What is in tattoo ink?!?!

whats in tattoo ink?!?!

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. I have recently discovered some tattoo ink manufactures are putting their MSDS ingredient sheets up on their sites! Intenze has theirs online and I found a few from Alla Prima too.

Black

Iron Oxide (Fe3O4) Iron Oxide (FeO) Carbon Logwood

Natural black pigment is made from magnetite crystals, powdered jet, wustite, bone black,and amorphous carbon from combustion (soot). Black pigment is commonly made into India ink. Logwood is a heartwood extract from Haematoxylon campechisnum, found in Central America and the West Indies.

Brown	Ochre	Ochre is composed of iron (ferric) oxides mixed with clay. Raw ochre is yellowish. When dehydrated through heating, ochre changes to a reddish color.
Red	Cinnabar (HgS) Cadmium Red (CdSe) Iron Oxide (Fe2O3) Napthol-AS pigment	Iron oxide is also known as common rust. Cinnabar and cadmium pigments are highly toxic. Napthol reds are synthesized from Naptha. Fewer reactions have been reported with naphthol red than the other pigments, but all reds carry risks of allergic or other reactions.
Orange	disazodiarylide and/or disazopyrazolone cadmium seleno-sulfide	The organics are formed from the condensation of 2 monoazo pigment molecules. They are large molecules with good thermal stability and colorfastness.
Flesh	Ochres (iron oxides mixed with clay)
Yellow	Cadmium Yellow (CdS, CdZnS) Ochres Curcuma Yellow Chrome Yellow (PbCrO4, often mixed with PbS) disazodiarylide	Curcuma is derived from plants of the ginger family; aka tumeric or curcurmin. Reactions are commonly associated with yellow pigments, in part because more pigment is needed to achieve a bright color.
Green	Chromium Oxide (Cr2O3), called Casalis Green or Anadomis Green Malachite [Cu2(CO3)(OH)2] Ferrocyanides and Ferricyanides Lead chromate Monoazo pigment Cu/Al phthalocyanine Cu phthalocyanine	The greens often include admixtures, such as potassium ferrocyanide (yellow or red) and ferric ferrocyanide (Prussian Blue)
Blue	Azure Blue Cobalt Blue Cu-phthalocyanine	Blue pigments from minerals include copper (II) carbonate (azurite), sodium aluminum silicate (lapis lazuli), calcium copper silicate (Egyptian Blue), other cobalt aluminum oxides and chromium oxides. The safest blues and greens are copper salts, such as copper pthalocyanine. Copper pthalocyanine pigments have FDA approval for use in infant furniture and toys and contact lenses. The copper-based pigments are considerably safer or more stable than cobalt or ultramarine pigments.
Violet	Manganese Violet (manganese ammonium pyrophosphate) Various aluminum salts Quinacridone Dioxazine/carbazole	Some of the purples, especially the bright magentas, are photoreactive and lose their color after prolonged exposure to light. Dioxazine and carbazole result in the most stable purple pigments.
White	Lead White (Lead Carbonate) Titanium dioxide (TiO2) Barium Sulfate (BaSO4) Zinc Oxide	Some white pigments are derived from anatase or rutile. White pigment may be used alone or to dilute the intensity of other pigments. Titanium oxides are one of the least reactive white pigments.

Tattoos and Piercings

Whats new at the the arthouse inc in Calgary, AB?!?! Well here are some pics to show you!

 14G Industrial by Sondra Musa @ the arthouse inc. Calgary, AB

 Dermal Anchor project by Laura Barrett @ the arthouse inc. Calgary, Ab

 Forearm tattoo by Shannon Edwards @ the arthouse inc. Calgary, AB

 In-progress tattoo by Katina Scheffler @ the arthouse inc. Calgary, AB

 Ear Project by Laura Barrett @ the arthouse inc.Calgary, AB

 Cover-up by Shannon Edwards @ the arthouse inc.Calgary, AB

 2 year old dermal anchor project by Laura Barrett @ the arthouse inc.Calgary, AB

 Strawberry tattoo by Katina Scheffler @ the arthouse inc.Calgary, AB

 Feather tattoo by Shannon Edwards @ the arthouse inc.Calgary, AB

 In-progress forearm tattoo by Jay Labrecque @ the arthouse inc.Calgary, AB

 Rosary tattoo by Jay Labrecque @ the arthouse inc.Calgary, AB

 Floral tattoo by Shannon Edwards @ the arthouse inc.Calgary, AB

Mermaid tattoo by Katina Scheffler @ the arthouse inc.Calgary, AB

If you want to see more of our work check out our web page or find us on facebook

scarification

Scarification is the creative and artistic application of scars in a controlled manner to achieve an aesthetically or spiritually pleasing result. Scarification is considered to be different than Self-Harm, in the body modification community because it is mainly for cosmetic purposes rather than a way to cope with undue stress.
Many people that do these forms of body modification are doing it to mark a rite of passage in their lives. Even though many people hold that scarification is no more painful than tattooing, it is somehow more "intense" to most people. It has very symbolic meaning to them and often their peers or partners.
Typically the goal of scarification is to get raised scarring, preferably keloid scarring, but most people usually heal to hypertrophic scarring. Because scarification has a three dimensional aspect, many people enjoy the feeling of healed scars. As a rule of thumb, darker skin tones usually have better scarring than lighter skin tones.
There are many differnt ways to do scarification. Strike branding with strike branding, a sheet of carbon steel sheet metal is used, which is cut into small one inch strips. Taking the small strips, they are then bent or cut to the desired design. 

From there the pieces are laid on the skin and the edge of the steel is heated with a propane torch. Once it reaches the desired temperature, it is pressed against the skin for a brief moment, which is called a strike. This is done with each piece until the design is completed. 
Cautry branding is done with a design on the skin and a surgical cautery pen (which is very hot) is taken and used to draw along the image on the skin. The finished work can include a much more detailed image than that done by striking.
  One short term benefit over striking is there is no immediate seams that are seen with the cautery method, while with the striking method there temporarily will be seams in the design, although that ultimately turns seamless after time.
Even so, the cautery method leaves more of a natural flowing look, like a brush was used, while the strike method has more of a rigid look that comes from using steel, even if it ends up seamless.
There is also skin removal but cutting with a scalpel. You cut single lines which produce relatively thin scars, and skin removal is a way to get a larger area of scar tissue. The outlines of the area of skin to be removed will be cut, and then the skin to be removed will be peeled away. Scars from this method often have an inconsistent texture

scarification with scalpel

scarification with scalpel

scarification with dermal punch

scarification with dermal punch

scarification done by strike branding

scarification done with electrocautry

wood plugs and tunnels

here are a few links to beautifully made organic tunnels and plugs...


Omerica Organic

grenades by omerica organics

Diablo Orangics

thundercats by diablo organics

Care/Allergy notes & disclaimer

Material reaction concerns: Please be aware that wear of natural materials is done at your own risk, and that any material used in contact with the skin has the capability to cause a reaction ranging from minor irritation to serious rash, weeping or worse.

Environmental concerns: Many natural materials are porous and/or may absorb moisture or anything that you put on them. Be aware that there are very few personal hygiene products (shampoos, soaps, cleansers, etc) that are made to be in long term contact with your skin - many of these will cause reactions when in constant contact. Because of this you should be aware of where your jewelry is and what is on it. Here are two situations we have personally seen that are a good example of the kinds of things you need to be aware of: leaving your jewelry out in the open and using spray products such as hair spray or perfume, and washing your hair/face with jewelry in and getting residue on your jewelry. Any of these situations may manifest themselves days or even weeks later as irritation in your piercing as a result of these chemicals in constant contact with sensitive skin.

General care for natural jewelry

Due to the nature of natural body jewelry, all pieces are non-sterile. It is advised that you clean your jewelry per the instructions below for each material before wearing. Natural jewelry and prolonged exposure to sunlight, water or steam do not work well together. Remember to remove your jewelry when bathing or swimming, or any scenario where prolonged sweating is inevitable, and refrain from soaking your jewelry in any liquid. Any of these things could result in possible damage including but not limited to raising of grain, dislodging of inlays, discoloration, warping or breakage. Do not autoclave or ultrasonic any organic material. Some stones may be autoclaved on a case by case basis.

Cleaning natural jewelry

The cleaning process is similar for virtually all natural materials, and exemptions or additional details are noted below by material. Wash gently with a damp cloth and a few drops of natural, chemical free soap. Buff dry with a clean, low lint cloth. If a more stringent cleaning is desired, a very small amount of essential oil such as Tea Tree may be slightly diluted and used. Do be aware that allergies and irritations to essential oils may occur.

Caring for specific materials

Animal materials: Horn, bone, antler, tusk, ivory, tooth and quill.

All animal materials will absorb moisture and/or be effected by temperature changes or humidity to some extent, so be diligent about avoiding showers, pools, etc. When you remove your jewelry, wipe it clean with a soft, damp cloth and dry it. With prolonged wear some of these materials, primarily lighter in color, will start to take on a grey or yellow hue. This is normal, but can be delayed or avoided in some cases with proper care. It is best to store these materials in a cool, dry, dark place.

Plant materials: Hardwoods, Nuts (Tagua, Coconut and others), Grasses (Bamboo).

Woods are more susceptible to moisture and humidity than most other natural materials due to the physical nature of the material itself. The primary purpose of wood grain is to move water from the roots to the upper portions. Because of this, dried wood will always tend to want to absorb moisture and thus prolonged exposure to water or soaking in liquids should be avoided. Being worked and finished properly will definitely help to prevent the absorption but long term wear and use will inevitably lead to the grain rising. This is normal and can be remedied by gently sanding to remove the raised grain with at least 400+ grit sandpaper (and then progressively finer grits if you have them) and finishing by buffing with a soft cloth. Wood should be periodically oiled with jojoba, coconut or a similar natural oil, which will help maintain their moisture content and also give the added benefit of transferring some of that oil's health properties to your skin. Most woods will darken over time with oiling and wear.

Bamboo is a very resilient grass that does not require much care to maintain. Aside from not soaking it in any liquids, all that needs to be done is a periodic wiping off when dirty or oily. Avoid sanding the smooth outer skin of the bamboo, as this wearable surface is not very thick and you may sand right through it to the porous inner walls.

Stone materials: Stone, Obsidian, Amber, Petrified Wood & Coral/Fossilized Ivory/Bone, Jet

Stone and Obsidian (a volcanic glass) require the least care of any natural material. Avoid dropping these materials, as there is a good chance that they will either break themselves, or break whatever they hit. Stone gets slick very easily with sweat or water and can fall out easily - a large stone plug can crack ceramic floor tile. Although you should exercise care in avoiding extreme temperature changes and moisture, stone will fair much better if you forget to take them out to shower, etc. Petrified Wood & Coral are "agatized" and can be treated as any other agate, jasper, obsidian, etc. Some stone can be autoclaved at your discretion, and some artists do enjoy using stone for larger size procedures such as conch, lobe and labret work. Do not autoclave amber, opal, onyx or any stone with obvious veins or fissures.

Amber is a fossilized tree resin, not technically a stone, and care is very different. It should not be introduced to any strong soap, cleansers, hot water or environments, jewelry cleaning solutions, hairspray or perfumes. Storage is best in a soft cloth and any situation in which it could rub against metals or harder materials should be avoided.

Fossilized Ivories such as walrus tusk and mammoth ivory are fragile and particularly sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and humidity. These materials should be stored and cared for in much the same way as amber. Ivories do well with being oiled rather frequently to help maintain a constant moisture content, as drying out can result in cracking along grain lines or fissures that are common these materials.

Precious stone inlays (diamond, cz, topaz, rhodolite, etc) set in silver or gold should be buffed lightly with a soft, lint free cloth to clean