WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE INJECTING?
Way back in the day, traditional tribal tattoo marks were made using dyes from the natural environment. This is certainly not the case any more. While it’s near impossible to say what’s in all tattoo inks (they are all different, and disclosure of ingredients is not actually enforced), it’s safe to say that most colours of standard tattoo ink are derived from heavy metals.
Mercury = red ink
Lead = yellow, green, white ink
Cadmium = red, orange, yellow ink
Nickel = black ink
Zinc= yellow, white ink
Chromium = green ink
Cobalt = blue ink
Aluminium = green, violet ink
Titanium = white ink
Copper = blue, green ink
Iron = brown, red, black ink
Barium = white ink
Other compounds used as pigments include antimony, arsenic, beryllium, calcium, lithium, selenium, and sulfur.
Tattoo ink manufacturers typically blend the heavy metal pigments and/or use lightening agents (such as lead or titanium) to reduce production costs.
Why are heavy metals such a problem? They bind in our bodies and are incredibly difficult to remove. They cause damage on a cellular level and contribute to cancer, Alzheimer’s, dementia, autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and diseases of the kidneys, circulatory system, and nervous system.
Then there’s the carrier solution, which most likely contains harmful substances such as denatured alcohols, methanol, rubbing alcohol, antifreeze, detergents, or formaldehyde and other highly toxic aldehydes.
HOW CAN WE RECTIFY THE DAMAGE?
- Stop getting tattoos.
- If you’re a tattoo lover, ask to be decorated in high-quality vegan, organic inks and quiz the tattoo artist about the ingredients in the ink. Be adamant that you do not want ink containing heavy metals. Do your research first!
- Start detoxifying those heavy metals.
I’m working on a more thorough blog post about heavy metal detoxification soon (this is something both my mum and I have had to do), but for now, here are some tips:
- Add chlorella to your green smoothies.
- Eat clay every morning.
- Eat and juice coriander (aka cilantro).
- Eat chia seeds.
- Eat aloe vera.
- Sweat on a daily basis – far infrared saunas are great for this.
So, there you go. We would love to know your thoughts on this topic. Does this info make you think twice about getting a tattoo? Or is your love of ink just too strong? Tell us in the comments below – just please be nice. We are simply the messenger, so put down that rifle.
