90% of tattoo ink contains chemicals that can cause organ damage(pubs.acs.org)
pubs.acs.org
90% of tattoo ink contains chemicals that can cause organ damage
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.analchem.3c05687#
21 comments
> Obviously this should be corrected and is a real indictment of the medical community's position that they won't study tattooing as a procedure we could improve (the general position on tattooing is "don't do it").
Sounds like the Catholic stance on sex outside of marriage. Abstention basically. Just because they wish people don't do it, it doesn't mean the government has no responsibility for safety. It's not illegal after all.
I'm glad here in Spain they take this kind of stuff more seriously. For example if you are promiscuous you can receive free STD checks every 3 months. Even though it's a mostly Catholic country :)
I'll ask about ink check programs too.
Sounds like the Catholic stance on sex outside of marriage. Abstention basically. Just because they wish people don't do it, it doesn't mean the government has no responsibility for safety. It's not illegal after all.
I'm glad here in Spain they take this kind of stuff more seriously. For example if you are promiscuous you can receive free STD checks every 3 months. Even though it's a mostly Catholic country :)
I'll ask about ink check programs too.
Every time I see a beautiful tattoo, I always feel an itch, eager to try it. But whenever I think about how much more troublesome it would be to remove these tattoos if I changed my mind, I back down. So, I haven't even started to worry about whether these inks could potentially harm my organs :-p
I thought the same and it stopped me from getting one for a long time. But really it was not a problem. It's a piece of art that becomes part of you. There's no reason to not want it anymore because it is you.
Of course if you take something sleazy, run-of-the-mill or the name of a girlfriend you might regret it. But most of the pieces I have are artful and one of a kind, made just for me.
Of course if you take something sleazy, run-of-the-mill or the name of a girlfriend you might regret it. But most of the pieces I have are artful and one of a kind, made just for me.
I have a large tattoo I thought was the coolest think when I was 20, and then for the next 10 years. At 32 I changed my mind and (gently) wish I didn't have it. It doesn't bother me a lot though.
Yeah I’m shocked how many people think they can be happy with that decision until they die.
My girlfriend is huge into tattoos, and has at least one that she doesn't like because the artist was shitty and the edges all bled. It's not that big a deal but I still haven't been able to get over that hump personally.
I just don't have any images or artwork that I have any sort of connection to that would make me want to paste it onto my body.
I just don't have any images or artwork that I have any sort of connection to that would make me want to paste it onto my body.
I love all my tattoos dearly, I put at least a year thought into each of them, from 18yr to 40yr old I love every tattoo I got along the way! My most recent: https://s.h4x.club/6quXNG6R (UV ink!)
easy, its not as long as you think.
Not doing something is also a decision, and one you can end up regretting.
Honestly (I have a large amount of both color & black-n-white ink) once you break the barrier on your first one, most people abandon the worry of the forever part and the flood gates open.
Well put. Exactly how I feel since I got my first one. I used to worry about that but soon you'll have so many that that first one is not something that stands out :) Because there's so many. People always admire them and it's a good ice breaker.
If there's anything I regret it's not doing it earlier.
If there's anything I regret it's not doing it earlier.
you make it sound impossible to be permanently happy with a somewhat permanent decision.
I wouldn't worry about toxicity too much - the actual dosage is really low, and a lot less of the pigment makes its way into your blood than you think.
Also, as far as regret goes, if you let an artist who does art you like do something for you, you won't regret engaging them. You can get something on your thigh, for example, that is rarely visible.
If you're really serious about getting a tattoo, here are some things you should think about:
- Find a style you like. Japanese traditional, American traditonal, American neo traditional, highly realistic etc. Different artists specialize in different areas and often go all over the place. It's worth reading the history on american traditional, as a starting point - it has some very direct lineage from the japanese style, which itself is so bright and clear because it was developed before tattoo guns existed.
- Instagram is currently "the" place for artists to show off their work. Also, go on google maps and look at shops' websites in your local city to get links to their artists' instas. This is very much an artisan process.
- Create a list of tattoos you like, and then find an artist who does work you like in the style you like.
- Tell them you're new, that you're open to ideas, and bring a list of art (both stuff they've done and others in a similar style) that you liked. Try not to go in with a very specific idea - rather, be open. For various reasons, most of the better artists won't do walk-ins and have calendars booked weeks or months out. Schedule a consult.
I personally like more funky, clear, bright stuff.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CoiQyavO0ES/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3R9IUgRQuC/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Zt1Rorawh/
Also, as far as regret goes, if you let an artist who does art you like do something for you, you won't regret engaging them. You can get something on your thigh, for example, that is rarely visible.
If you're really serious about getting a tattoo, here are some things you should think about:
- Find a style you like. Japanese traditional, American traditonal, American neo traditional, highly realistic etc. Different artists specialize in different areas and often go all over the place. It's worth reading the history on american traditional, as a starting point - it has some very direct lineage from the japanese style, which itself is so bright and clear because it was developed before tattoo guns existed.
- Instagram is currently "the" place for artists to show off their work. Also, go on google maps and look at shops' websites in your local city to get links to their artists' instas. This is very much an artisan process.
- Create a list of tattoos you like, and then find an artist who does work you like in the style you like.
- Tell them you're new, that you're open to ideas, and bring a list of art (both stuff they've done and others in a similar style) that you liked. Try not to go in with a very specific idea - rather, be open. For various reasons, most of the better artists won't do walk-ins and have calendars booked weeks or months out. Schedule a consult.
I personally like more funky, clear, bright stuff.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CoiQyavO0ES/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3R9IUgRQuC/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Zt1Rorawh/
> I wouldn't worry about toxicity too much - the actual dosage is really low, and a lot less of the pigment makes its way into your blood than you think.
Exactly. If it did, the tattoo would fade, after all. Perhaps some makes it through during the process but if it's done well there isn't much contact with the bloodstream.
> Also, as far as regret goes, if you let an artist who does art you like do something for you, you won't regret engaging them. You can get something on your thigh, for example, that is rarely visible.
Exactly, for me that regret worked the opposite way. I had one put on my shoulder and it's usually not visible at work (I work in IT so I always wear a T-shirt). I regret this now :) Next time I'll get one on my lower arm so it's always visible.
I used to live in Ireland where they had this weird prejudice about tattoos but where I live now in Spain it's super common. More than 1/3rd of people have visible tattoos (and I mean visible on the street!). Even in a high-class restaurant we had a waitress who was covered in (beautiful) tattoos. It's so normal here, it's amazing <3
Exactly. If it did, the tattoo would fade, after all. Perhaps some makes it through during the process but if it's done well there isn't much contact with the bloodstream.
> Also, as far as regret goes, if you let an artist who does art you like do something for you, you won't regret engaging them. You can get something on your thigh, for example, that is rarely visible.
Exactly, for me that regret worked the opposite way. I had one put on my shoulder and it's usually not visible at work (I work in IT so I always wear a T-shirt). I regret this now :) Next time I'll get one on my lower arm so it's always visible.
I used to live in Ireland where they had this weird prejudice about tattoos but where I live now in Spain it's super common. More than 1/3rd of people have visible tattoos (and I mean visible on the street!). Even in a high-class restaurant we had a waitress who was covered in (beautiful) tattoos. It's so normal here, it's amazing <3
Somebody in Maryland with a tattoo-removal business said that the ratio of the cost of tattoos to the cost of their removal was roughly that of the cost of a marriage license to the cost of a divorce.
I love mine, even though I now think a couple are dumb.
To me, my tattoos are both art and a sort of snapshot of myself in time. They reflect the things I was interested in, what my mind was preoccupied with. I look at my tattoos kind of like a personal photo album; it's a spread of me over time, and each tattoo brings back memories of the city I was in when I got them, the people I was friends with, the things I was doing.
Also, sample size of 1, but I routinely "forget" that I have tattoos, despite several being on my forearms. My brain just processes them as part of my arm rather than a marking on my arm, like freckles. I am currently weirdly conscious of my tattoos lol.
You can always talk to an artist, they can work with you on issues like this. You could always get something small somewhere discreet. I've got a tattoo a little bigger than a quarter on my shoulder blade that I completely forget I have. Like I am unaware of my arm tattoos but know I have them; I completely forget about the shoulder one.
You do you, though, and make the best choice for yourself!
To me, my tattoos are both art and a sort of snapshot of myself in time. They reflect the things I was interested in, what my mind was preoccupied with. I look at my tattoos kind of like a personal photo album; it's a spread of me over time, and each tattoo brings back memories of the city I was in when I got them, the people I was friends with, the things I was doing.
Also, sample size of 1, but I routinely "forget" that I have tattoos, despite several being on my forearms. My brain just processes them as part of my arm rather than a marking on my arm, like freckles. I am currently weirdly conscious of my tattoos lol.
You can always talk to an artist, they can work with you on issues like this. You could always get something small somewhere discreet. I've got a tattoo a little bigger than a quarter on my shoulder blade that I completely forget I have. Like I am unaware of my arm tattoos but know I have them; I completely forget about the shoulder one.
You do you, though, and make the best choice for yourself!
> Out of 54 inks, 45 contained unlisted additives and/or pigments
Seems unlisted additives is incredibly common in almost every industry in the United States.
Seems unlisted additives is incredibly common in almost every industry in the United States.
I don’t understand how constantly and randomly testing food/vitamins for at least lead and other heavy metals isn’t a popular enough position to get funded.
Who wants lead in the cinnamon, turmeric, and everything else that everyone is eating? Surely, even the richest and most influential people would be incentivized, if not for themselves, then for their kids to have a supply chain that is checked for contamination.
Or how long it’s taking for leaded propeller jet fuel to be outlawed.
Who wants lead in the cinnamon, turmeric, and everything else that everyone is eating? Surely, even the richest and most influential people would be incentivized, if not for themselves, then for their kids to have a supply chain that is checked for contamination.
Or how long it’s taking for leaded propeller jet fuel to be outlawed.
Because the risk is abstract and seems distant, so it's something that most people probably want but aren't thinking about actively fighting for. They might already think that these things are better regulated than they are, and not realize how unsafe consumer products are. And on the other hand there are strong financial interests that are opposed to it, who are willing to spend a lot of resources on propaganda and bribes.
But how can the risk be abstract. It is molecules known to cause brain damage, surely at least by the educated leaders in Washington DC and their rich influencers.
If you asked them to have their kids or grandkids live in a lead paint home and play with lead toys, they would surely say no. But lead in spices that gets ingested daily is not a concern for them? And it's not like testing for them would make a dent in the budget.
And surely a significant majority take vitamins or supplements at some point. Who wouldn't want their vitamin to be what the bottle says?
If you asked them to have their kids or grandkids live in a lead paint home and play with lead toys, they would surely say no. But lead in spices that gets ingested daily is not a concern for them? And it's not like testing for them would make a dent in the budget.
And surely a significant majority take vitamins or supplements at some point. Who wouldn't want their vitamin to be what the bottle says?
you could probably just say 'every industry'. groups around the world are constantly getting hand-slapped for discoveries within their products, it isn't strictly US-centric -- even if this specific article is.
For example, MCAS on a Boeing 737 MAX.
The amount of ink that goes into the skin is tiny - maybe a gram of ink for a normal size tattoo. So when they get upset about ethanol or even propylene glycol - I wouldn't think the amounts are large enough to be very significant. When it comes to dyes though - I would be afraid of some of those bright colors, I have no idea what they are using and a lot of dyes are toxic. My tattoos are all black and gray - even though carbon black also contains carcinogens, I think the history of humans using it for tattoos for thousands of years shows that carbon black tattoos are not likely to cause cancer.
Just because it's been done for thousands of years doesn't mean it doesn't cause cancer. No one's going to be able to relate cancer to a tattoo made a dozen years beforehand, and even now when we have the ability to study it, it doesn't look like anyone really is.
Generally that might be true, but I think if carbon black ink caused cancer with any nontrivial probability, the cancer would be likely to start where the tattoo is placed, and people would quickly decide that tattoos were dangerous because they would see the tattoo melting into a cancerous lesion. I’ve literally never heard of skin cancer that come from a tattoo. Tattoos are so common that we would see this effect if it happened.
Just out of curiosity, what is your assumed size for a 'normal' sized tattoo?
Hmm if this was so bad, wouldn't we notice? I tend to take the more established artists, not the biker dudes so I imagine they use decent materials.
I'm skeptical that your tattoo artist is scientifically testing the long-term health effects of their ink, regardless of how popular they are.
No but I would expect them to pick reputable brands that do.
Popular brands for all kinds of things routinely contain toxins. There's simply no way to know unless you know the specific products, and those products have been tested. If mainstream brands can brazenly sell sunscreen with benzene and eye drops that kill people because they are produced in facilities where people don't wear shoes, then I don't see why tattoo ink should be assumed to be nontoxic in the wake of this news. Is American tattoo ink even produced in facilities that are capable of such quality controls, let alone regulated?
I don't think the tattoo ink they used on me was made in America. I doubt it.
All tattoo ink sold and used in Europe is regulated as per ResAP 2008: https://rm.coe.int/16805d3dc4
All tattoo ink sold and used in Europe is regulated as per ResAP 2008: https://rm.coe.int/16805d3dc4
I'm reminded of this study.
"Nanoparticles from tattoos circulate inside the body"
https://phys.org/news/2017-09-nanoparticles-tattoos-circulat...
https://archive.ph/CcpHF
"Nanoparticles from tattoos circulate inside the body"
https://phys.org/news/2017-09-nanoparticles-tattoos-circulat...
https://archive.ph/CcpHF
Would it be reasonable to assume that, if coloured tattoos caused significant organ damage, the medical profession would notice some correlation. Are nephrologist offices suddenly seeing a lot of 30-somethings with tattoo sleeves and 50-something Harley Davidson enthusiasts appearing in their offices?
I always wondered about this. I assumed "surely there must be loads of studies on what happens if a person's back, arms and thighs are covered in colorful tattoos, because nature didn't design us to do this by default".
Nature also didn't design us to wear socks, but that seems mostly harmless. I just always wondered about putting ink permanently in skin.
People get exotic glow in the dark tattoo ink. That seems nuts to me.
Nature also didn't design us to wear socks, but that seems mostly harmless. I just always wondered about putting ink permanently in skin.
People get exotic glow in the dark tattoo ink. That seems nuts to me.
Not very surprising that the real bad boys like azo dyes are in color ink.
It's very convenient that my aesthetic preference is for blackwork!
It's very convenient that my aesthetic preference is for blackwork!
The EU has banned a lot of tattoo inks in 2022.
On the US market.
[deleted]
90% of tattoo _inks_, not tattoo ink.
> 90% of tattoo ink contains chemicals that can cause organ damage
It is not what the study says. What the study says is "Out of 54 inks, 45 contained unlisted additives and/or pigments".
I mean, 100% of tattoos cause damage to the body, people know that. The problem is that people would like to know if it their particular case, because of an allergy, it may be worse than usual. And for that, knowing what's in the ink is important, and that's what the article is about.
It is not what the study says. What the study says is "Out of 54 inks, 45 contained unlisted additives and/or pigments".
I mean, 100% of tattoos cause damage to the body, people know that. The problem is that people would like to know if it their particular case, because of an allergy, it may be worse than usual. And for that, knowing what's in the ink is important, and that's what the article is about.
[deleted]
Just remember its always on you to protect your own best interest. It's hard to trust Doctors who swear an Oath to do no harm. Tattoo artists don't even don't even need to swear an oath. Though some tattoo artists might be very honourable people. Don't expect them to do the research and critical thinking for you. That's on you.
Just two give two recent example from where I live.
1) My city allowed a developer to build townhomes. Probably even got grants for doing it. As long as I remember the land was a transformer station. With maybe 20+ transformers there. Notorious for containing cancerous pcb chemicals. Now families with little children will be living there.
2) A COVID vaccine injured young mother was just offered assisted suicide by Doctors in Ontario. The doctors that told her it was totally safe and effective, are not Samurai and end their life in shame. They'll go home in their BMW and enjoy pizza.
Just two give two recent example from where I live.
1) My city allowed a developer to build townhomes. Probably even got grants for doing it. As long as I remember the land was a transformer station. With maybe 20+ transformers there. Notorious for containing cancerous pcb chemicals. Now families with little children will be living there.
2) A COVID vaccine injured young mother was just offered assisted suicide by Doctors in Ontario. The doctors that told her it was totally safe and effective, are not Samurai and end their life in shame. They'll go home in their BMW and enjoy pizza.
Wait, you mean this woman[0]?
Her condition is long COVID. Not an adverse vaccine reaction.
[0] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12851137/woman-lo...
Her condition is long COVID. Not an adverse vaccine reaction.
[0] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12851137/woman-lo...
No this woman:
https://www.bitchute.com/video/ARgAw0YC5aqO/
https://www.bitchute.com/video/ARgAw0YC5aqO/
100% of water contains chemicals that can cause organ damage
Beware the dangers of Di-hydrogen Monoxide!
https://www.dhmo.org/
https://www.dhmo.org/
Could be tritium oxide, which can also cause major danger to organs.
Filtration options exist. Is there a mechanism to put a filter on someone's tattoo gun?
I'll never understand how tattoos became so socially acceptable that 46% of people 30-49yo now have at least one: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/08/15/32-of-ame...
As if the continual rising prevalence of overweight and obese bodies (which I understand is not necessarily the fault of the individual) wasn't bad enough, people actually pay money to endure pain, risk exposure to bloodborne illnesses, and now apparently also to organ-damaging chemicals, all so they can permanently disfigure themselves to look uglier and trashier.
As if the continual rising prevalence of overweight and obese bodies (which I understand is not necessarily the fault of the individual) wasn't bad enough, people actually pay money to endure pain, risk exposure to bloodborne illnesses, and now apparently also to organ-damaging chemicals, all so they can permanently disfigure themselves to look uglier and trashier.
Not having the awareness that other people have different tastes than you, and may find what you consider ugly to be beautiful, is the trashiest thing of all.
> tastes
That's the thing, tastes change. Peoples' preferences, values, goals aren't static, which is why permanently disfiguring yourself (especially with some trite saying or cliched symbol), besides being trashy, just shows you have poor judgment and poor impulse control. People with tattoos ought to be stigmatized for that reason alone, never mind the ugliness and trashiness of it.
That's the thing, tastes change. Peoples' preferences, values, goals aren't static, which is why permanently disfiguring yourself (especially with some trite saying or cliched symbol), besides being trashy, just shows you have poor judgment and poor impulse control. People with tattoos ought to be stigmatized for that reason alone, never mind the ugliness and trashiness of it.
Making sweeping generalizations of other people's motivations and aesthetic values shows you have poor judgment.
You seem defensive.
Someone having an opinion on a differing taste as you put it, or a criticism of a behavior they think is counterproductive or unhealthy, shouldn't elicit a hostile response. It is about as trashy as your view of their view, in my view.
Someone having an opinion on a differing taste as you put it, or a criticism of a behavior they think is counterproductive or unhealthy, shouldn't elicit a hostile response. It is about as trashy as your view of their view, in my view.
Dislike tattoos and obese folk all you like but I'm not quite sure this is the place to be trashy yourself?
I may be a trashy disfigured individual, but at least I'm able to accept that different people can make different life choices and be happy with them. And I'm happy for them that they're able to make decisions that make them happy.
It's really not that hard to not say anything, and to not be a judgemental twat.
It's really not that hard to not say anything, and to not be a judgemental twat.
- This isn't 90% "of tattoo ink", it's 90% of the inks they tested. Most tattoo ink is black, which their tests indicate is accurately labeled (edit: black ink is mostly just the element carbon so this isn't surprising).
- This kind of problem is why experienced tattooists will test colors on peoples' skin to look for reactions.
- Tattooing, though under-studied, depends on the ink largely sitting under the skin but generally being stable. While it's totally possible that decay over time could expose your organs to the contents of the ink, when it works well the ink is just sitting there so risks should be low.
- Obviously this should be corrected and is a real indictment of the medical community's position that they won't study tattooing as a procedure we could improve (the general position on tattooing is "don't do it").