By Macaela Mackenzie, Allure
Getting inked is more popular than ever — as evidenced by the rise and diversity in super artful tattoos
and advanced inking techniques. But just because tattooing is becoming
way more popular, doesn’t mean there aren’t still serious risks to watch
out for, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
[post_ads]The FDA offers warnings to consumers on the risks of getting inked. In an updated consumer Q&A
released this week, they highlight the 363 incident reports (which
range from mild irritations to serious horror stories) they've received
between 2004 and 2016. We’re talking mold-infested ink,
allergy-triggered rashes and nasty scars.
According to the FDA,
there are two major things you need to worry about if you’re thinking
about getting ink: less than clean conditions and contaminated ink. Way
more important than its Instagrammability, a tattoo parlor should be
clean as a surgeon's theater — you can get serious infections from
non-sterile needles and equipment, so if your potential parlor looks
dingy, think again. Watch your artist prep his or her equipment so you
can verify they’re breaking out sterile new tools for every customer.
Secondly,
you've got to watch out for the actual ink, which can be contaminated
by non-sterile water used to break up the pigments and can be infested
with bacteria or mold. “There’s no sure-fire way to tell if the ink is
safe,” according to the FDA report. “An ink can be contaminated even if
the container is sealed or the label says the product is sterile.”
Contamination aside, even the inks themselves can contain pigments used
in printer toner or car paint. The FDA doesn’t regulate inks used for
cosmetics purposes so do your research before going under the needle.
Next,
the FDA warns you could be dealing with allergic reactions or scarring —
they’ve seen everything from rashes to aggressive infections that
required serious medical intervention. And because the inks are
permanent, the reaction may persist, warns the FDA. Yikes. "If you are
prone to developing bad scars or hypertrophic or keloidal scars, then
you are at higher risk of developing a scar within the tattoo," says Sejal Shah,
a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. "If you have any
known allergies, you should mention these to your tattoo artist, but
keep in mind that the ingredients in the inks may not be known and you
may not be aware of certain substances you are allergic to."
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Finally,
the FDA warns that we still don’t know the long-term effects of ink —
they’ve received reports of nasty reactions while the ink is still fresh
and also years later. Tattoos can even cause you to develop an allergy
to other products like hair dye down the road if the ink used contains
p-phenylenediamene (PPD). "You may become sensitized to the PPD and then
have an allergic reaction on re-exposure," says Shah. "If you are
sensitized to a substance, other similar substances can then set off an
allergic reaction."
The bottom line? Think before you ink. "With
tattoos, customers should always understand that there is some
uncertainty," says Shah. In addition to making sure your artist is
licensed and uses hygienic methods,"ask them where they purchase their
ink, how it is diluted — is sterile water used? — and stored, as well as
their personal adverse reaction rates. In other words, how many of
their clients have had infections or other issues," says Shah.
Do your skin a solid and check out the National Conference of State Legislatures for state-by-state guidelines
on tattoo regulations. A little homework before popping into a tattoo
parlor on a whim can help keep you from becoming another rash story (and
earn you some peace of mind).
Read more:
- These Watercolor Tattoos Are Actual Works of Art
- The New Helix Tattoo Trend Is All Over Instagram
- This Ohio Medi-Spa Is Removing Racist Tattoos for Free
