Tattoo Ink Color Choices - Should I Tattoo

January 1, 2016 2 CommentsGeneral, Tattoo Advice, Tattoo BasicsBy Dr Greg Hall

What tattoo ink colors are best for my skin tone?

What tattoo ink colors are best on dark skin?

What colors should I choose for my tattoo?

What colors cause the most skin reactions?

Which ink colors are hardest to remove?

I need tattoo ink selection advice!

Tattoo Ink color questions are a very popular topic to research after you’ve decided what design you may want, but don’t believe your options are as wide as the colors in a rainbow. There are a lot of considerations including skin reactions, fading colors, clashing with your current skin tone, clashing with a tanned skin-tone, and more.

Issues related to how the ink was made and if it was designed for “internal use” is also a major consideration. Knowing that the ink that is used was designed for this purpose is a critical piece of information. A lot of the inks were made for industrial and commercial purposes, and some tattoo artists mix the ink powder with water and see how it comes out. The long-term health implications of some tattoo inks are unknown, and like silicone breast implants, many older tattoo wearers believe the toxins in their tattoo ink got into their system and poisoned them.

Surgeons have found tattoo ink in lymph node biopsies. No one knows the true impact of ink in a lymph node, but common sense would suggest that you don’t want ink in a lymph node!

The more ink used, the more ink internally absorbed.

Generally the black, and blue are well tolerated, and more easily removed, while many other colors, particularly vivid non-organic colors, can be a problem going on and coming off. Initially it’s best to test a small area of skin for a reaction especially if a bold color is used in a great quantity.

Darker skins obviously cannot project light colors well, and tend to mute the colors with their own skin color. As we seen in NBA games, a dark tattoo on dark skin doesn’t make much of an impact (that may be good or bad).

When its time to remove your tattoo, if you’ve got a lot of different colors, one laser may not be able to remove it. Yellow and orange are highly resistant to laser removal so you will absolutely want to avoid these colors unless you are really confident in your selection. Red and greens react differently based on what substances were used to compose it.

Here is a large tattoo color mistake with a link to the page where the person posted a tattoo removal question. They are frantic to get it removed, but because it contains orange and other difficult to remove colors, and is huge, she would be best to leave it alone.

Tattoo removal is in many ways as risky as the tattoo application, and really takes dedication. If she will need 20 or more visits spaced 6 to 8 weeks apart it will take almost four years to remove. That’s the time it takes to get a college degree!!

Wouldn’t it be better to think these things through first?? Do your research BEFORE you get a tattoo, and then you won’t have to spend years of time and money getting it removed.

There are new “issues” with tattoo inks that need to be considered. Check out this link to an article by Dr. Oz about tattoo ink. Again for-warned is for-armed.

Read this other brief link talking about issues with AZO tattoo dyes that people are using to substitute for the heavy metal dyes. Just like medications ingested by the body, there are always going to be side-effects from doing things to the human body. In order for a tattoo to be permanent, it has to be deposited into the dermis layer of the skin. This layer also has blood vessels, lymphatics, tiny muscles, receptors, nerve endings, and more. PLEASE, think about these possible interactions BEFORE you get a tattoo.

About the author

Dr Greg Hall

Gregory Hall, MD is a physician, author, speaker, inventor, professor, and public health professional. He strives to improve the quality of medical care through fair disclosure, quality care, and an honest approach to patients and their families.

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2 Comments

March 1, 2012 at 10:49 pm

Kamil

Tattoos are permitted, unless they are raciest, sexist, or gang related. Also tattoos can be any where on the body except the face (it used to include the neck, but that has been slightly relaxed). If you have any tattoos that fall into that category before you join the military, the military will remove the tattoos for free, but you must agree to have the removed before you can enlist. I’m not sure when or how exactly they remove the tattoos, but the military will take care of the bill. If you want to answer out of the army manuel (national guard follows the same manuals) look at AR-670-1.
- August 18, 2013 at 4:18 pm
  
  admin
  
  It’s been a year since you posted this, and I haven’t heard of a single person who the government removed their tattoo (or paid to have it removed). . . not one. Just thought I’d mention it. . .

Comments are closed.

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