Red tattoos are notorious for so many reasons. From the controversial red ink to the perpetual itchiness of red tattoos, these seem to cause a lot of issues. However, people still like them because they make every tattoo design stand out and pretty unique. However, can the pros really outweigh the cons in the case of red tattoos?

In the following paragraphs we’ll discuss everything you need to know about red tattoos; from the red ink and the potential issues to the best red tattoo designs. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

Red Tattoos and Red Flags: Ink and Other Issues

What Is The Issue With the Red Ink?

Red ink is controversial in the tattoo community for many reasons. Let’s first discuss the very ingredients used in red ink.

It is fair to say that the majority of tattoo artists don’t know what’s in the inks they use, because tattoo ink is not FDA approved nor standardized. It is also well known that tattoo inks contain a lot of toxic and harmful compounds, like heavy metals for example. And, red ink might just be representative in terms of toxicity and potentially harmful ingredients.

The ingredients a standard red ink contains are as follows;

• Aluminum
• Cinnabar
• Cadmium
• Chromium
• Cobalt
• Iron oxide
• Naphthol-AS pigment
• Hoof gelatin
• Toxic pigment carriers like denatured alcohols and formaldehyde

Of course, this is not a complete or exact list of red ink ingredients. There are so many other toxic components found in red ink, including ethylene glycol (also known as antifreeze), rubbing alcohol, and a bunch of animal-originating components like animal fat glycerine, cod liver oil, or beeswax.

As you can tell, there is a reason red ink is notoriously avoided in the tattoo community. The ingredients found in red ink can directly cause severe ink allergies and infections, and long-term health issues like skin hypersensitivity, burning, and scarring of the tattoo, skin rashing, and even cancer.