Q: Are tattoos toxic?
A: Back in the day, having tats meant you’d worn one of two uniforms: a sailor suit or prison stripes.
Today, 24 per cent of 18-to-50-year-olds have tattoos. Narrow that down to mid-to-late-20-somethings and 36 per cent have at least one.
Besides the eventual regret that comes from engraving your body with the same Chinese character or tribal band as 100,000 other people, is there anything you should be concerned about when considering getting inked?
Let’s put it this way: in California since 2005, tattoo parlours and permanent makeup pros have had to post warnings that their products may contain lead, arsenic, mercury, chromium extract, antimony and more metals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Now, those in the biz will tell you that the levels of heavy metals in their inks all fall within safety standards, but I’d like to see that warning posted in tattoo shops in Canada so people could make more informed choices. No one is saying the tat you sport will make you sick – only that chronic exposure to some metals can add to your overall toxic load.
Even if you’re not worried about long-term heavy metal effects, the metals in tattoo pigments can cause weird allergic reactions. Red is by far the dodgiest hue, and some shades (such as cinnabar or vermilion) can contain mercury.
They’re rarer these days, but reactions to red ink continue to be the most common, including among those getting cosmetic tattoos (the perils of permanently red lips). The weird part is that you might not get a reaction for years.
By the way, the Mayo Clinic warns that in rare instances tattoos and permanent makeup may cause swelling and burning during an MRI (especially with inks heavy in iron oxide). Don’t avoid an MRI if you need one, but let the radiologist know you have a tattoo.
So what should you ask about when you’re thinking of getting a tat, besides “What will this look like on my belly 40 years from now?”
Ask about non-metallic pigments. These are sometimes called “organic” inks, but “organic” in this world just means metal-free.
Not that these are totally safe. A 2003 EU report noted that 16 of 28 organic colorants were azo dyes (a synthetic family of pigments) that your body easily metabolizes into carcinogenic amines, and four had actual amines in them.
Natural black pigments made from carbon or logwood are considered safer than those containing iron oxide. Nevertheless, while some tests have found big-brand black inks to be lead-free, preliminary research at Northern Arizona University found lead in several samples.
Vegans should be aware that tattoos aren’t necessarily animal-product-free. Carbon or “bone black” is made by burning animal bones into charcoal, and most carrier solutions used in applying the ink have an animal gelatine base. Ask around for veg-conscious tattoo artists who use vegan inks and carriers. Stable Color Inks are 100 per cent vegan.
Avoid amateur tattoo artists like the plague. They’re more likely to use dodgy inks with impurities and toxins.
Want some body art just for a little while? Well – surprise! – that temporary tattoo might leave you with nasty blisters and scarring. Temporary tattoos that are black in colour should be avoided they could contain skin-irritating PPD that can lead to open sores. Pretty gross.
True henna body art is made of plant powder and is never black, but brownish or reddish. You might find something labelled “black henna indigo” in Indian stores, but just so there are no surprises, it’s actually a green plant powder that turns blue when you add water to it. It’s PPD-free.
Got a question?
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