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Fluorescent tattoos: what you need to know and helpful tips

This is one of the latest trends in the tattoo world, I fluorescent tattoo that react to UV rays! A few years ago, tattoos were talked about as extremely harmful and therefore illegal tattoos, but things are changing and there are several false myths that need to be dispelled.

These UV tattoos are made with a special ink called Blacklight UV ink or UV reactiveprecisely because they are visible when illuminated with UV light (black light). It is not easy to see such tattoos all around ... simply because they are hardly visible in the sun! Therefore, they are ideal for those who are looking for tattoo of extreme discretionBut be careful: depending on the design chosen, the color (yes, there is color UV ink) and the skin, sometimes the UV tattoo is not completely invisible, but almost resembles a scar. Obviously, this is very difficult to notice with the naked eye, but it should be borne in mind that especially in the case of colored tattoos, even in non-UV light, the tattoo will be minimally noticeable and will look faded.

It is for this characteristic "I see, I do not see" that many people make a tattoo with ordinary ink, and then apply UV ink along the contours or some details. Thus, during the day the tattoo will be colored and, as always, clearly visible, and at night it will shine.

But let's move on to a fundamental question that has caused a lot of confusion in recent years with this type of tattoos:Is UV tattoo ink harmful? Fluorescent inks are actually very different from "traditional" inks. If you are thinking of fluorescent tattoos, you should know that their use is still debated and not officially approved. Food and Drug Administration American. However, they do exist two types of fluorescent tattoo ink: one is deliberately harmful and prohibited, and the other is no more and no less harmful than traditional tattoo ink, and therefore it is allowed for tattoo artists to use.

Let's start with what is extremely harmful to the skin. Old UV tattoo inks have phosphorus... Phosphorus is a fairly ancient element, the toxicity of which was discovered only long after its widespread use. Using it for tattooing is harmful to the skin and health, with more or less serious contraindications for the amount of phosphorus ink. So find out about the type of ink the tattoo artist will use for a UV tattoo, and if you notice any doubts about it, seriously consider changing your tattoo artist.

Newer UV inks are phosphorus-free and are therefore much safer. How do we know if the tattoo artist in front of us will use phosphorus-free ink? If the ink fluoresces even in normal light or just in the dark, then it contains a phosphor. The ink suitable for UV tattooing does not appear bright except under the rays of the UV lamp. Also, only experienced tattoo artists can do ultraviolet reactive tattoo: UV ink is thicker and does not mix like regular ink. It should also be borne in mind that for this you need to have a UV lamp on hand, which allows the artist to see exactly what he is doing, since UV ink is not visible in "white" light.

Let's also talk about tattoo treatment and care... In order for the UV tattoo to remain “healthy”, special care must be taken to protect it from the sun using effective sun protection. This rule applies to all tattoos, both UV and others, but in the case of UV tattoos, the ink is clear, transparent to the naked eye, and when exposed to the sun, it has a greater risk of turning yellowish.