Tattoo Ink Recall 2015: Tattoo Safety Still in Question

One in five Americans have tattoo, FOX News reported last year. That's about 20% of the voting public. In the last seven years, the number of people who are reported to have more than one tattoo have almost doubled, from 8% to 14%.

While tattoos are very common among Americans, the US Food and Drug Administration recently announced a recall on certain tattoo inks due to bacterial contamination. FOX28 reports that unopened tattoo inks marketed and distributed by A Thousand Virgins in grey wash shades labeled G1, G2, and G3 may contain the human pathogen Mycobacterium chelonae, a well as Microbacterium organisms, and the molds Cryptococcus albidus and members of the Penicillium genus.

According to CBC News, a new Lancet report reveals that one to five percent of people who get tattoos suffer a bacterial infection, and some even have allergic reaction to ink.

Dr. Andreas Luch of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Berlin told Reuters: "Almost everybody these days has a tattoo, and nobody is talking about the side effects of ink deposits. There is no proof that these ink ingredients are safe, being injected into the body."

The reason behind this is the fact that tattoo ink are classified as cosmetics, therefore long term toxicology cannot be tested in animals.

Dr. Michi Shinohara, a dermatologist at the University of Washington in Seattle, told Reuters: "In the U.S. the [Food and Drug Administration] has the authority to regulate inks, but is not currently doing so. Regulation of tattoo parlors and tattoo artists is left to the states, and the requirements for operating vary widely from very minimal [bloodborne pathogen training] to fairly complex [hundreds of hours of apprenticeship]."

The problem lies in the fact that, according to CBC, there are actually no industry standards for ink ingredients and the industry itself is minimally regulated. Common tattoo ink usually contains organic pigments, but may also be made up of various preservatives and contaminants such as nickel, arsenic, and lead, Luch's study uncovered.

While the common risks for getting a tattoo are widely known—bleeding, infection, allergic reactions—Luch recommends that "The tattooist at least needs to explain that something like this could happen."

He adds, "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."

Other nonpermanent alternatives to tattoos are also available for those who like the art but do not want to commit to a permanent tattoo. Lulu DK, Flash Tattoos, and several other temporary tattoos are available in the market.

Buzzfeed reports that a new brand of temporary tattoos was recently launched, and the technology behind it uses fruit-based ink that still provides a look and feel of a real tattoo, but only lasts around 2 weeks.

What's great about the brand is part of the sales benefit the Darien Initiative, which supports the Embera-Wounaan and Kuna tribes of the Darien Gap, Panama. The tribe has been traditionally using the Genipa Americana fruit to color their skin. Learn more by visiting Inkbox's website.