Tattoo shops are popping up like mushrooms. The number has doubled in the past seven years, according to data from the Chamber of Commerce. It is estimated that one in five Dutch people now go around with a tattoo. But how safe is such an ink drawing on your skin? In recent years, many substances in tattoo inks have been banned and from January 2023 Pigment Blue 15: 3 and Pigment Green 7 will no longer be allowed in Europe. According to European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), these pigments and other components of tattoo ink are often not safe enough to inject into the skin.
In addition to the pigment, tattoo ink also contains all kinds of auxiliary substances.
–
–
–
–
–
–
What’s in tattoo ink?
By far the most important components of tattoo ink are pigments. These, along with other dyes, provide beautiful colors that pop off the skin. However, tattoo ink is more than just a color; it’s a blend of various chemicals, such as solvents, stabilizers, pH regulators, preservatives and thickeners. Additionally, the ink may contain heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and aromatic amines as contaminants. This is problematic, as these substances can be carcinogenic.
What are the risks?
Now you don’t have to panic immediately if you had a flower on your ankle two years ago. The fact that there may be carcinogens in tattoo ink does not mean that the risk of cancer is actually greater if you have a tattoo. This depends on many different factors, including the concentration of harmful substances in the ink, the size of your tattoo and how long your body has been exposed to it. Not much is known about this yet, which is why the figures vary widely. In any case, the RIVM states that the risk of cancer due to a tattoo is small, but not negligible is: somewhere between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 1 million.
Presented by the editors
–
History
Whalers in thawing permafrost
–
–
–
Philosophy
“We are all responsible for the language we use”
–
–
–
Climate science
Insects on our plate
–
–
–
–
–
Additionally, according to dermatologist Norbert Ipenburg van de, you can also develop other long-term ailments following a tattoo. Tattoopolis of Amsterdam UMC in practice. “It is still unclear how bad tattoos are for your health. But I see it this way: The dyes in tattoo ink are not meant to be applied to the skin, but for example to spray cars or to put on make-up, “he says. According to him, 6 to 8% of people with a tattoo suffers from chronic ailments. “Often involves allergic reactions, infections and autoimmune skin diseases.” Skin diseases such as psoriasis and sarcoidosis can be triggered by tattoos, because they usually manifest in wounds or scars. “We also have many people. on the floor where the body sees the tattoo ink as foreign and tries to fix it, just like with a splinter. “
Am I allergic to tattoo ink?
When getting a tattoo, you apply the tattoo ink permanently to the skin with a needle. This produces beautiful images, but it can also cause problems if you later find that you are allergic to that ink. “Your body then recognizes the ink as foreign and sends your immune system to it, causing an exaggerated immune response,” says dermatologist Ipenburg. Complaints such as itching, swelling, pain, a raised tattoo, bumps, or even blisters can occur.
“It is amazing that you can receive these complaints at any time. They can appear after a few weeks, but even years after getting the tattoo, “says Ipenburg. How did this happen?” We still don’t know exactly. It is possible that the chemicals in the ink will react with each other or with the skin over time. Or that you must have been in contact with the ink for long enough. Red ink appears to be the culprit in 95% of allergic reactions. But purple, pink, and in rare cases green and blue ink can also be the culprit. cause. “Unfortunately it is not possible to check in advance if you are allergic. If you have never been in contact with a substance you cannot be allergic to it. You can only become allergic.”
–
–
Can it be cured?
To find out exactly what’s going on with long-term tattoo-related complaints, a small skin sample of about three millimeters is often taken from a tattoo. Ipenburg: “Under the microscope, an allergic reaction to tattoo ink looks different than when the body rejects the ink, for example.” Treatments with hormonal and anti-inflammatory ointments can help, sometimes people choose to have their tattoo removed. “Normally this is done with a laser which briefly heats the tattoo ink. This will cause the ink particles to flake off. The body then solves this problem through the lymphatic system.
The KWF warns that carcinogens that may be in the tattoo ink are released during laser removal and end up in the bloodstream. “We don’t know how bad it is for you. Laser tattoo removal is done very often and in the tattoo clinic we see few problems. Only if you are truly allergic to tattoo ink, we advise against lasering with a regular laser. It is better that the tattoo be cut with a different type of laser, a CO2 laser, which we use here at the tattoo clinic ”.
It remains to be seen whether new European regulations will reduce the health risks associated with tattoos. There are now new types of ink on the market, but the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) cannot approve or reject them in advance. So it remains to be seen if the alternatives are less harmful to you.
–
About 20 percent of the Dutch now have a tattoo. This percentage is even higher among young people.
–
–
–
–
–
–
Why are tattoos so popular?
One of the causes of the popularity of tattoos is social media, thinks Henri Beunders, professor of developments in public opinion at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam. He wrote a book about it, Tattoo Procession: The Hunt for a Meaningful Existence. “We started living more and more online, which means that the external presentation has become much more important. With tattoos, people want to add an extra layer of meaning to their appearance. You can tell a unique story with it. “
For his book, Beunders spoke to people with tattoos from all walks of life, tattoo artists and doctors. “I’ve talked to a lot of people who didn’t want a tattoo at first, but when they saw so many celebrities and people walking down the street with them, they thought, damn, that’s really cute.” This means that tattoos are no longer (only) a sign of rebellion, but also of fashion. “Now that visible tattoos are more and more accepted and more common, they are also less and less noticeable. That’s why we’ve been seeing more and more extreme tattoos lately. Think, for example, of facial tattoos, “says Beunders.
–
–
–
