UNITED STATES: FDA: Tattoos Can Endanger Health

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

UNITED STATES: FDA: Tattoos Can Endanger Health

Newsday (New York) (12.08.07) - Monday, December 17, 2007
Delthia Ricks

The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to consider potential health and safety risks before getting tattoos. In a statement, the agency said it will begin investigating the possible health effects of tattoo inks.

"Our hope is to get a better understanding of the body's response to tattoos and their impact on human health, and to identify products at greatest risk," Dr. Linda Katz, director of FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said Dec. 7.

Nationwide, tattooing has grown in popularity in recent years. The responsibility to oversee the industry falls to state and county health authorities. FDA acknowledged that because of its other public health focuses, it has not regulated tattoo inks.

The FDA noted the potential health risks linked to tattoos are many. Dirty needles can transmit blood-borne infections like HIV, hepatitis B and C, as well as bacterial agents. Allergies and scar tissue formation are concerns as well. When later undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), some people report burning or swelling at the tattoo site, though this is said to occur only rarely.
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