Just what is tattoo pigment? Ever ask your artist? Do they know? Let's explore a little bit and see what pigment is all about!
Tattooing has a long and enduring history. A mummy was found that was over 20,000 years old who bore tattoos! The polynesians were well known for their intricate body markings. What did these people use? How did they get those marks to stay?
Early tattoos were done using what was handy. What dyed the garments was used to ink the skin. Berries, roots, plants were used. Abrasions were flooded with these juices and with luck some of it stayed! Somewhere along the line someone came upon the idea of intentionally penetrating the skin with a bone or a sharpened stick coated with that dye and voila! a tattoo!
20th Century tattooers experimented on themselves with their own concoctions of pigments. In Ed Hardy's collection of Sailor Jerry's letters a pal writes to Jerry to "not use that red I sent ya...my leg's been feastered up for a month!" Many of the old school tattoos seen held only the basic of colors, red, yellow, green and maybe blue!
But that word, pigment, just what is it? Look around. Look at the color in our lives. From room/house paint to clothing, our cars, our surroundings abound in color. Where does it come from and how? Most of the pigments used today come from a common place, our earth. Inert metallic salts. Ever seen something rust? Gee...that might be where browns come from! For a very cool comprehensive list of colors and their origins check out http://www.about.com/chemistry/ tattoo pigments. It's an excellent article that is very comprehensive! The list of colors and their origins is very interesting. (no cut and paste...no plagerism!)
But how does that powder become tattoo pigment and not house paint? They are both in a suspension of fluids. We know paint is in toxic-to-the-body fluids. Now comes the touchy part. What fluids are used in tattoo pigment? Quality companies use various formulas of purified water, witch hazel and glycerine. I repeat, quality companies.
Reputable American tattoo suppliers like National Tattoo Supply and Softap to name a few use suspension fluids that are compatible with the human body and cause very few reactions. Their formulas are proprietary but their reputations speak for themselves. Pigment is quite expensive but like all things....you get what you pay for! Quality and safety have no price tag.
Unfortunately with the popularity of tattooing too many carpetbaggers have jumped into the foray and we see pigments using just about anything including silk screening plastic suspensions. Brilliant colors....but think about it! It's T Shirt ink!! They want to put plastic emulsions under your skin! (my husband has a small area done with this pigment. You can actually feel it's difference. ugh) Yeah, how reputable is that pigment manufacturer and do you want it under your skin? What are going to be the long term health effects?
There are pigments sold that 'glow in the dark'. Does it take a rocket scientist to see the potential danger here? Some of these pigments have been found to be radioactive! Yikes! There was such a problem with these pigments in Europe that a general tattoo ban was even suggested. Dangerous ground, folks.
So next time you're thinkin' inkin' ask your tattooer what kind of pigments they use and where they get them. Remind them you are asking for a safety reason and not as an aspiring apprentice! They should be able to tell you the basics about pigment and dispersing agents. The level of their education is your indicator if they are qualified to have access to your skin, your health, your well-being.
NOTICE:
Last month it was brought to my attention the types of ads that appear along side this article. Ads for tattoo kits, tattoo 'guns' (we don't shoot anyone...they are machines for pete's sake!) etc. I contacted my fearless leader here at AroundHawaii and some ads were removed. Guess there is a situation with the overall setup and some can not be avoided. (see how little I know about computers/programs/martianlanguage, etc?)
So PLEASE do not think I, or my sponsor here, advocate these vendors who sell equipment to anyone without proof of proper training.
Tattoo equipment in untrained hands is a very very dangerous thing. See my article on Hepatitis!
Thanks, Doug, for the heads up!
