Tattoo ink: Advanced Part 2: Do ink particles vary in size and does this effect treatment?

It may surprise you to know that a lot is not known about the ink which gets impregnated into your skin. There are some studies out there which examine the size and chemical constituents in tattoo ink and we have been sharing these findings with you through our "Tattoo Ink: Advanced" series. We have previously blogged about the chemical makeup of tattoo ink. Today we examine the size of tattoo ink particles and question whether or not size matters when it comes to laser tattoo removal. 

Do tattoo inks contain nanoparticles? 

Virtually all tattoo inks, except white inks, contain nanoparticles.

Particle size varies enormously from tiny black ink particles at 30nm to white ink particles, measuring 300 to 450nm in diameter. The size of pigment cells in colours, such as blue, red, orange and yellow,  usually fall in between the black and the white particle sizes.

Particles containing titanium white tend to be the largest. A recent study found a particular brand of white ink was made up of 98.55% of titanium dioxide and 1.45% aluminum.

Many inks contain titanium dioxide, as this is what is used to lighten and mix with darker colours. Of the inks containing titanium dioxide, the Emerald Green had the lowest amount of this element, measuring at just 5.45%.  Of all 29 inks Timko et. al. studied, there were only 10 which did not contain any titanium dioxide. They were the  2 black inks tested, as well as, Fire Red, Crimson Red, Venetian Red, Florida Orange, Black, Permanent Green, Blue Green, Tulip Red, and India Ink.

It would not surprise you to know that black ink, which contains the smallest particles is the easiest to treat vial laser tattoo removal, whilst the largest particles, that is the inks containing titanium dioxide are harder to treat and take longer to break the particles down. White ink takes the longest to remove, perhaps because they contain the largest tattoo ink particles. It is also perhaps due to the fact titanium dioxide has a habit of darkening after the first treatment. This darkening is reduced and eliminated via subsequent treatments, however, it does add one or two sessions to the treatment regime. 

Given the difference in particle size, it stands to reason some inks will take longer than others to remove. White ink has the largest particles and commensurately, it takes us the longest to remove. Black ink particles are the smallest and hence takes fewer treatments to achieve a full removal. 

If you have a tattoo you want to remove you should check out City Tattoo Removal. The clinic is in the centre of Brisbane’s CBD. City Tattoo Removal uses Fotona’s QX MAX which is simply one of the best tattoo removal lasers in the world. They are able to treat all common tattoo inks including white and black and all the colours in between. 

Give Tash a call to arrange a consult or a treatment anytime! You can call Tash on 3003 0358 or email at contact@citytattooremoval.com.au

What happens to tattoo ink once it has been placed in your skin?

This article seeks to explain what exactly happens to ink once it has been inserted into your skin to form a tattoo. 

But first, we need to discuss how it is tattoos are made.  We will then discuss what happens to the ink once it has been placed into your skin and your options should you choose to remove your ink. 

How are tattoos made? 

The simple explanation: 

Tattoos are created by using needles to insert pigment under the skin, eventually forming a permanent image.

The more detailed explanation:  

On a tattoo machine, the needles are really working like a combination of a plough and a seed drill - there is an element of tearing the skin, as well as creating multiple punctures. As the needle drags across the skin, it creates a channel beneath the surface for the ink to be “seeded” in. 

Since this is a process which is traumatic to the skin, artists have to be careful not to “overwork” the needle - too much action will create a lot of scarring. This explains the warped appearance of pieces by inexperienced tattooists.

So what happens when the needle is inserted into your skin (other than it stings)?

But first a bit of science: 

Your skin comprises multiple layers, the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis. 

Image courtesy of http://archives.evergreen.edu/webpages/curricular/1999-2000/humanbio/TattooInk.htm

The epidermis is the outer layer of skin and is made up of several different strata (or sublayers), which together create the waterproof seal we all come wrapped in. The cells of the epidermis are created at the lowest stratum basale and gradually work their way upwards and outwards. The topmost layer is dead skin cells which are constantly shedding. 

At what level in the skin is your tattoo ink situated?  

Tattoos are inserted between the epidermis and the dermis. The pigment sits below the stratum basale in the epidermis. This is why the tattoo does not peel away with the dead skin cells from your epidermis. Once the pigments have been put into place,  they find themselves trapped amongst the architecture of the lower skin, which includes hair follicles subcutaneous glands and various lymphatic vessels. 

Image courtesy of http://archives.evergreen.edu/webpages/curricular/1999-2000/humanbio/TattooInk.htm

What parts of the ink remain in your skin and what happens to the other parts?

Tattoos take advantage of your body’s natural defence systems in order to hold them in place. Your body recognizes the ink particles as being a foreign body not made up of your DNA and will send troops, white blood cells, if you want to be particular, to clear off the new particles. 

Soluble substances such as water and isopropanol, which are in virtually all tattoo inks, get distributed locally into tissue and the bloodstream within a short period of time: (1) Other particles, which are not so soluble, will also move into local tissue and towards your lymph vessels. Ink is known to travel by this method to reach the nearest regional lymph node to the tattoo (usually in your groin or armpit). Animal experiments on rabbits show that approximately 1/3 of ink disappears from the skin within 6 weeks of tattooing.  This finding was also confirmed by pigment extraction from long-existing tattoos: (2)

However, if your immune system encounters a pigment which is inert and non-toxic, a particular kind of white blood cell (macrophages) will begin to form scar-like granulation tissue. The dermis gradually heals thanks to collagen growth, while the battle-scarred epidermis simply flakes away; meanwhile, the ink pigments settle into a single layer and the tattoo is held in place by fibroblast cells.

It is presumed that some ink particles are too large to be transported into the local tissues and/or lymph nodes: (3) Applied correctly, if the tattoo will look sharp and bright for some time, however, it will inevitably fade and look a little worse for wear as the pigment layer sinks further into the base of the dermis. This process also causes the tattoo to lose its definition which is why old tattoos take on a softened appearance. 

To date, there is very little information as to how or whether tattoo inks travel to other organs of the body, as most studies done in this area have been done on small animals, such as rabbits. It is therefore questionable as to whether there is a similar traveling processes in humans.  

Inks, lymph nodes and tattoo removal: 

Your lymph nodes act as an important first pass organ before ink travels into the bloodstream and is then excreted through body processes such as urination or defecation. 

Several studies have found that ink can coalesce in the lymph nodes nearest the tattoo. This is particularly so for heavily inked people or for older tattoos. One study examined a patient who had his tattoo for 40 years. Examination showed the ink had settled deeper in the dermis and also travelled into the regional lymph nodes. It is thought that tattoo ink is naturally dispersed to the lymph nodes to process, however it can get caught in the node if the particle is too big to pass through. 

Laser tattoo removal takes advantage of the lymphatic system to pick up and process ink which has been fractured into tiny fragments during the treatment session. These particles are so small the lymphatic system is able to identify them and process them from the body via normal extortion methods. 

At City Tattoo Removal we use Fotona’s QX MAX, which is one of the best machines in the world for laser tattoo removal. The QX MAX shatters ink into fragments so small they are easily and naturally excreted from your body. 

If you are curious about removing a tattoo, why not contact City Tattoo Removal today and make a consultation booking to discuss your removal needs in person. 

Contact points: 

Email: contact@citytattooremoval.com.au

Phone: 07 3003 0358

Endnotes: 

(1) The Council on Health and Disease Prevention “Tattoos - Health, Risks and Culture: With an Introduction to the “Seamless Prevention; Strategy”, Jorgen Serup et all p102

(2) www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/369222

(3)  www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/369222; http://archives.evergreen.edu/webpages/curricular/1999-2000/humanbio/TattooInk.htm

Tattoo Ink: Advanced: Part 1

Tattoo Ink: Advanced: Part 1: 

Tattoos are extremely popular, however, we are concerned people really don’t know what is being placed in their bodies. 

This article will explore what is in your tattoo ink and the possible consequences. 

What is tattoo ink? 

Tattoos contain a lot of metallic salts and organic dyes. You would be surprised to find out what exactly is in your ink. 

Tattoo ink is made of largely insoluble nanoparticles and microparticles. The insolubility of these particles is what makes tattoo ink last for decades under the skin. Inks also contain soluble particles and contaminants, such as foreign bodies and bacteria. 

What is in my ink? 

On the whole lack of labeling or correct information on tattoo ink labeling is a big problem: (1)

It is almost impossible for the tattoo industry in any given country, or across the world for that matter, to control the ingredients and safety of tattoo ink as the industry is already internationally established, albeit somewhat scattered and discombobulated. Countries may try to enact legislation which enforces strict guidelines on ink manufactured within their borders, however, nefarious operators would be able to avoid such guidelines by purchasing their ink from any one of the multitudes of suppliers on the worldwide market. 

There are various publications outlining the types of pigments and ingredients which make up popular inks. 

Various bodies have studied the makeup of ink in recent years. We have collated the research performed by The Council on Health and Disease Prevention (“the Council”), and Leonardo Marini, Beatrice Bocca et al. and have complied the findings in the table below: (2)

Table 1: 

Colour	Ingredients and Elemental composition	QX MAX Laser wavelength for treating pigments	Other wavelengths used in clinics without the QX MAX
Black	Ingredients: India ink, carbon, iron oxide, logwood extract, magnetite, graphite, ash  Elements: Aluminum, Iron, sulfur, oxygen	1064nm	1064
White	Ingredients: Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, corundum Elements: Titanium, aluminum	1064nm
Red	Ingredients: Mercury sulphate, cadmium selenide, Sienna (red ochre, ferric hydrate and ferric sulphate), azo dyes, hematite Crimson red: Elements: Silica, carbon, oxygen, magnesium Fire red: Elements: Aluminum, chlorine, sulfur, carbon, oxygen,  Devil’s red: Titanium, aluminum, silica, carbon, oxygen.  Lotus red: Titanium, aluminum, carbon, oxygen Cerise: Titanium, aluminum, iron, carbon, oxygen	532nm	532nm
Flesh	Iron oxides	1064nm
Yellow	Cadmium sulphide, ochre, cur cumin yellow, azo dyes, limonite, anthraquinone Lemon yellow: Elements: Titanium, aluminum,  carbon, oxygen s2`
Brown/. Orange	Ochre Venetian Brown: Elements: Aluminum, silica, iron, oxxygen Florida Orange: Elements: Carbon, oxygen	1064nm	755nm and 1064nm
Violet	Magnanese violet, indigold	532nm
Green	Chromium oxxide, hydrated chromium sesquioxide, malachite green, lead chromate, ferro-ferric cyanide, cur cumin green, phythalocyanine dyes. Permanent green: Aluminum, copper, chlorine, carbon Emerald Green: Titanium, aluminium, chromium, chlorine, carbonoxygen Parrot green: Titanium, aluminium, chromium, chlorine, carbonoxygen Misty green: Titanium, aluminium, chlorine, carbon oxygen	650nm	755nm and 695nm
Blue	Cobalt aluminate, phthalocyanine, ferric ferrocyanide, cur cumin green, phthalocyananine dyes. Sky blue:Titanium, aluminium, copper, chlorine, carbon, oxygen. Blue green: Aluminium, copper, chlorine, carbon, oxygen Misty blue: Titanium, aluminium, chlorine	585nm	755nm and 695nm

The Council also performed physical inspections and microbial studies in opened and unopened tattoo ink stock bottles. Surprisingly, 6 of the 58 stock bottles (10%) were contaminated with bacteria and 1 of 6 samples (17%) of open stock bottles were contaminated. The bacteria found in the samples included those considered pathogenic in humans as well as non-pathogenic environmental bacteria: (3)

31% of manufacturers only provided the brand name on the packaging of their ink. 42% of manufacturers claimed their ink was sterile. There was no information in respect of content, sterility, risks or expiry date. 28% of the seals on unopened inks were leaking. 54% of labeled inks indicated a use by date of 2 to 3 years after manufacture: (4)

So, all in all, the information about the purity and makeup of tattoo ink appears to be a little concerning. Before you get too concerned about the make up of ink and what it may be doing to your health, it is worth remembering that any connection between tattoos and cancer are so low as to be judged coincidental by the medical profession. 

If, however, you were looking to remove some of your colourful ink, it is definitely worth doing your homework when it comes to treatment providers. 

If you have black or red ink, your selection of service providers for removal will be large. This is because all as all Q-Switched Nd:YAG lasers used to treat tattoo ink should have the 1064nm and the 532nm wavelengths. The 1064nm wavelength treats black ink, whilst the 532 treats red ink. 

Where your selection of tattoo removalist becomes a little more complicated is when you have a tattoo which is colourful, with say, blue, green, yellow, tan or pink inks in it. Most tattoo removalists will be able to treat the black ink particles in these tattoos,  however, they do not have a powerful enough laser or alternative wavelengths in their machine to treat whites, blues, greens, pinks and the like. 

These treatment providers either have to restrict the colours they can treat or they have to use an additional laser or lasers to treat colourful ink. The most common are the Ruby laser and the Alexandrite laser. Care needs to be taken when being treated with these machines. Firstly, they are their own specialist laser and hence your laser operator needs to be familiar with and conversant with all the features and risks inherent with using each laser. This requires specialist knowledge. Such knowledge is usually not found in beauty store chains. Particular care must be taken when using these lasers as they have been known to leave scars and pigmentation changes. 

City Tattoo Removal is different because we are a one-stop shop for all your tattoo removal requirements. We can treat all common tattoo inks, including black, red, navy, brown, red, pink, yellow, tan, light green, dark green, light blue. We use Fotona’s QX MAX laser which is one of the best lasers in the world for tattoo removal. The QX MAX is one of the only lasers in the world which can treat all common tattoo inks. 

If you have a tattoo you want to remove, you can’t go past the professionalism and results you will get at City Tattoo Removal. Call Tash on 3003 0358 or email contact@citytattooremoval.com.au to book your consultation or removal appointment today!

Check our our website at:

www.citytattooremoval.com.au

You can also find us on:

Facebook: @citytattooremovalbrisbane

Instagram: @citytattooremoval

Endnotes: 

(1) The Council on Health and Disease Prevention “Tattoos - Health, Risks and Culture: With an Introduction to the “Seamless Prevention; Strategy”, Jorgen Serup et all p95.

(2) Leonardo Marini: www.prime-journal.com/tattoo-removal-using-a-multilayer-q-switched-laser/\

Re particle size: Beatrice Bocca et al “Size and metal composition characterization of nano- and Microparticles in tattoo inks by a combination of analytical techniques’, https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2017/ja/c6ja00210b/unauth#!divAbstract.

(3) The Council on Health and Disease Prevention “Tattoos - Health, Risks and Culture: With an Introduction to the “Seamless Prevention; Strategy”, Jorgen Serup et all p95 to 100.

(4) he Council on Health and Disease Prevention “Tattoos - Health, Risks and Culture: With an Introduction to the “Seamless Prevention; Strategy”, Jorgen Serup et all p95 to 100.