83% of tattoo inks contain hidden ingredients linked to cancer, organ damage: study

Tatt’s terrifying.

Americans are unwittingly exposing themselves to tattoo inks that contain organ-damaging chemicals, disturbing new research has revealed.

An analysis of 54 inks commonly used in tattoo parlors across the United States has uncovered that a whopping 45 of them contain unlisted additives or pigments, including chemicals known to pose serious health risks.

Researchers found the most common additive to be polyethylene glycol, a compound that can cause acute renal failure.

Multiple inks also contain 2-phenoxyethanol, which can cause toxic effects in high doses. The National Institutes of Health lists lung and liver irritation, as well as kidney and nerve damage, as possible effects.

The study, led by Jonn Swierk from the Department of Chemistry at Binghamton University, was published this month in the journal Analytical Chemistry.

Swierk and his team said their aim is not to alarm inked-up Americans but to increase transparency surrounding popular products used in parlors.

“We’re hoping the manufacturers take this as an opportunity to reevaluate their processes, and that artists and clients take this as an opportunity to push for better labeling and manufacturing,” he said.

Last year, the Food and Drug Administration issued draft guidance to tattoo ink manufacturers and distributors to help recognize situations in which tattoo ink may become contaminated with microorganisms and potentially injurious to health.

Between 2003 and 2023, firms conducted 18 recalls of tattoo inks that were contaminated with a variety of microorganisms, some of which can cause serious infections.

However, tattoos are regulated as a cosmetic product in the US, meaning that, in most cases, ingredients do not have to be approved by the FDA before use.

In contrast, the European Union instituted a ban on two commonly used green and blue inks in 2022 after regulators claimed that they contained hazardous chemicals.

More than 100 million Americans have at least one tattoo.

Almost half of all adults 30 to 49 are inked, according to the Pew Research Center.

Tattoo inks contain two parts — a pigment and a carrier solution.

The pigment could be a molecular compound such as a blue pigment, or a solid compound such as titanium dioxide. The carrier solution, on the other hand, transports the pigment to the middle layer of the skin.

The new study is the first of its kind to look at pigments in inks sold in the US.

“These nominally stay in the skin, [along with] the carrier package, which is what the pigment is suspended in.”

“Our goal in a lot of this research is to empower artists and their clients,” Swierk said. “Tattoo artists are serious professionals who have dedicated their lives to this craft and they want the best possible outcomes for their clients.”