Video from Bogdan (EN-subtitles
Bogdan, in his 2-minute video, shows with arrows on the model what processes occur in the body associated with the so-called “fading” of tattoo pigments:
Metabolic influence
Inorganic pigments are metabolized by the body faster than organic ones — that's your fade factor.
The whole process, known as "pigment fallout," is linked to redox reactions in the human body.
Putting it simply, and in the case of permanents — a protein (not the egg kind), called transferrin, grabs pigment particles and tries to partly shove them into the bloodstream and partly kick them out of the body naturally.
Inorganic pigments are iron
Since inorganic pigments, i.e., iron, are a biogenic material (chemical elements necessary for normal bodily functions), they participate in these processes. Here's what happens:
- Pigment is injected under the skin
- Redox reactions start immediately, and the rate of biochemical reactions is very high, but since a considerable chunk of pigment is injected, the fading process happens gradually
- The pigment essentially becomes a soluble salt (not kitchen or sea salt)
- Some pigments are transformed by transferrin through the red bone marrow, generating erythrocytes. Simply put — they enter the bloodstream
- Another part of the pigments, now as soluble salts, pass through our already tortured filters — the liver and spleen
- Then, as usual, the pigments go for natural disposal through the intestines and kidneys. You get the idea. Don’t worry, you won’t see anything colorful under you in the restroom.
The whole process takes about a year to a year and a half. Sometimes more, sometimes less. As we’ve long understood, it all depends on the individual person and the stable/unstable function of their body.
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