Nowadays, tattoos are still one of the coolest ways to express yourself. But what about something even cooler? Something that only shows when in certain lighting conditions? That is when UV tats come into the equation.
It would be a nightmare to pick the product that fits your style as there are countless brands of UV tattoo ink on the market nowadays. So what is the best UV tattoo ink? Do not worry! We will help you by showing you the best UV items right now. Without further delay, let’s dive right into it!
What Is UV Tattoo Ink?
UV tattoo ink is a variation of tattooing liquid that glows under certain conditions. Tattoos drawn with this liquid will fluoresce when exposed to UV light. Contrary to people’s beliefs, UV tattoos will not glow in the dark.
UV inks contain special coloring pigments that react to UV light, usually zinc sulfide and an activator like copper (green), manganese (orange/red), etc.
Advantage
The main advantage of UV liquid is that it helps you highlight your tattoos. It will give you a nice emphasis to contrast with the dark parts of the tattoos. For that reason, this paint is very suitable for emphasizing small details on the tats.
Disadvantage
First and foremost, UV ink fades much sooner than regular ink. After a few months or years, the glowing effect of the tattoos will wear off, so you will have to reapply the tattoos if you want to maintain the glowing effect. In some cases, your tats will have no luminance.
Secondly, UV ink is thinner than regular tattooing liquid, making it harder to work with. Artists will need a specialized blacklight to check the quality of their tattoo works.
It is also worth mentioning that applying regular paint onto UV ink tattoos will make your tats look muddy. For that reason, you should use regular tattooing liquid before UV ink to avoid ruining your tattoo.
Best UV Tattoo Ink (Reviews & Top Picks)
So here is our selection of the best ultraviolet tattoo liquid available on the market today. These choices are all safe for human use, although you might experience some side effects on some of these products. So proceed at your discretion. Without further ado, let’s go:
1. Midnight Glo blacklight Face And Body Paint – Best For Body Paint
The first candidate on our list is this lovely kit from Midnight Glo. Made in the US with the best ingredients, this tattooing liquid set is the best solution for those who just want to try out the effect of UV ink without having a permanent mark. They are a must-have in rave parties, clubs, or concerts.
This set consists of eight colors: Pink, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, and White. The product is made from non-toxic material safe for your skin, so there are no unwanted allergic reactions to your body or face. Additionally, this paint has no unpleasant odors, so you do not have to hold your breath whenever using it.
However, you cannot use it for permanent tattoos, as this kit is not approved for tattoo use. Using it for tattoos might be harmful to your skin or your body as a whole, so keep that in mind.
Pros
- Neon-like illumination.
- Multiple colors for limitless creativity.
- Can be applied to wood, fabric, and paper.
- Smooth, non-toxic, and easy to clean.
- No strange nor unpleasant odors
Cons
- Not permanent.
- Not safe for tattoos.
- No separate color options.
2. Bloodline Professional Ink Blacklight UV – Best For Mixing
Our second candidate from Bloodline offers a more permanent solution when compared to our first candidate. This six-color set gives you all you need to get creative with your UV tats. Best of all, you can mix these colors to create a new color of your personal preferences.
The set comes in the following colors: invisible, yellow, green, pink, red, and orange. There is no exact composition for this set, only the standard ingredients such as distilled water, glycerin, witch hazel, propylene glycol, and glycerine.
The standard colors (yellow, pink, green, red, orange) are mostly normal colors with illuminating effects, while the invisible option is an unique one, since it leaves a faint mark with little to no color, and only shows up when exposed to UV light.
The manufacturer claims that this kit is very easy to work with, and it assists in the healing of the tattooed skin, which is a good thing.
Pros
- Nice and bright illumination.
- Multiple colors for limitless creativity.
- Can be mixed to create new and unique colors.
- Easy to work with
- Promote fast healing.
Cons
- No separate color options.
- Might cause allergic reactions.
- Body painting is not possible.
- Luminesce might fade away sooner for some users.
3. Moms Nuclear UV Tattoo Ink Invisible Fallout – Best For Small Tattoos
The first Invisible color ink for today’s list comes from Millennium Mom’s. This “invisible” product is tẹchnically not invisible, as it still leaves a faint mark on the applied area. But at least it will give you a decent illumination, though sometimes might be inconsistent, in blacklight.
The main compositions of this product include distilled water, glycerin, witch hazel, propylene glycol, and glycerine. All of which are quite safe for tattoo usage.
In terms of side effects, there are no mentions of side effects in the official documents of the manufacturer, though if you have sensitive skin, you might still get some common side effects such as rashes, blisters, etc…
If you are expecting consistent illumination on bigger tattoos, then you might be disappointed, because the luminesce that this ink produces might be brighter or dimmer in different scenarios. That is why you should only use it with smaller tattoos.
Pros
- Nice illumination.
- Easy to work with.
- Very bright and vibrant
- High durability
Cons
- Might cause some side effects if used on sensitive skin.
- Only one color option.
- Illumination is not consistent.
- Low life span if not applied properly.
4. Bloodline Tattoo Ink Blacklight UV Invisible – Best Invisible Ink
Another candidate from Bloodline is the Blacklight UV Invisible. Even though the name says “invisible”, the tats still produce a faint mark that illuminates brightly in the dark. You can use this product as paint for your skin if you do not want a permanent tattoo.
Like other Bloodline inks, this product promotes fast healing and a smooth texture that can easily blend with your skin. The product’s composition includes distilled water, witch hazel, propylene glycol, and two other chemicals as pigments; all are relatively safe for tattoo applications.
In terms of illumination, this ink is better than the option mentioned above. It provides a consistent illumination in all cases, even if your tattoo is small or big. However, it might fade away sooner than expected if not applied properly, so be sure to pick an experienced tattoo artist for the job.
Pros
- Nice and bright illumination.
- Can be mixed to create various unique colors.
- Also work for body painting.
- Easy to work with.
- Promote fast skin healing.
Cons
- Might cause allergic reactions to tattoos.
- Luminesce might fade away sooner for some users.
5. Millennium Mom’s Nuclear UV Blacklight – Best Multicolor Ink Kit
Our final pick on this list is another product from Millennium Mom’s, this time a full ink set. This nine-color set, the largest set on this list, gives you all you need to get creative with your UV tattoos, just like the Bloodline set.
The set comes in the following colors: invisible, yellow, green, pink, red, and orange. The manufacturer did not list the exact composition for this set, only distilled water, glycerin, witch hazel, propylene glycol, and glycerine.
Like the Bloodline kit, the standard colors (red, yellow, green, pink, orange) gives you the expected colored results with illuminations in blacklight. The invisible option leaves a faint mark, just as expected, but this color option is not as good as the competition, as the luminesce is not consistent, it might be brighter or dimmer than normal.
Pros
- Good illumination.
- Up to nine colors for limitless creativity.
- Easy to work with.
- Mostly long life span.
Cons
- No separate color options.
- The Invisible option is not that good.
- Body painting is not possible.
- Might cause allergic reactions if used on sensitive skin.
FAQs
1. Are Glow-in-the-Dark Tattoos The Same As Blacklight Tattoos?
Normally, people would use these two terms interchangeably. In reality, glow-in-the-dark tattoos and UV tats are very different.
Glow-in-the-dark tattoos are typically invisible or very hard to see during the day; they are only visible in the dark, as the name implies.
Like glow-in-the-dark tattoos, UV, or blacklight, tats are invisible in normal conditions, usually as faint, tan-like marks. However, they can only glow in blacklight and will not show up in the dark.
Additionally, glow-in-the-dark tattoo liquid relies mostly on phosphorus to illuminate in the dark, while most UV tattoo ink has abandoned the use of phosphorus due to the fear of cancer.
Both types of tattooing liquid are not approved by the FDA and can cause side effects on your skin. However, UV tattoo ink’s side effects are not as nasty as glow-in-the-dark tattoo ink’s side effects, which are usually cancerous.
2. How Artists Apply Blacklight Tattoos?
While applying an ultraviolet tattoo is pretty similar to normal tattoos, there are some differences. Specifically, the artists need to be skilled to apply your tattoo, as blacklight tattoos are usually small and hard to work with, not to mention the not-so-thick UV product will not help the situation.
As mentioned above, ultraviolet ink is notorious for their high level of difficulty to work with, and they do not mix well with normal tattooing liquid. Also, artists will constantly need ultraviolet light to check their work, which adds a hassle to the artists during the work.
3. What Are The Potential Risks Of UV Tattoo Ink?
Even though ultraviolet ink is relatively safe, it is not approved by the FDA, at least for human uses. Some types, specifically phosphorous-based ink, can cause unwanted side effects to your body.
To be specific, these side effects include rashes, blisters, pain feeling, and even cancer due to the phosphorous content in some products, even when withdrawn from your system.
However, if you are using non-phosphorous ink, you are mostly safe, as only phosphorus-based products can cause the side effects mentioned above. But you should still consider all the risks before trying it out.
4. Does UV Tattoo Ink Last Longer Than Regular Ink?
It all depends on the quality of the product. With lower quality tattooing product, your blacklight tattoo might lose its’ illumination properties in just a few days or weeks. Your tattoo is still there, but no illuminations in the blacklight.
Instead of fading in a few days or weeks, it will fade away after as long as six months to a year for high-quality products. With that being said, if you want constant illumination, the only way is to reapply the ink frequently.
5. How Should I Take Care Of UV Tattoos?
Taking care of ultraviolet tattoos is the same as taking care of normal tattoos. For those who are new to tattoos, all you have to do is to keep the tattoo area moist for around four to five days, then continue applying normal moisturizers like Vaseline after the dead skin peels off.
It is also worth noting that you should avoid submerging the tattoo or exposing it to the sun during the first two weeks. Doing so might ruin your tattoo and cause an infection to your skin, as it exposes your vulnerable skin to all sorts of bacteria and infections.
6. Can I Remove UV Tattoos?
Yes, you can. Like normal tattoos, you can remove ultraviolet tats using conventional methods such as using the laser beams.
However, the side effects of removing ultraviolet tats using laser are still the same as before, including pain, redness, swelling, blistering, or even infection in some severe cases. With that being said, the best you can do is pick a reputable operator for removal and protect your skin after the removal process.
Conclusion
The products mentioned above are the best UV tattoo ink products available on the market today. We hope you will get the best possible results for your blacklight tattoos with our tattooing liquid selections.
What is your favorite ultraviolet ink? Let us know in the comment below. If you like what you are reading, you can check our website for more articles like this.
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