In the past few years, vegan tattoos have become quite the phenomenon all over the world. Since Veganism has become a way of life for so many people, it’s only logical that they remain congruent to their beliefs by changing other parts of their lifestyle. And that’s where vegan tattoos come into play – it’s guaranteeing that another part of your routine becomes cruelty free for animals.

You can now find a vast range of vegan tattoo artists online, you just have to figure out which one suits your needs.

What are the differences between Vegan Tattoos and Common Tattoos?

As the name suggests, vegan tattoos don’t have animal products involved in any part of the tattooing experience. The ink in traditional tattoos has animal elements, such as glycerin. The glycerin is mostly used as a stabilizer, but it is an animal fat. Furthermore, you have bone char, which can be found in some black inks in the form of pigmentation.

Aside from that, there are different aftercare products and equipment used during the tattoo process. Traditional tattoo shops have stencil papers made from lanolin which derives from sheep. Even the after care products are not vegan since razor strips will often contain glycerin.

In the case of vegan tattoo shops, you have exactly the same materials and procedures, but none of either will contain products that involve direct animal suffering. All compounds are plant based: the ink itself, all equipment in the tattoo studio (from stencil to chairs) and the after care products (such as soap and moisturisers).

Photo from fauxels on Pexels

Common Ink vs Vegan Ink

Source: Maarouf, M., et al (2019)

Is vegan tattoo ink safer?

There’s some debate right now when it comes to the safety provided by ink vegan. Some people claim vegan ink is superior and will help you heal faster. Those claims are not backed by science. It’s important to keep in mind that vegan inks are safe and will not damage your skin anymore than a regular tattoo will. They don’t have carcinogenic chemicals or anything of the sort. But we can’t claim (at least at the moment) that they are safer than regular ink.

Is vegan tattoo ink healthier?

Vegan tattoos aren’t healthier, but they are cruelty-free. Most often then not, that’s what the clients that visit these parlors are looking for.

How do I find a certified vegan tattoo artist?

Gone are the days when you had to worry about it. Head over to Tattoos Wizard Vegan page and start browsing the best artists in your area. You can filter by city and style as well as studio or artist, depending on what you’re looking for. But beware, finding a tattoo artist that’s vegan, doesn’t mean other artists in the same studio will be vegan.

How do I find a Vegan tattoo shop?

If you found a tattoo studio that’s vegan, then all members of the studio should have vegan procedures.

Again, on Tattoos Wizard you have one of the most complete databases to find vegan studios. You can also head over to vegantattoostudios.com

Where can I get more information?

Vegan Society has a lot of information about vegan living and lifestyle, including information about tattooing.

Vegetarian Resource Group answers many more questions in their book “Vegan & Vegetarian FAQ: Answers to Your Frequently Asked Questions”, by Reed Mangels.