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Although the earliest forms of tattooing can be dated back thousands of years ago, modern, Western civilization has adopted tattooing as a commonly accepted form of body modification, and self-expression. As the popularity of tattooing continues to grow, scientists and artists are constantly developing new tattoo trends. From new inks, to new methods of tattooing, here are five tattoo innovations shaping today's tattoo culture.

UV Tattoos

Do you like the idea of getting inked, but want to have the flexibility of choosing when to show off your tattoo? Then, a UV tattoo may be the best option for you. The ink used in UV tattoos is only visible under a black light; however, some scarring from the tattoo needle pay be visible in daylight. UV tattoos are not yet widely available, because only a few black light ink formulas have been approved in the United States.

There has been some concern over UV ink customers who have had reactions to the ink's ingredients. Allergic reactions have caused rashes and dermatitis in some customers. However, new UV inks continue to be developed and tested in order to create safe, reliable inks. This tattoo innovation will likely become more prominent, because it gives people the freedom to have a tattoo that doesn't restrict them in their professional lives.

Eyeball Tattoos

While eyeball tattooing sounds like a new idea developed by individuals with poor judgment and access to mind-altering substances, the practice has been around for a few thousand years, as a medical procedure. Corneal opacities - cloudy structures over the cornea caused by scarring - were masked using dyes injected into the eye. In addition to cosmetic improvements to damaged corneas, some eye tattoos have been used to reduce glare and improve vision impairments caused by numerous eye diseases.

Eyeball tattooing has now evolved into a form of body modification in which the whites of the eyes are tattooed with a colored ink. A Toronto man was the first to receive such an eyeball tattoo, turning his eye blue. The dye was injected into the man's eye using a syringe.

Removable Ink

The process of having a tattoo removed can be painful to both your body and your wallet. Laser tattoo removal treatments can cost thousands of dollars, and still, the tattoo may not be completely removed. In an attempt to make tattoos easier to remove, Harvard developed a "biodegradable" tattoo ink (InfinitInk) formed from dyes and a FDA-approved polymer that can be taken in by the body. As long as the dyes in InfinitInk are connected to the polymer, the ink is permanent. However, when the bond between the dyes and the polymer is broken by only one laser treatment, the tattoo disappears as the dyes are absorbed by the body.

While marketed as the solution for those who want the freedom to have their tattoos easily removed, InfinitInk has drawn some criticism. Some say that the process does not work as well as it was designed to, causing patients to still have to undergo multiple laser tattoo removal treatments. Also, InfinitInk is only available in a few, select locations, which makes the cost of receiving a "removable" ink tattoo much more expensive than a standard tattoo. Some shops may add an additional feel of upwards of $100 for using InfinitInk, or shops may charge you an additional hourly fee for large-scale tattoos created with the ink.

Toddler Tattoos

This alleged innovation was later proven to be a hoax by Snopes.com. A website called Tattoos4Toddlers.com claimed to tattoo an exclusive clientele of toddlers and children using a tattooing method that didn't involve a needle. This fabricated procedure was said to cause some discomfort, but that the process would result in a tattoo that would last for ten years. The supposed April Fool's Day hoax caused an online uproar several years ago, and continues to stun some web surfers today who read about this tattoo "innovation."

Innovative tattoo trends like UV tattoos, eyeball tattoos, and removable tattoo ink are merely some of the ways that the tattoo world is evolving to meet scientific and technological advancement, as well as a demand from tattoo proponents looking for fresh ideas. If you are interested in any of these tattoo trends, please do your research and thoroughly weigh the pro's and con's before turning your eyeballs into blueberries. Always choose a knowledgeable and skilled tattoo artist from a licensed, sterile, and safe facility.