The tattoo industry is booming. Over the past two decades, tattoos have become more common than ever across Europe and the Americas due to increased cultural acceptance in Western countries. That includes, to the surprise of grandparents all over the world, tattoos at work.
If you’re a vegan considering getting inked, you may be wondering if tattoos are suitable for vegans or if it’s possible to find cruelty-free options. Here’s everything you need to know.
history of tattoos
This article will mainly refer to my experiences visiting modern tattoo parlors in the US and UK. However, it is important to note that getting a tattoo is not an activity limited to the modern Western world. Tattoos come in countless forms, meanings, and cultural backgrounds, with the earliest evidence of the art of tattooing dating back to Japan in 5000 BC.
Otzi, a mummified Bronze Age man from around 3300 BC named after the Alpine region where he was discovered, is thought to be the oldest known human with preserved tattoos. His skin has 57 distinct markings. (Something to keep in mind when talking to your parents about a bodysuit you’re already making.)
Tattoos have a long indigenous history in the United States, predating European colonization, and some Native American communities are working to revive the practice. Meanwhile, the African continent has the oldest history of tattoos, dating back to ancient Egypt and Sudan around 2000 BC.
Similar to the rise and fall of tattoo culture throughout history, the ongoing Western boom is notable because it has gone through periods when tattoos and other body modifications were shunned or tabooed by society at large. It’s for a reason.
In Italy, for example, public attitudes have changed dramatically over the past decade alone, with almost half of the country’s population having tattoos, making it one of the most tattooed countries in Europe, according to an online survey by World Atlas. It has become. In the United States, a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 32 percent of Americans have tattoos, and 22 percent of them have multiple tattoos.
Are tattoos vegan?
Thanks in part to the tattoo boom, there are now countless different shops, artists, machines, inks, and aftercare products available. As a result, it can be difficult to know exactly what materials are used to make a tattoo and whether the process is vegan.
Some tattoo inks may contain bone char for deep blacks, glycerin to stabilize the ink, and animal products such as gelatin or shellac as binding agents.
Bone char, or “natural carbon,” is produced by carbonizing animal bones. Along with ink, it is used in a variety of other products and processes, including the processing of sugarcane and, in some countries, the treatment of drinking water.
Glycerin can be obtained by manufacturers from plant or animal fats by separating the fatty acids from the desired glycerol. In tattoo ink, glycerin helps prevent the liquid in the bottle from drying out, but it also determines the viscosity and carries the pigment.
Animal-based gelatin is produced by boiling bones, skin, ligaments, and tendons. These ingredients are typically obtained from slaughterhouses and are therefore products of the meat and dairy industry, making them not suitable for vegans.
Shellac, the second most common binding agent after gelatin, is a substance secreted by the lac bug. Like honey, shellac is not considered vegan-friendly due to the way it is “farmed” from exploited beetles. Additionally, approximately 25% of the product shellac contains crushed beetles themselves.
Is vegan tattoo ink available?
Some tattoo inks contain the animal products listed above and are therefore not suitable for vegans. However, if you already have a tattoo and aren’t sure if it was made with non-vegan ink, don’t panic. We live in a non-vegan world and many people don’t know that tattoo ink contains animal substances. product. (However, you may prefer to go to one of the many vegan-friendly tattoo shops for your next tattoo.)
During manufacturing, most of the animal ingredients found in tattoo inks can be easily replaced with vegan versions such as plant-based pigments and glycerin, which are widely used in the industry. Many tattoo parlors already use vegan ink without advertising, and more and more companies are explicitly advertising themselves as vegan.
A huge number of vegan tattoo ink brands, as well as artists and shops, are aware of or specifically choose cruelty-free options during manufacturing. In fact, many well-known ink manufacturers such as Eternal, Intenze, Silverback, and StarBrite all make vegan inks.
California brand Quantum Tattoo Ink breaks down its ingredients list here, listing organic vegan pigments and kosher vegetable glycerin as an alternative to bone char and animal-based glycerin. (Some companies claim that plant-based inks are healthier for customers and more reliable overall, but there is no evidence of this.)
More tips for vegan tattoos
The ink isn’t the only part of a tattoo that isn’t vegan-friendly. Stencil paper, which artists use to transfer designs to customers, is sometimes made using lanolin, a natural grease produced by wool-bearing animals such as sheep.
Glycerin, on the other hand, is found not only in the ink itself, but also in some disposable razors and many of the aftercare soaps commonly used in tattoo shops.
As with tattoo ink, the easiest way to learn about veganizing your entire tattoo experience is to talk to your artist. While comfort is paramount as a customer, tattoo artists are professionals with extensive knowledge of materials, processes, and results, so it’s worth getting expert advice.
As some simple workarounds, you can bring your own new razor to your appointment if you think you might need to shave the part of your body that will be tattooed. You can also choose artists who tend to draw their designs freehand, without using stencil paper at all.
As mentioned above, there are several fully vegan tattoo shops out there, many of which are listed on third-party aggregators like Vegan Tattoo Studios. While some shops and artists may clearly identify themselves as vegan on their website or Instagram profile, others may not. The easiest way to find out if a tattoo is vegan is to contact the store or artist you’re interested in directly beforehand.
Even if tattoo artists themselves aren’t explicitly vegan, it’s common to request plant-based inks or cruelty-free experiences, so many people are happy to accommodate, or refer you to another shop or contact. They will be able to give you advice.
Vegan tattoo aftercare
Aftercare after getting a tattoo is important both as a way to prevent infection and to ensure the long-term quality of the tattoo and the health of the surrounding skin. There are countless ways to do this, and most people have proven methods and products to achieve clean healing with minimal imperfections.
If it’s your first time or you’re still not sure exactly what’s right for you, your best option is to ask the artist for tips and recommendations. However, there are many different vegan products out there if you want to do your research beforehand.
The Aftercare Company makes vegan versions of their flagship balms, as well as Easy Tattoo, which uses vegan tattoo wax, and After Inked, which uses vegan lotion cream. Some people simply use coconut oil, which acts as both a moisturizer and an antibacterial agent. Alternatively, some people use an unscented aloe vera-enriched body moisturizer.
However, even if you choose an aftercare method yourself, talk to your tattoo artist about this as well, as the size, color, and location of the tattoo, as well as the artist’s style, can determine what kind of aftercare method you need. is best. Please take care of it.
