question: black ink

Is there a way to prevent black ink to turn green on the skin. I'm getting a tattoo in october (a yin-yang) and I don't want that ugly green color. Of course I know it will eventually fade. Any ideas?

 

Get a touch up down the line....? All that comes to mind right now.
It took quite some time for mine to turn that greenish-blue tint.

 

how long is "quite some time"?

 

Hmmm... *looks down* Shit, I can't even remember how old this one is..
Sorry, hon. Maybe someone will do better than I on this one.
Far as I know, take aftercare seriously, don't tan..Some artists claim certain inks are better, cut/uncut..How they tattoo may have a difference..
Other than those factors..I don't know.

 

i have a tat that is 8 years old, in black, on my back.. its still black.

 

I got 2 diffrent types of black.one is tat ink called tribal black and my sleve is coligraphy ink.the tribal black fades pretty easally.the colligraphy ink has stayd black.ask the artist for colligraphy ink (india ink)its allot darker than the tat inks.

 

take care of it everyday like your suppose to and youll be fine. and dont ask for india ink. thats the kinda ink kids use to do their tattoos with needles and thread.

 

real india ink has one of the most stable black pigments. It practically doesn't bleach and is extremely documentproof when used on paper. But I don't know anything about it's suitability for tats.


One important thing is, not to go into the sun without using strong sunscreen on it!

 

With exsperiance i can say colligriphy ink and /or india ink stays blacker longer.Manny tattoo artists think so too.They throw out there tribal black once they use colligraphy ink.It stays longer in skin than it does on papper becouse your skin grows over it.ive had both tribal black and colligraphy ink,i had the parts that had tribal black redone with colligraphy ink,its alot blacker and doesnt fade one bit.
peace

 

I called one of my local tattoo artists. now i know why black tattoos turn green. Thanks for the help anyway!

 

.....Ahh, you going to share what you've learned with us?
Got my curiosity.

 

The inks used today are far superior to inks used back in the day. A good artist will not ink you with india ink because it tends to blow out and discolor over time. Proper ink from reputable companies stay brilliant and true for a loooong time. Like the pp said, use sunscreen! The sun is your tatts worst enemy.

 

Stormy knows what Hes talking about.

 

last i knew tattoo artists were leaning away from india ink b/c there were studies that theorized it could lead to certain poisoning/ skin problems....... my ex did a lot of his own in india ink and now has to go in for frequent skin screening for cancer and such

 

Ah I've constantly wondered about this black ink business. I have two tatts both presumably in "tribal ink". I was not satisfied with the "black" (which really was dark blue) for the first one.

Yet everyone I asked said, "No, that's black, not blue." I thought I was going fucking crazy. The second one is a truer black and is more on the charcoal side after some time. I'm fine with it even though I've always wanted a pitch black ink.

So what's the verdict? I do work with indian ink on paper and other mediums, and did not think of it as tattoo material. My question:

Is there ANY way to get a pitch black ink with NO indian ink?

 

Yes Kuro. Its one of the best. Its a Japanese ink. The ink turned a charcoal color because ether it wasnt healed right or it wasnt packed in the skin right. Hope this helps.

 

Well it wasn't pitch black like I wanted when he was inking me at the store anyway. It was still a tinge blue, though definitely not as blue as the first one.

The first tatt I was talking about there is actually a very beautiful, deep blue - but it was not what I had pictured in my mind.

Thanks for that Kuro tip. Any other suggestions and information would be appreciated.

 

Tribal black is a name of a coller,lots of tribal blacks out there certin brands are darker than others.The word tribal black has alot to do with markiting.Thats why i went to india ink (or colligraphy ink)i figurd 1000s of years worth of asian tattoos couldnt be wrong.im glad i switch theres a big diffrence when you see both tribal black and colligraphy ink on the same arm.

 

Yes, I know. But I'm not going to sacrifice my health for pretty designs that run only skin deep. know what I mean?

I was, still am, curious for other alternatives to indian ink.

 

the ink now a days doesnt fade into the green color because it is actually black ink...the black ink before was actually a very dark green, thus why it faded into the green color. you will be fine, i promise.