No, this picture is not an x-ray, it's a black light tattoo. It's a new advancement in the tattoo world and it's pretty cool. Black light tattoos uses special UV reactive ink that allows it to glow under UV/black lights. They are not to be confused with glow-in-the-dark tattoos which do not currently exist. They have to be under black light to be seen. They are really cool and impressive, but also fairly new, and common among new things, have some downsides.
First off, it's not so easy to find a tattoo artist who's willing to do a black light tattoos because not everyone think they are safe, which leads to not all tattoo artists having the supplies. Black light tattoos require UV reactive inks and some include Everglow, a paint not safe for humans, or phosporous and carcinogens, chemicals that are also not safe to humans. At the moment, the safest black light tattoo ink in the market is Chameleon black light tattoo ink.
Second, there have been a few complications reported with black light tattoos. Because there are more chemicals in it, there is a higher risk of your body rejecting it and it can cause itchiness and rashes. Though it is meant to be invisible under normal light, there might be visible scarring depending on the artist who does the tattoo. There are also others who report that their black light tattoo has turned a brownish color over time.
I think that black light tattoos are really cool but there's no denying that it's not completely safe. If you're interested and determined on getting one, do your research, and go to an experienced tattoo artist. Also inquire about the inks they use and make sure it doesn't contain any harmful chemicals. Better yet, wait a few years. New things emerge all the time, I'm sure they'll figure out a way to make it safer in a few years' time.
If you want to see more photos, check out this blog I found:
Torim. "Black Light Tattoos." LoveToKnow. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.
"Black Light Ink Tattoo Pictures, Health, & Designs." HubPages. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.
I had never heard of Blacklight tattoos. It's a really cool idea. It makes me wonder what we will be using it for in the future. Maybe it's the negative side of me, but I wonder if groups like the Yakuza will adapt their tattooing practices to something similar to this. Blacklight tattoos could be an unique way with which organizations (both legal and criminal) could distinguish their members. Very interesting ideas that you're putting forth.
ReplyDeleteColin has a very interesting idea; using specialized tattoo ink for nefarious purposes makes sense, especially the "dangerous" part of the ink makes one both more at risk but also more "dedicated" to a group. Interesting thoughts!
ReplyDeleteAre there studies out there that highlight those with tattoos have other risk behaviors at a higher rate than the rest of society, on average? How new is this type of tattooing technology? And can you possibly tweak the font here--while I love the font itself (it's beautiful and very artsy--like a tattoo can be!) it's hard to engage the text because the font is so labor intensive to read.