Aside from pain, bleeding, and allergic reactions, a new study focuses on finding the long-term risks of getting inked.
Reuters Health reports that the study published in The Lancet is looking for the unknown danger of tattoos, since ink, which is classified as a cosmetic in other countries, is being injected into human tissues.
"Almost everybody these days has a tattoo, and nobody is talking about the side effects of ink deposits," said Dr. Andreas Luch from German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Berlin, senior author of the study. "There is no proof that these ink ingredients are safe, being injected into the body."
According to researchers, 1 to 5% of people acquired bacterial infection from ink, while some suffer allergic reactions. These effects, however, occur immediately just after a tattoo session.
"The acute risks are well known," Luch told Reuters Health. "The tattooist at least needs to explain that something like this could happen."
The researchers added that tattoo health and safety regulations only focus on short-term risks without considering the possible danger of ink (organ toxicity or cancer) accumulated in the body in the long run.
"We need to assume that all of these ink ingredients, including preservatives, processing aids or whatever, will become systemically available in the body over time," Luch suggests. "Regulation based on cosmetics is insufficient."
In an investigation examining dead bodies with tattoos, researchers found out that 90 percent of ink disappeared over time. "We cannot answer the question what is going to happen with these inks," he added.
In the modern age where about 120 million people in the western hemisphere at least has one tattoo, University of Washington's dermatologist Dr. Michi Shinohara told Reuters Health the U.S. Food And Drug Administration has to come up with stronger regulations on tattoos.
For those getting inked, Dr. Shinohara advised "people should be smart about it."
"Research the parlor, ask about any recent problems, follow the aftercare instructions and report immediately to the tattoo artist and a physician for any problems that occur after tattooing."
