what do you think of Blacklight Tattoos?

[Graeme]

There are no stupid questions, only stupid people.

[Dan S]

Been in a few jernts where the tattoos dint glow in the dark, but the people wearing 'em did.

[Michael Lounsbury]

To me black light tattoo's can be cool...but it's so situational that it's not really worth it. I want to see my tattoo without the aid of special lights.

[xmowglix]

I'd imagine you would have to go to a shot tattoo shop for a blacklight tattoo to even be considered by the tattooer, and at that point you are probably going to be getting a bad tattoo from a terrible tattooer as well. It's a double edge sword.

I feel kind of awful for even contributing to this thread.

I need to get out of here now. Going to the "Latest tattoo lowdown..." to feel better about life.

[smiling.politely]

Has anyone covered up a UV tattoo and seen any ill effects in the end result? Had a client come in wanting to cover one her cousin did (house tats!) when it finishes healing, but my coworker who talked to her wasn't sure if it would still show through under UV light, and/or have any other ill/negative effects. Feel free to message me, or even just delete this if it's treading too far into trade info.

[spookysproul]

I suppose I don't see the harm in it when using it as an accent to a visible tattoo ("Look, his eyes glow under black light" etc.) but it just seems so sketchy to me.

[joakim urma]

I suppose I don't see the harm in it when using it as an accent to a visible tattoo ("Look, his eyes glow under black light" etc.) but it just seems so sketchy to me.

Yeah it's really good for impressing 5 year olds

[WideOcean]

Not saying it's bad, it's just an incredibly idiotic, slutty, soulless gimmick.

[Graeme]

I just want to put it out there that there's a picture of a UV pigment tattoo that Ed Hardy did in one of the Tattootimes. I can't remember what issue off-hand, I think four or five.

Which isn't to say that these tattoos aren't mostly a stupid gimmick.

[GrayCatLove]

Putting UV responsive pigment into your skin is dangerous and largely unresearched. Pass.

[Gregor]

Cant be much worse than the "secret" concoctions they make normal tattoo ink with . Still they look like shit and are just plain stupid.

[GrayCatLove]

Cant be much worse than the "secret" concoctions they make normal tattoo ink with .

Anything that responds to ultraviolet light that's inside your body has the potential to be carcinogenic. Not saying it is, but I wouldn't rush out to get one based on that fact alone. I've read little informal snips about poor healing, soreness, tenderness, etc.

[TattooedMumma]

a mate of ours has some black light ink through a large tattoo. the tattoo is skulls and pistons and looks amazing and the black light is just in the eyes ( the skull has eyeballs). I personally wouldn't get it- but I don't mind the idea of the black light ink as an enhancer.... but to just get a black light ink tattoo to me is no different to wanting a tiny upside down wrist tattoo in white ink cos you are too much of a fucking puss bag to actually commit to a real tattoo - the right way up- bigger than a 10cent piece.....

[Fala]

I've heard the same thing GrayCatLove - about the UV light pigment being carcinogenic! I have overheard some tattoo artists talk/joke about how if you want to get a UV light tattoo, you might as well be asking for cancer. I suppose if the pigment were made with ground UV sensitive minerals, that might be coolish/okayish and possibly not bad for one's health. Possibly...

[Killercook76]

What are you 10 years old? hahaha!! Seriously I feel it's the choice of the individual but what is the point? Just buy some glow in the dark markers and call it a day!!

[GrayCatLove]

It's an interesting concept - Like the idea of color-changing tattoos or something like that, but it's improbable it's good for you. I'm surprised so many people dislike it purely aesthetically.

In a universe with no consequences, I would consider adding UV pigment to tattoos I currently have just because it's interesting. However, it's not, so I'll pass. ;)

[WideOcean]

Besides the health issues, I feel that the main problem with this thing is that the UV light necessary to see that part of a tattoo is a highly artificial, technological element, that pulls tattooing too far away from its prehistoric, tribal, ritual, spiritual core.

On a more modern and social level, I just can't imagine how to pull off having a blacklight tattoo without looking like a complete douchebag, I just can't.

[GrayCatLove]

I suggest working nights and using blacklights so you can actually get sleep during the day. Pretty non-douchey, as it goes.

[Colored Guy]

Putting UV responsive pigment into your skin is dangerous and largely unresearched. Pass.

My first thought on the fad was the number of workers who died from making parts for radium watches.

Rob

[Genie of the West]

I see black light tattoos as unnecessary, gimmicky, stupidly trendy, and overall a bad choice.

Kind of like white ink tattoos, it kind of goes against the basic nature of what a tattoo actually is. I mean if you want to play with lights at a rave get a fucking glowstick or I think they even have the body paint/body markers that glow now. if you want to get a tattoo then get a real tattoo.

It's like the people who get white ink tattoos that are barely visible. If you want to get a tattoo only you can see then why bother? Just use your imagination and pretend you have a tattoo there and it'll be the exact same thing.

[MLWar]

Everyone is talking about how pointless a black light tattoo is but I always thought it would be cool. Granted I don't know much about the possibilities of black light tattoos but isn't it possible to get a black light tattoo to high light a colored tattoo. I'm very partial to the idea of get a vibrantly colored jellyfish tattoo and get spots of it done in black light. Something like this.

[Leumas Ray]

eww no

[inmymine]

Thats really cool