There are many differences between getting a blacklight tattoo and getting one with regular ink. The blacklight tattoo can cost more money, take more time, and cause more complications than a regular tattoo.

UV tattoo inks do not show up well under regular light, so the procedure for getting a blacklight tattoo may be a bit more tricky that the usual one. Your artist will need to apply the inks while checking the design under a blacklight so he or she can see the design taking shape. The difficulty in precison means that the entire procedure may take longer than a similar design would using regular inks. The inks are also thinner than regular inks and need to be wiped often. So blacklight tattoos are more expensive because of the extra time and care that needs to be taken.

These inks can also be more difficult for the skin to retain. I've read more than a few complaints on various message boards by people who spent the extra time and money to get that special UV reactive tattoo, only to find that it disappeared within a few months, due either to fading or to the skin's inability to hold the ink.

Another problem caused by these inks is the increased possibility of an allergic reaction. Even though they have been approved by the FDA for use in tracking animals, there is no guarantee that your skin will not have some unpleasant reaction to a tattoo using blacklight inks.

Another reason to be a little wary of this ink is that it can turn a little yellow or brown with exposure to the sun. Some people complain that a tattoo that was meant to be invisible will show up as yellow or brown on their skin after several weeks or months of exposure to the sun.

Not all of these tattoos become invisible to the light of day even if they are blacklight only. Of the eighteen inks sold by Crazy Chameleon, only the palest of whites will usually become invisible. Even that could take 12 to 18 months to happen. Sometimes these tattoos leave a light scar, taking on the appearance of scarification.

These inks are quite a bit thinner than regular tattoo ink. If you want to have a regular tattoo highlighted with UV ink, get the regular tattoo first, allow it to heal, and then do the highlighting. The other inks will cover the UV ink if applied after it, and your fabulous glowing design show up adequately. They also do not blend like other inks do, so they require special care in their creation.

Try to find a tattoo artist who has had some experience in applying ultraviolet tattoos, since a special kind of artistry is needed to create one successfully. It may cost a bit more, but your disappointment will be great if you take the extra time and spend the extra money on this type of tattoo and it doesn't turn out fabulous!