How to Make a Temporary UV Tattoo

 

Permanent tattooing is a form of body art in which ink is injected deep into the skin using needles. The ink remains in the skin for life. In contrast, temporary tattoos are temporary, where the ink is applied only to the surface of the skin, from where it gradually washes away and disappears. The color (pigment) of either a permanent or temporary tattoo causes white light (which contains all colors) to reflect off the pigment, which we then perceive as one of the colors.

 

Ultraviolet (UV) pigments do not reflect any white light, so they appear colorless. Ultraviolet light has a shorter wavelength (200-400nm) than the visible spectrum, so it is outside the visible range of human vision (400-700nm). Ultraviolet light is sometimes called black light, so even if it is there, we cannot see it with the naked eye.

However, if UV light falls on a UV pigment, the UV pigment absorbs this light and then emits it but in a different wavelength. In one that the human eye can already perceive. The UV pigment then appears as a brightly glowing color under UV light. UV pigment can be used in both permanent and temporary tattoos.

 

A similar physical effect is also used in laundry detergents that make white even whiter. A freshly washed white T-shirt then not only reflects white light (all colors) but also converts the energy of UV radiation into visible light. Such a white T-shirt is twice as white in sunlight and brightly glowing under UV light itself.

 

 

 

 

So, for a temporary UV tattoo, all you need is a UV pigment (paint). UV paint can be in the form of a special UV marker. Sometimes they are sold under the name "invisible ink". If you don't have one, you can also use an office highlighter. This also contains UV pigment, but also a little visible paint, so the image will have a color tint.

 

 

 

You can draw the shape by hand. But if you want it to be pretty, it's better to use a template or mask to trace the shape. I laser cut my own template.

 

 

 

Finally, you need to test whether the temporary tattoo glows under UV light. The source of UV light can be a UV LED keychain, a UV flashlight, a UV nail lamp, or an artificial mountain sun (be careful of your eyes).

 

 

 

Such a marker tattoo will last approximately three washes.

 

 

 

Color comparison of different highlighters under UV light.