The Second Layer: Articles
Why Ancient Ink doesn't make colored tattoo inks
Why does Ancient Ink make black tattoo ink but no colors? The answer starts with vegetable charcoal—and what current research reveals about pigments beneath the skin.
Tattoo Numbing: What Science Knows, What Artists Observe and What the Market Cannot Prove
Topical anesthetics can reduce surface pain. That is the easy part. Whether they help a session, change the working surface or affect saturation depends on the formula, the application, the client, the placement and the work being performed.
Vegan, Natural, Organic, Clean: What Those Words Mean on a Tattoo Ink Label
Five words appear on tattoo ink bottles and not one has a legal definition governing what is inside. What each term actually covers — and the questions that do more work than all five combined.
Why We Built The Original Black
A tattooed client could not name what was being placed permanently beneath his skin. That question led through cosmetic regulation, ingredient transparency and five thousand years of tattoo history — back to charcoal.