White ink tattoo. Pros and cons?

Question

I have very fair skin. I like the idea of a white tattoo because of subtlety. I've been told it may resemble a scar since my skin is so light, which is not a problem. I'd really like tattoo artists to weigh in on this one. Is there any more pain or healing time involved? Higher risks of infection? Aesthetic issues? Anything else you can come up with?

Answer 1

Some tattooist won't do white tattoos because they can have complications like healing to look like a scar, they can fade into a yellow colour, and I have heard white is a hard colour to remove. White should be used for highlights and or black and grey work.

There isn't any more pain involved or risk of infection with a white tattoo then a regular tattoo. There is always a risk of infection when it comes to after care, more so then the process of getting the tattoo.

But if that's what you want have a look around in portfolios and shops in your area that will give you a white tattoo.

Answer 2

White ink tattoos really have the same pros and cons as other pigments, they're just not as noticeable. The pigment color is contingent on your natural skin pigmentation, meaning that the colors will heal to a different shade or hue than they would on a person with a different complexion than yours. Tattoo inks, or pigments, are translucent, rather than opaque, so a white ink tattoo on a dark complexion will come out tan, rather than white. The skin pigmentation factor is one of the main reasons we don't like to do them. Also, the brand of pigment is critical. With white I only trust Eternal, Starbrite, and Intenze. Those are three top-of-the-line ink companies. The only ink that is truly an ink is black, the rest are pigments, made up of all sorts of stuff. Anyway, a cheap pigment will tend to 'yellow up' rapidly compared to a good pigment. It turns an off-white fairly quickly, especially if it isn't protected with sunblock or clothing. This means a nearly endless need for touch-up sittings to keep them brilliant and sharp looking. I have quite a bit of white in my left sleeve, and touch it up at least six times a year, no exaggeration. The pros are that if they're done right and maintained, they look pretty good. If not, they'll end up looking more like a scar. Take care.

Answer 3

I have a lot of tattoo and have wanted white in some so my artist told me why she doesn't do much with it. I got a skull on my hand and wanted it white so I know why she didn't want to do it and I agreed. My skin is really white too. The problem is they look blotchy. The pain and healing time are the same. Darker ink actually is more painful. The risk of infection are also the same but with one exception just being that the white ink can get missed in cleaning by some. Like I said the main problem is it just doesn't look that great. What my artist did with my skull is she tattooed it with no ink to fill it in just my skin color and I liked it more that way. http://www.zimbio.com/Tattoos/articles/3kelYOqJcOx/white+ink+tattoo+gallery. Check that out and it will show outlined white which isn't bad compared to some filled in white tattoos. Also they do change more then any others if you tan or get sun burnt. Good luck!