# Tattoo idea/questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 8, 2002, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-idea-questions/122922 "2002-08-08T06:14:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-idea-questions/122922/1 "2002-08-08T06:14:33Z")
I have been thinking about this for a few years now, but haven’t found anything on the web to help. I want to get a big tattoo on my face with invisible/UVvisible ink that won’t show up in normal light, just under a black light or whatever. Is there a tattoo ink that can do that? Would my skin be scarred by the needle and the design show up anyway? Wouldn’t you have to take a second look at Spencer Gifts when your friend has a glowing Darth Maul or South Pacific warrior design on his face? Idealy, I think I’d go with yellow and design the thing myself, with tribal and South Pacific influences. My last question is: wouldn’t it just be the coolest damn thing in the world if it worked? ---
**Author:** ![tcburnett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-idea-questions/122922/2 "2002-08-08T06:40:41Z")
I like the South Pacific bit. Tribal tattoos are very popular in Hawaii, Polynesia and Samoa. Your skin ~might~ take a bit of scarring but it is unusual. The problem is with the ink. First, it doesn’t exist. Tattooing deposits pigment suspended in water. UV ink has no pigment. It is a chemical. If you used a UV chemical the artist would have to put it on under a UV light and it would simply dissolve away into your system, possibly poisoning you in the process. When you want to impress a date you can use the more expedient method of having the design drawn on your face with a colorless UV ink. ---
**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-idea-questions/122922/3 "2002-08-08T07:07:03Z")
Damn. So I just have to wait for the ink to be invented. If there are any dopers with inventor friends, let them know I’m waiting, okay? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-idea-questions/122922/4 "2002-08-08T07:20:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tcburnett \* > **The problem is with the ink. First, it doesn’t exist.** Sure it does; though there are varying reports of how successful it is, and some people are allergic to it. [Can I Get a Tattoo That Glows?](http://www.bme.freeq.com/spc/experiences/glow/) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-idea-questions/122922/5 "2002-08-08T10:44:50Z")
For the amount of use it’s going to get, wouldn’t it be easier to, you know, just paint it on or something and wash it off later? ---
**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-idea-questions/122922/6 "2002-08-08T10:54:44Z")
Then I wouldn’t have a tattoo, would I? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-idea-questions/122922/7 "2002-08-08T11:16:12Z")
Well no, but it kind of sounds like you don’t want one all the time. ---
**Author:** ![MrO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@MrO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrO)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-idea-questions/122922/8 "2002-08-08T11:39:02Z")
I knew a woman in Japan, the wife of the man who did some of my tattoos, who had some flourescent tattoos. They did glow under black lights, but they were certainly visible without them. They just looked like normal tattoos. She didn’t really recommend them, for all the reasons listed above and in **Fear Itself** ’s link. Hers were okay so far, but they were pretty new when I saw them. But yeah, it would be a cool thing if it worked. ---
**Author:** ![wjp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@wjp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wjp)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-idea-questions/122922/9 "2002-08-08T11:56:34Z")
Some guy has already filed a Patent appeal for the procedure of having consumers get an invisible tattoo to identify them in e-commerce transactions: “His patent – bearing U.S. Patent No. 5,878,155 and granted in March, 1999 – “describes how people can be identified for eCommerce transactions by invisible barcodes tattooed on their skin.” The patent identifies invisible tattoo ink that is currently available commercially, according to the Compaq report.” FROM: [http://www.mercola.com/1999/oct/3/scanned\_image\_verifies\_buyer\_to\_seller.htm](http://www.mercola.com/1999/oct/3/scanned_image_verifies_buyer_to_seller.htm) READ THE PATENT HERE: [http://patents.uspto.gov/cgi-bin/ifetch4?ENG+PATBIB-ALL+0+946309+0+7+25907+OF+1+1+1+PN%2F5%2C878%2C155](http://patents.uspto.gov/cgi-bin/ifetch4?ENG+PATBIB-ALL+0+946309+0+7+25907+OF+1+1+1+PN%2f5%2c878%2c155) So, there you go, its out there already, although I suspect the quality of this ink might be more of an issue when you have 90% of yer face covered in a scary tribal mask, as opposed to a small barcode on your forearm. Good luck, send us pics once you get inked! ---
**Author:** ![WV\_Woman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@WV\_Woman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WV_Woman)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-idea-questions/122922/10 "2002-08-08T12:21:42Z")
**My last question is: wouldn’t it just be the coolest damn thing in the world if it worked?** Yes it would 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-idea-questions/122922/11 "2002-08-08T12:40:13Z")
I’m glad you agree, WV. Mangetout, it would be a lot better than painting my face everytime a friend brings out a blacklight. And it would be cool at parties. I would also like to have the experience of getting my face tattooed, but I don’t actually want to look like Queequeg.