All About Tattoos
Tattoos are permanent marks that are made in the skin. Modern day tattoos are created by a machine, also known as a gun or iron, which features a needle that injects pigment into the skin thousands of times per minute. Patented by the American Simon O'Reilly in the early 1890s, the machine was based on an electrical pen invented by Thomas Edison a few years earlier.
Tattoo Pigments and Carrier Solutions
One of the most important aspects of a tattoo is the dye used. It's usually quite difficult to find out the specific dye composition used by a professional tattoo artist, since it is generally considered a trade secret. However, all dyes are essentially composed of a selection of pigments added to a carrier solution, which ensures that the pigments are sterile, do not separate and facilitate application.
The carrier solution can be made from a number of ingredients. Common ones are based on sterilized water or alcohol (some can even use vodka) mixed with smaller quantities of other ingredients including glycerine and propylene glycol. In many cases, the colour of the pigment may dictate the type of carrier solution.
Pigments are what brings colour to a tattoo. In the past, they were commonly derived from vegetable sources. These days, most are metal salts or plastics. Pigments from plastics tend to be more vibrant or unusual.
Composition depends heavily on the colour it is designed to be. For example, one of the most popular colours, black, may be formulated from iron oxides (FeO and Fe3O4), wustite, and soot. Another popular colour, blue, is typically made from copper carbonate, chromium oxides and calcium copper silicate. Brown and flesh hues are both from clay combined with iron oxides and red is composed of cinnabar, cadmium red, iron oxide, or naphthol-AS. Orange may be composed of disazodiarylide, disazopyrazolone, or cadmium seleno-sulfide. A less common colour, white, contains lead carbonate, titanium dioxide (TiO2), barium sulfate (BaSO4), or zinc oxide. Ingredients from one shade may be mixed together to create a new colour. It is quite typical for individuals to experience allergic reactions to pigments, whatever the colour.
Health Canada considers the pigments and dyes of tattoos to be cosmetic products. Standards for skin dyes are outlined in The Food and Drugs Act and Cosmetic Regulations, and all sold in the country must meet outlined requirements.
Laser tattoo removal targets the pigments used in a tattoo to effectively eliminate their appearance. Using a laser emitted at a specific wavelength, pigment particles are dispersed to facilitate their removal by the body's natural waste processing systems. Carrier solutions are not targeted since they are not visible.
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