Ink Colors

When it comes to tattoo inks colors, all inks are not created equally.    There are no regulations covering the physical make up of tattoo ink colors and as a result allergies to ink occur as well as making it difficult to remove tattoos with ink colors.

In fact, the term tattoo “ink” is used a bit loosely, since most tattoo ink colors are removed from actually containing ink.  Tattoo ink colors are pretty much derived from any substance that can be finely ground down to provide a color.

Minerals, vegetable dyes, plastics, and metallic salts are all substances that are used to create tattoo ink colors. 

Many substances can be used to make tattoo ink colors.

Blue – Calcium Copper Silicate, Titanium, Carbon, Copper, Cobalt Aluminate

Red – Iron Oxide, Titanium, Carbon,  Magnesium, Cinnabar, Sienna, Sandalwood, Brazilwood

Green – Chromium Oxide, Titanium, Carbon, Copper, Lead Chromate, Pthalocyanine Dyes

Yellow – Curcuma, Cadmium Sulfide

Black – Carbon, Iron

White – Zinc Oxide, Titanium

Brown-Ferric Oxide

Purple-Manganese, Aluminum

Allergic reactions to tattoo inks can arise days, weeks, and even several years after getting tattoos.  Tattoo ink allergies result from the chemical make up of the tattoo ink, and allergies that come about years later occur as the tattoo ink breaks down exposing impurities. 

Granuolomas or nodules are hard growths that form around tattoo ink pigments and can be seen and felt under the skin. These nodules form to trap ink in order to protect the body against tattoo ink identified as a potentially harmful substance.

Tattoo ink colors also create medical complications for people having a MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).  People with tattoos should inform their physician and MRI technician to avoid medical complications.

But perhaps the most common problems with ink colors occurs with actually removing tattoos.  Some people are prone to forming keloids a.k.a. excessive scar tissue when their skin is traumatized, and more invasive ways of removing tattoos can lead to keloids in place of the tattoo ink removed.

Many people view laser tattoo removal as the only desirable means of removing tattoos however, the deficiency with laser technology is that lasers do not effectively remove all tattoo ink colors, ending with several partially removed tattoos with visible remnants of ink colors, and many unhappy, half -removed tattoo inked people.

Read other related posts on ways to remove tattoos here on this site.

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