What do we all think about tattooing and piercing and their effect on health? Bad? Dangerous?

(I know that most tattoos aren't created with vegan ink, but am considering a vegan tattoo, one day)

i love my tattoos! they are beautiful.

heres a good link [chemistry.about.com]
with a graph that shows the *common* pigments used in tattoos.

toxic probably .. i still enjoy mine though

What Are Tattoo Inks?
The short answer to the question is: You can't be 100% certain! Manufacturers of inks and pigments are not required to reveal the contents. A professional who mixes his or her own inks from dry pigments will be most likely to know the composition of the inks. However, the information is proprietary (trade secrets), so you may or may not get answers to questions.

Most tattoo inks technically aren't inks. They are composed of pigments that are suspended in a carrier solution. Contrary to popular belief, pigments usually are not vegetable dyes. Today's pigments primarily are metal salts. However, some pigments are plastics and there are probably some vegetable dyes too. The pigment provides the color of the tattoo. The purpose of the carrier is to disinfect the pigment suspension, keep it evenly mixed, and provide for ease of application.

Tattoos and Toxicity

This article is concerned primarily with the composition of the pigment and carrier molecules. However, there are important health risks associated with tattooing, both from the inherent toxicity of some of the substances involved and unhygienic practices. Some of the risks are described in this article. To learn more about these risks, care of a new tattoo, and get other information, check out some of the sites listed to the right of each page of this article. Also, check out the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for any pigment or carrier. The MSDS won't be able to 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.

Pigment Chemistry

The oldest pigments came from using ground up minerals and carbon black. Today's pigments include the original mineral pigments, modern industrial organic pigments, a few vegetable-based pigments, and some plastic-based pigments. Allergic reactions, scarring, phototoxic reactions (i.e., reaction from exposure to light, especially sunlight), and other adverse effects are possible with many 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.

Here's a table listing the colors of common pigments use in tattoo inks. It isn't exhaustive - pretty much anything that can be used as a pigment has been at some time. Also, many inks mix one or more pigment:

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Wow!

Thanks for all the info, Jodi! Plastic-based pigments... that's kind of creepy! I'm fascinated with body art, wanted a tattoo every since I was about 12, but never got round to it. Hmm. Some of the pigments look like they may be something I could be allergic to...

Do you think they do a strand-test for tattoos? Cut off a piece of skin, make a small tattoo and wait 24 hours ;-)

your welcome

my tattoo's ..well most of them .. ya cant see the bat on my butt lol

my goat
[www.spidertattoo.com]

my baby dragon
[www.spidertattoo.com]

and my flying tiger on my back which still needs color and background
[www.spidertattoo.com]

lots of ouchies lol

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

rawnoggin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What do we all think about tattooing and piercing
> and their effect on health? Bad? Dangerous?
>
> (I know that most tattoos aren't created with
> vegan ink, but am considering a vegan tattoo, one
> day)

i dont think you can say wether their bad or not or dangerous .. again a foreign object imbedded into the skin is still a foreign object and im quite sure the body will always try to get rid of it someway somehow

there is vegan pigments out there but they are different for the artist to work with so that is something you would have to discuss.. i dont know the name of them but theyre out there

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

I am totally in awe of the tiger, and the other two are so cute! I think I'll probably get the word vegan tattooed on me somewhere visible (to start conversations about veganism ;-) )- I was originally thinking of going for something botanical, but maybe an animal fits my personality better

There's a semi-famous tattoo picture on the net of a woman who had some birds tattooed over/above her pubic hair to make them look like they were living in a nest! How sweet is that? :-D

Discuss all of your concerns with the different artists you are considering. If they can't or won't answer your questions, then move on. In addition to finding an artist that has a good portfolio and reputation, you should be able to connect with the artist. The artist should understand what you are trying to accomplish with your tattoo idea.

inspirit - aka coolkarma