Dyes and Pigments

What is in Tattoo Dyes and Pigments?

It’s very difficult to actually know what is in tattoo dyes and pigments. Many tattoo professionals keep their ingredients a secret. However, most of the pigments used today are metal salts, plastics, and possibly vegetable dyes.

Some tattoo pigments now glow in the dark in response to black lights. Some of these glowing pigments are actually radioactive or toxic, so speak to your tattoo artist, or possibly your doctor, before deciding to use one of these pigments in a tattoo.

Carriers

Most pigments are mixed with a carrier to keep the pigment evenly disturbed during application, to aid in application to the skin and to inhibit the growth of pathogens. The following carriers are considered to be safe if made up one or a combination of the following ingredients.

• Ethyl Alcohol (ethanol)
• Purified Water
• Witch Hazel
• Listerine
• Propylene Gylcol
• Glycerine (glycerol)

Carriers may also be made up of the following ingredients. These ingredients are not as safe for tattoos as they can cause burns, and/or are toxic.

• Denatured Alcohols
• Other alcohols (such as methyl alcohol, methanol, isopropyl alcohol, rubbing alcohols)
• Ethylene Gycol (also known as antifreeze)
• Aldehydes, such as formaldehyde and gluteraldehyde

Pigments

Ink used for tattooing

There are at least fifty different kinds of pigments used in tattoos. Pigments are usually metal salts and industrial paints. Many of pigments contain a great deal of copper, lead and lithium, all of which is toxic in high dosages.

Anne Marie Helmenstine, a chemist that writes for About.com, lists the following common ingredients in pigments. These pigments are often combined to create a specific color or shade.

Black

• Iron Oxide
• Logwood
• Carbon

Brown

• Ochre

Red

Red pigments are often toxic and more commonly cause allergic reactions out of all of the pigments.

• Cinnabar (toxic)
• Cadmium Red (toxic)
• Iron Oxide
• Napthol-AS pigment (less allergic reactions reported)

Orange

• Disazodiarylide and/or disazopyrazolone
• Cadmium seleno-sulfide

Yellow

Reactions are more common in yellow pigments due the high amount needed to create a bright color.

• Cadmium Yellow
• Ochre’s
• Curcuma Yellow
• Chrome Yellow

Green

• Chromium Oxide (Cr2O3), called Casalis Green or Anadomis Green
• Malachite
• Ferrocyanides and Ferricyanides
• Lead chromate
• Monoazo pigment
• Cu/Al phthalocyanine
• Cu phthalocyanine

Blue

Blues tend to be made up of copper, carbonate (azurite), sodium aluminum silicate (lapis lazuli), calcium copper silicate (Egyptian Blue), other cobalt aluminum oxides and chromium oxides.

• Azure Blue
• Cobalt Blue
• Cu-phthalocyanine

Violet or Purple

Purples tend to loose their brightness over time, especially if exposed to sunlight.

• Manganese Violet
• Quinacridone
• Dioxazine/carbazole

Whites

• Titanium dioxide
• Lead White (Lead Carbonate)
• Barium Sulfate
• Zinc Oxide

Henna Tattoos

Henna tattooing

A famous tattoo dye is henna. Henna is often used in temporary tattoos and creates the beautiful Menhdi art seen on hands and palms in some parts of the world. It’s made from the plant Lawsonia Inermis. When mixed appropriately, henna will stain any surface it comes in contact with, including skin, fingernails, and hair, a reddish brown color.

For the most part, henna is completely natural and harmless for the majority of people, but a product called black henna is not entirely safe as can contain para-phenylendiamine, which should never go onto the skin. Putting para-phenylendiamine on the skin can cause blistering and scarring.

Allergies to Tattoo Dyes and Pigments

True allergic reactions to tattoo dyes and pigments are rare, although they can happen. If you have sensitive skin or experience reactions to chemicals easily, let your tattoo artist know. Red and yellow pigments do have higher incidences of allergic reactions.

At this time, the FDA has not approved the use of any tattoo dyes and pigments; however, they do not traditionally regulate tattoo dyes and pigments.

The biggest questions about safety and tattoo dyes and pigments seem to be about long-term effects. While it seems that tattooing is safe for the short term in the majority of people, there have been no long term studies on the effects of the pigments and dyes.

• Celebrity Tattoo Pictures
• Cross Tattoos
• Star Tattoos
• Wrist Tattoos
• Heart Tattoos

• Tattoo Supplies
• Tattoo Parlors
• Airbrush Tattoos
• Inking and Skin Infections
• Tattoo Skin Care Products

• Body Painting Gallery
• Scorpio Tattoo Gallery
• Body Piercing Gallery
• How many tattoos do you have?
• Celebrity Tattoo Quiz