One of the growing trends among club-goers, specifically ravers, are UV (UltraViolet) tats or tattoos. These are tattoos that use special kinds of ink and can only be seen clearly under a black light. UV tattoos are common among rave clubbers that hold corporate jobs because such tattoos save them from the stigma and judgment they would get from office colleagues if they had regular, visible tattoos. Also known as blacklight tattoos, UV tats usually appear in white or blue colors.
Those in the club scene say that UV tats entered into mainstream clubbing culture in the late 90’s, and were very popular among clubbers aged 18 to 30. There are ink manufacturers that offer tattoo inks that can be used for blacklight tats, although UV inks used in glow-in-the-dark tattoos have not yet been approved by the FDA. UV tattoos usually appear in blue and white colors, but there are some ink manufacturers who are now making UV tattoo ink in different colors.
These colored UV inks are also differentiated in terms of degree of visibility. Some colors are visible under normal light, which would make your tattoo look like a regular one. But when placed under a black light, the tattoo will glow brighter and the colors are more vibrant. Getting a UV tattoo done takes longer than what it usually takes for a normal tattoo. This is because tattoo artists would have to sporadically turn the lights on and off to check how the tattoo looks under black light. UV tattoos also cost more because the special inks used to apply them are also more expensive than regular tattoo ink.
If you’re thinking of getting a UV tattoo, make sure you do an allergy check first. Ask the tatttoo artist if you can dab a bit of the ink on your skin and check if there are immediate allergic reactions. Just a word of warning though, some allergic reactions to UV ink take days and even months before they manifest.