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Animal-derived substances are used in a huge variety of products. Among the more unexpected places you can find such substances are tattoo inks and equipment.
Some inks can contain bone char – carbon made by charring animal bones – or glycerin (animal fat) as a stabilizer. The stencil papers used to transfer designs onto the skin might contain lanolin, a grease derived from sheep’s wool. Lanolin can also be found in some tattoo aftercare products, as can beeswax. If the gloves artists use are latex, they may contain casein, a protein derived from cow’s milk.
But it’s possible to have a completely vegan tattooing experience. The easiest way to do that is to go to a vegan tattoo studio. Here is our guide to vegan tattoo studios around the UK, so you can be sure that your artist and all the inks and equipment align with your values.
Vegan tattoo studios in the UK
Inky Swallows, Hove
This tiny studio is tucked away behind a barber’s shop on George Street in Hove. All its products are cruelty-free and contain no animal products. Tattoo artist Cheryl offers free consultations on designs and offers plans to pay for your new ink by installments. She can do water colour-style tattoos, pet portraits, blackwork, and cover-ups.
Briar Rose Tattoo, South London
This “botanical” studio in Lewisham houses a wide variety of plants, and says it’s eco-conscious as well as totally vegan. It is a queer-owned, LGBTQ+ safe space, and all the artists are female. They can do abstract pieces, anime characters, gothic styles, and fineline natural designs.
Cult of the Sphynx, Wolverhampton
Located in a former Victorian factory, Cult of the Sphynx is co-owned by a former art teacher and former personal trainer and massage therapist. Between them, the team here can do full colour pieces, Disney-themed designs, blackwork, and occult-themed designs. The studio also offers piercings.
Buzz Club Tattoo, Leeds
Buzz Club Tattoo has two studios, one in the center of Leeds and one outside it in the Hyde Park area. On its website it lists all of the vegan equipment it uses, from the inks to the latex-free gloves. It also says it uses renewable energy to power the studio. Fine line tattoos are its specialty, but it offers a wide range of styles, including hand-poke dot work.
Tengu Tattoo Studio, Bristol
This studio is pretty new, only having opened in the Clifton area of Bristol in February 2023. Co-owned by artists James Bull and Hannya Jayne, it uses all cruelty-free and vegan products and is powered by renewable energy. It lists all the vegan products it uses on its website and it uses eco-friendly and vegan cleaning products, such as handsoaps and surface cleaners. The artists can do intricate colour work, neo-traditional, and detailed realistic pieces.
Good Tattoo Studio, Nottingham
Located in the center of Nottingham, Good Tattoo Studio has three resident artists and a range of guest artists visiting regularly. The resident artists specialize in delicate, minimalistic and realistic designs, from soft florals to pet portraits. The studio has a particularly cool vibe, too, with exposed brickwork and ceiling beams making it feel like a trendy cafe.
Lighthouse Tattoo & Piercing
Only a few minutes’ walk from the beaches of Brighton, this studio offers both tattoos and piercings. It aims to be as sustainable as possible, using biodegradable plant-based alternatives to single-use plastics and all vegan products. The artists can do traditional style tattoos, lettering, dot work, and minimalist line work.
Fifth Dimension Tattoo & Piercing, London
Fifth Dimension is located in Shoreditch, on (vegan) Bacon Street. Three resident artists can offer geometric tattoos, neo-traditional, graphic styles, line work, and realistic designs. Everything the studio uses from inks to soaps and aftercare products are vegan and plant-based.
