoo artists is that the safest brand of UV reactive inks out there is Chameleon Black Light Tattoo Ink. This ink is formulated to glow under a UV light without any of the harmful affects of other chemical mixtures. It comes in 18 colors that show up under normal light, and one color, UV Titanium White, that is virtually invisible in normal light but glows in black light.

The process of getting black light tattoos is a little different from a typical tattoo session. First, these inks are thinner and more difficult to work with than typical inks, so it's important to make sure you have an experienced artist complete your tattoo. If you are planning to get your tat done with the "invisible" UV white ink (this ink does not show up in normal light, although you may be able to see a pattern of scarring where the tattoo was inked), your tattoo artist must have you under black light the whole time, so he or she can make sure that the pattern of ink is correct and that your tattoo looks good. Even if the ink being used is colored, periodic checks must be made under a black light in order to make sure that the ink is being distributed correctly.

One of the key reasons some people choose to get a black light tat is because it will not show up in regular light. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, depending on who inked your tattoo. If a black light piece is inked with "invisible" UV ink and done incorrectly, an outline of scarring may still show on your skin. This may fade with time, but on some it never does. Additionally, some people find that they have an allergic reaction, causing itching and burning. Again, for some of the people affected this does go away, but for others it requires treatment, a cover up tattoo, or even laser tattoo removal. Still others find that their tats lose their UV reactiveness over time, or that they turn an ugly brown color after reacting with sunlight.

Black light tattoos are still considered very new in the tattoo world, and not all of the consequences have been seen or analyzed. If you have your heart set on this tat, make sure to go to an experienced shop, and be aware it may not be all you're looking for.

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