Whether you’re a newbie tattoo artist or just worried about getting your first ever tattoo, you might be wondering about the ink. Does it go bad? Should you request brand new ink? And what is the industry standard for tattoo ink?

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!

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.

When Does Tattoo Ink Go Bad?

Does ink even expire? Yes, to both meanings of the question.

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. 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 other meaning of this question (does tattoo ink in the bottle, used by the tattoo artist, expire) is a little harder to answer.

The simple answer is yes, tattoo ink does expire. But when and how depend on numerous factors. All tattoo ink comes with an expiration date. No tattoo artist should ever use tattoo ink after it has passed that date.

But just like milk in your fridge, it can certainly go off before the expiration date!

Factors that can cause tattoo ink to expire:

• Incorrect storage,
• Really old tattoo ink,
• Bacterial contamination.

Signs That the Tattoo Ink Has Expired

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).

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. Both materials won’t “go off” over time, but they can split which makes the ink unusable.