Bacteria found in tattoo and permanent makeup inks: FDA

[KARAH RUCKER]

THINKING OF GETTING A NEW TATTOO?

MAYBE YOU WANT TO GET YOUR EYEBROWS MICROBLADED.

IT’S LONG BEEN THE ADVICE OF MEDICAL EXPERTS TO MAKE SURE YOU’RE IN A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT WHEN GETTING INKED … BUT A NEW STUDY FOUND THAT MIGHT NOT MATTER. 

THE F-D-A RECENTLY TOOK A CLOSER LOOK AT TATTOO AND PERMANENT MAKEUP INKS AND THE FINDINGS ARE NEEDLING, TO SAY THE LEAST. 

RESEARCHERS LOOKED AT 75 INKS USED FOR TATTOOING AND PERMANENT MAKEUP APPLICATION FROM 14 DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS.

THEY FOUND AT 26 OF THEM WERE CONTAMINATED – EVEN SOME THAT WERE LABELED AS STERILE… 

WITH 34 DIFFERENT TYPES OF BACTERIA.

AND OF THE INKS TESTED – PERMANENT MAKEUP INKS WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE CONTAMINATED. 

OF THE 75 INKS SAMPLED… 49 WERE TATTOO INKS. 

9 OF THOSE WERE FOUND TO CONTAIN BACTERIA.

35 PERMANENT MAKEUP INKS WERE TESTED… 

NEARLY HALF (17) OF THOSE WERE FOUND TO BE CONTAMINATED. 

ABOUT A THIRD OF AMERICANS HAVE AT LEAST ONE TATTOO – ACCORDING TO A STUDY BY THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER… AND WHILE THERE IS NO STUDY ON HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN PERMANENT MAKEUP – THE PROPORTION OF THE POPULATION THAT’S INKED IS LIKELY MUCH HIGHER. 

AND SINCE TATTOO INKS ARE INJECTED DEEP INTO THE SKIN – IT’S EASIER FOR THEM TO TRAVEL THROUGH YOUR BLOODSTREAM OR LYMPHATIC SYSTEM INTO OTHER PARTS OF YOUR BODY. 

THAT MEANS YOU DON’T JUST HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING AN INFECTION IN YOUR FRESH TATTOO… THERE’S ALSO CONCERN ABOUT THE POTENTIAL LONG-TERM EFFECTS. 

AND THOSE WHO HAVE MULTIPLE OR LARGE TATTOOS ARE AT A HIGHER RISK, SINCE THEY’RE EXPOSED TO MORE INK. 

THE F-D-A REPORTED A RISE IN TATTOO INFECTIONS IN 20-23… AND THEY SAY THIS STUDY SHOWS THE INKS USED COULD BE *PART* OF THE PROBLEM. 

OTHER ISSUES COME FROM ARTISTS USING NON-STERILE TECHNIQUES OR IMPROPER AFTERCARE.

THE F-D-A DOES *NOT* REGULATE TATTOO AND MAKEUP INKS… THOUGH IT DID PUT OUT SOME GUIDELINES LAST YEAR TO HELP MANUFACTURERS AVOID CONTAMINATION.