Black Reactions

Q: My tattoos are acting funny.

    Well, two of them, anyway. the black ink in my tribal dragons and my wings is currently raised and itching. the black in my welsh dragon ring, however, is fine. my welsh dragons were put on by a different artist at a different studio than the other two, which were the same artist at the same studio. (was that sentence confusing enough?)

     By raised, I mean just a hair -- I can feel it, and others can barely see it if I tell them to look. by itchy, I mean the usual. both of these tattoos healed fine, and the youngest is from December; that was a touch-up and fill-in of the outline done in April of last year. I know this isn't a reaction to the artist inking too deeply because the color work he did is completely non-itchy.

    So is this an ink reaction? and if so, what should I do about it? I can live with it, I believe; this only happens for a few hours once or twice a month, and I can usually predict when it's going to happen (today it was a giant itch altogether, because I was sanding wood to build a bookshelf. bleah, hand sanding!).

ok, that's all.

A: This is very common with black tattoos and happens to me as well. The fact that you were sanding, thus working your muscles, indicates this has to do with heat.  With most black pigments, heat or humidity tend to aggravate the blacks.

In my experience the black will absorb heat and humidity (black absorbs white reflects heat) and swell and itch. In my own tattoos this goes away in a few years. I have discussed this with clients and colleagues, we agree unanimously. The only time you would react from black tattoos is in a non sterile environment or a do it yourself tattoo wanna be. To all artists: The chemicals (isothiazolinone) in Pelikan brand ink disperses in days, this case indicates photochemical (uv) response, not chemical reaction!

Albert

Q:  I got a 5+ months old black Chinese kanji-tattoo on my shoulder. When I
take a hot shower and scrub the tattoo with a sponge (and shower
shampoo), it raises from the skin. I can easily feel the tattoo with my
fingers. This lasts about one hour or less. Then it is smooth again.

Questions!

1. Will this effect go away?

1. Yes, though it may take a few years.

2. Is this normal (not due to too deep or too superficial tattooing)?

2.Yes, but if it's always raised it's scarred.

3. Does the same thing happen in hot sun, when tanning?

3. Yes, it's heat that does this, whether it's UV heat or friction, or hot water.

4. Does a tattooed skin get sun burnt easier than "normal" skin?

4. I'm outdoors a lot and my tattoos don't feel any more burnt when the surrounding skin does.  In fact, it seem less burnt.

5. Is a black tattoo more prone to these things than other colors?

5. Yes, as we all know black absorbs heat and light very well. It is the densest, darkest pigment in tattooist's palette.

6. As time goes by, the tattoo fades. Does it also become blurry?

6. Yes, so get a big one and it will look cool when yr 70.

7. Does tattooing promote stretch marks in any way?

7. If you're a woman, yes, because tattoos are so damned attractive you'll get laid more, therefore have more kids and get taken to dinner a lot, thus fed more so you'll get fatter quicker.

I have been told that black ink is good. It goes in easily, heals fast and stays good looking for a long time. Am I right?
I am considering getting another tattoo on my arm. The tattoo would probably be a black tribal ornament. But that depends on the answers I get to my questions.

All the best from...

Max

A: You are correct, it is the most stable, and easily tattoo-able pigment. Black also does not fade, because it's main coloration comes from carbon, which is a stable element.