According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, use of unsanitary needles and other equipment during tattooing can transmit skin infections as well as various tuberculosis, types of hepatitis, and even HIV/AIDS. However, if you're thinking about getting inked, keep in mind that tattoo ink itself poses an unknown risk. Its overall long- and short-term safety needs more comprehensive research, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
Color Additives and the FDA
The FDA considers tattoo ink, including the ink used in permanent makeup, a cosmetic. The pigments used in the ink are treated as color additives, which are subject to approval by the FDA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. These are the same color additives that give your lipstick, blush, and eyeshadow color and that make your Halloween makeup glow in the dark. Color additives must be unadulterated and approved for specific purposes. For example, federal regulations allow only use of certain color additives in cosmetics applied around your eye area.
The FDA and Tattoo Ink
According to the Code of Federal Regulations, no color additives can be injected underneath your skin, including additives used for tattoos and permanent makeup. The FDA expressly states that the agency has not approved tattoo pigments for intradermal injection, including those used in glow-in-the-dark tattoos and henna tattoos. According to the FDA, numerous pigments found in tattoo ink are considered industrial, not cosmetic grade, and are appropriate for use in car paint or printer's ink. Tattoo artists and the process of tattooing itself are governed by your city, county or state laws.
Problems with Tattoo Ink
As of June 2008, the FDA had received more than 150 reports of adverse reactions from female consumers associated with permanent makeup ink, although the total number of women affected may be far greater. Additionally, adverse reactions were reported by those who experienced unpleasant skin reactions, such as inflamed, itchy skin when the skin was exposed to the sun, right after receiving a tattoo and even years later. According to the Mayo Clinic, red pigment is more likely to cause an allergic reaction in your skin. This too can persist for years after you get the tattoo.
Tattoo Ink and MRIs
Tattoo ink and permanent makeup may also have an effect on the efficacy of a diagnostic medical test called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The FDA has received reports that certain tattoo pigments decreased the quality of the image, especially in patients with permanent eyeliner. The FDA goes on to state that some people who undergo a MRI experience temporary inflammation and burning of the tattooed site, although this seems to happen rarely and without lingering complications. If you're having this test done and have a tattoo, inform your doctor or technician so necessary precautions can be taken.
Tattoo Ink Research
Because the safety of the ink used in tattoos is questionable, this is a topic of investigation for the National Center for Toxicological Research, says the FDA. According to researcher and chemist Paul Howard, Ph.D., some of the things he and his team hope to discover is how tattoo inks break down in the human body and what happens in the body when tattoo ink is exposed to sunlight. According to Howard, no comprehensive studies on tattoo inks exist.
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