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Risks of Tattoo Inks

There are literally hundreds of recipes to make the best tattoo ink. The tattoo industry is an unregulated field, and as such, does not have to report its ingredient lists for approval by the Food and Drug Administration. There are some very real risks and concerns associated with tattoo ink that anyone getting a tattoo should be aware of before beginning the process.

  1. Reaction to Plastic

    • Modern tattoo inks contain plastic as part of their composition to make colors more lively. This can cause a hard, crunchy feeling in the tattooed area if the plastic coagulates under the skin. This plasticity is hard to remove and may remain after the tattoo is removed. Anyone with sensitivity to any kind of plastic should ensure that their tattoo inks do not contain any plastic ingredients.

    Granulomas

    • Granulomas, or small bumps, may develop on the skin after a tattoo is exposed to sun or high levels of heat. It is theorized that this is caused by the expanding of dark color inks. Granulomas may also develop as part of an allergic reaction to any part of the tattoo process, including the tattoo gun, the inks involved, or as a reaction to the latex gloves that the tattoo artist wears. Check tattoos periodically for the appearance of these bumps.

    Allergic Reactions

    • Many inks contain metals as a source of their coloring. The most commonly reported tattoo ink allergy is to the color red, which is almost always made out of mercury. Other inks also include metals that can cause reactions in portions of the population, including yellow (which contains cadmium), blue (which has cobalt in it), green (which is made from chromium) and purple (that is made from manganese). These reactions lead to granulomas and can lead to burning, stinging or redness if the person with the tattoo ever receives an MRI.

    Vegans

    • Many tattoo inks feature a color delivery system that includes glycerin, which is derived from animals. Vegans or other animal rights activists should be aware that animal products like glycerin may be in tattoo inks. Check with your tattoo artist to make sure that your tattoo ink fits your belief system or lifestyle.

    Long-term Consequences

    • There is speculation in the medical community that the metals and metallic salts used in tattoos may have mutagenic or carcinogenic properties that have not been fully studied.

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