

StarBrite Colors – all their inks are made in a certified clean room and are gamma treated to sterilize the ink.Dynamic Color – this company provides the safety data sheet (SDS) for their inks, showing the protective measures and safety precautions they’ve taken.Intenze – they use a 3 rd party sterilization facility to sterilize all their inks.Some examples of tattoo ink-making companies that maintain rigorous hygiene standards include: To start with, tattoo ink should be bottled in a sterile environment so there are no contaminants from when the ink leaves the manufacturer. We’ve already confirmed that it’s contamination that makes tattoo ink expire. Any reputable tattoo artist won’t use expired inks and you can always ask them to use fresh ink if you are concerned! What Makes Tattoo Ink Expire Quickly Overall, the tattoo industry in the US runs at a high standard and contaminations are pretty uncommon. We should point out that although tattoo inks are not regulated by the FDA, they are regulated by state jurisdiction. This means the ink will last the artist a lot longer, and it has more time to “go off”. Meanwhile, a tattoo artist who specializes in photorealism will use a wide spectrum of colors… but only use a small amount of each. It really depends on the tattoo artist.Īn artist who only works in shades of black and grey, will go through just one or two colors very quickly. Most manufacturers put the expiration date at 2 years… but many tattoo parlors will have finished the ink way before then. If there is even a chance that the ink could have been contaminated, the tattoo artist should throw it away. There was a potential moment when it could have been contaminated.The liquid has evaporated so it’s thicker or solid,.The liquid has split, leaving liquid and solids separate,.It is past the expiration date set by the manufacturer,.To summarize the signs that the ink has expired: Once it is contaminated, bacteria can grow in the ink, and it will cause an infection when it is needled into your skin. Tattoo ink also becomes unusable (AKA expires) when the tattoo ink is contaminated. The liquid tends to evaporate over time too. Both materials won’t “go off” over time, but they can split which makes the ink unusable. The color pigments (these can be plastic, metals, and other compounds) are mixed with a liquid (usually an alcohol or water) to create an ink. To be really technical, the components in tattoo ink do not expire by themselves, whether you use pre-dispersed ink (the kind that’s wet and ready to go) or powdered ink (the kind you need to mix up at the studio).


Signs That the Tattoo Ink Has Expired Credit: Instagram No tattoo artist should ever use tattoo ink after it has passed that date.īut just like milk in your fridge, it can certainly go off before the expiration date!įactors that can cause tattoo ink to expire: All tattoo ink comes with an expiration date. But when and how depend on numerous factors. The simple answer is yes, tattoo ink does expire. The other meaning of this question (does tattoo ink in the bottle, used by the tattoo artist, expire) is a little harder to answer. If this is the kind of expiration you’re worried about, the fix is easy: go get a tattoo artist to do a touch-up session.

The ink that’s in your body won’t technically “expire”, but it will fade with exposure to UV rays and the natural aging process. When Does Tattoo Ink Go Bad?ĭoes ink even expire? Yes, to both meanings of the question. Of course, if you have any real concerns about the ink used, you should talk to the tattoo artist who will be etching your design permanently into your skin. This guide explains it all, including when exactly tattoo ink expires and why it’s important to never let expired tattoo ink touch your skin! Does it go bad? Should you request brand new ink? And what is the industry standard for tattoo ink? Whether you’re a newbie tattoo artist or just worried about getting your first ever tattoo, you might be wondering about the ink.
