Thinking of getting a new tattoo or permanent makeup? It has long been the advice of medical experts to make sure the environment where a person gets new ink is clean. However, a new study from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found that cleanliness might not matter when it comes to avoiding bacteria.
FDA researchers looked at dozens of inks used for tattooing and permanent makeup application from 14 different manufacturers. Twenty-six of the inks were contaminated, even some labeled as sterile, with 34 different types of bacteria.
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Permanent makeup inks were more likely to be contaminated.
Of the inks sampled, 49 were tattoo inks and researchers found bacteria in nine of them. Researchers also tested 35 permanent makeup inks and found 17, nearly half, were contaminated.
About a third of Americans have at least one tattoo, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. While there is no study on how many people have gotten permanent makeup, the proportion of the population that is inked is likely much higher.
Since tattoo inks are injected deep into the skin, it is easier for them to travel through the bloodstream or lymphatic system into other parts of the body. That means people do not just have to worry about getting an infection in a fresh tattoo, there is also concern about the potential long-term effects.
Additionally, those who have multiple or large tattoos are at a higher risk, since they are exposed to more ink.
The FDA reported a rise in tattoo infections in 2023 and said 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 FDA does not regulate tattoo and makeup ink, though it did put out some guidelines last year to help manufacturers avoid contamination.
