3. Composition of Tattoo and Permanent Makeup Pigments

    A tattoo ink—whether for permanent makeup, medical use, or conventional tattooing

    Tattoo ink—always consists of a liquid and a solid component

    as well as additives (• Fig. 7.2). As described in the introduction, the

    liquid component consisting of various solvents and binders. Since additives

    Since the tattoo inks are added only in small quantities, in this

    The chapter did not go into further detail on this.

Figure 7.2

3.1 Liquid Component: Solvents and Binders

The liquid component of tattoo ink serves as a vehicle for the pigments and may consist of various solvents. Typical solvents used in tattoo ink include primarily water, but also monohydric and polyhydric alcohols or plant hydrolates. In addition, the liquid phase may also contain binders. Depending on their molecular weight, these binders are either liquid or solid and must then be dissolved in the solvent. Macromolecules of a wide range of molecular weights, such as polyethylene glycols, or film-forming binders dissolved in the solvent (such as shellac), are used to bind the liquid phase to the solid phase of the pigments. Although the binder is technically classified as a solid, it is considered a liquid due to its dissolved state.

3.2 Fixed Component

The pigments used in tattoo ink are considered solid components and can be classified into inorganic pigments, organic pigments, and carbon black. Since pigments—unlike dyes—are considered insoluble in their application medium, only these colorants are used in the production of tattoo ink. Their insolubility is ultimately responsible for the ink’s longevity in the skin. Dyes dissolve in the application medium, so a tattoo ink made from dyes would be broken down by the body even during the tattooing process. Therefore, dyes are unsuitable for tattoo inks. After tattooing, the pigments remain in the skin as solids; they are responsible for the color of a tattoo.