I've recently been in the market for a tattoo, and as a new-ish vegan, I wasn't sure where they fell in the whole scheme of animal ingredients. I did some research, and I've learned a little. All tattoo inks contain two things: pigments and a carrier solution. Pigments (the color) can be made from metals, plant derivatives, or in some cases animal derivatives. Some blacks, for example, are created using charred animal bones. The carrier is a combination of ethyl alcohol, purified water, witch hazel, listerine, propylene glycol and glycerin. Glycerin is a neutral thick liquid that absorbs moisture. The majority of glycerin is obtained through animal fat. Some glycerin, however, is obtained from vegetables. So, when looking for ink, you want a pigment that doesn't use charred animal bones for color, and a carrier that uses vegetable glycerin.
Some popular brands of tattoo ink that are also vegan are Stable Color Inks, Skin Candy, Starbrite, and Eternal. You can contact the companies, or check the MSGS reports on their websites to verify.
The best thing to do is contact the tattoo parlors in your area to find out if they use any of those inks (or any others that may be vegan). If you happen to live in the Pacific Northwest (which I don't), check out Scapegoat Tattoo. I keep bumping into them searching for vegan ink information. They're a 100% vegan tattoo shop in Portland.
If you find a place with the right ink, you still have to think about the after care products. Most aftercare products contain animal fat or beeswax. You can use Dr. Bronner's soap for a gentle animal-free cleanse. And you can now order other vegan aftercare products online, like the liquid serum found here at Rose Tattoo or the hemp oil tattoo balm from Vegan Essentials.
Just be alert and aware, and you can get your fix of beautiful cruelty free ink.
Check out this blog about vegan ink, too.
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