A Survey of Metals Found in Tattoo Inks

Abstract

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Women and Tattoos: Fashion, Meaning, and Implications for Health

“…Commercial tattoo inks are complicated chemical mixtures consisting of pigments suspended in one or more diluents. Additional ingredients such as binders, surfactants, preservatives, and fragrance are used to alter the viscosity and other physical properties of the ink as aids to the tattooist's craft (Table ) . Traditionally, black pigments were composed of carbon or iron salts, and colors were based on metals, including heavy metals.…”

“…The dyes used in commercial tattoo ink are mainly organic—azo, phthalocyanine, or polycyclic pigments—created in huge quantities for industrial uses such as printing, paints, lacquers, glazes, and plastics . Because they are not manufactured for human use, there are no controls for contaminants or chemical hazards, and none has been tested for human safety .…”

“…Because they are not manufactured for human use, there are no controls for contaminants or chemical hazards, and none has been tested for human safety . Impurities in the dye component of tattoo ink have been measured at up to 20%, including metals associated with hypersensitivity, liver disease, neurological damage, cancer, and even death …”

“…The physiologic response to tattooing, as detailed in Table , is complex, dynamic, and continuous throughout the lifetime of the tattoo . An initial acute inflammatory response, caused by skin cleansers, ink ingredients, and the local trauma of thousands of needlesticks, begins the phagocytic capture and aggregation of pigment particles .…”

“…Although infectious complications are declining with regulation and professionalization of tattoo practice, concerns about allergic reactions and long‐term potential for harm from unregulated tattoo ink ingredients are growing . When complications of tattooing occur, individuals most frequently return to their tattoo artist for minor problems or visit emergency rooms for more compelling issues .…”