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Potentially harmful bacteria found in a quarter of tattoo inks, study finds
Researchers at the FDA tested tattoo and permanent makeup (PMU) samples and found over a third of them were contaminated with bacteria.
Of those, a high percentage contained “possibly pathogenic bacterial strains” that can cause disease, and even unopened tattoo and PMU inks can contain both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.
Bacteria found in permanent makeup and tattoo inks
Led by Sunghyun Yoon and Sandeep Kondakala, researchers at the Food and Drug Administrations National Center for Toxicological Research tested 75 ink samples.
The inks they tested were the kind used by tattoo and permanent makeup (micropigmentation) artists. Permanent makeup isnt actually permament, but tends to last 3-5 years. Its a cosmetic technique used to produce artificial eyebrows, enhance the colors of the skin of the face, and to disguise scars, among other things.
The scientists found 26 of the 75 ink samples tested were contaminated with bacteria (just over a third). Of them, 19 contained possibly pathogenic bacterial strains (just under a quarter), according to their writeup in the Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Pathogenic is a medical term that describes viruses, bacteria, and other germs that can cause some kind of disease.�
Even unopened and sealed inks can contain bacteria
Tattooing and permanent makeup are becoming increasingly popular in many parts of the world. This has led to higher numbers of reported ink-related infections, making research into the potential toxicity of tattoo inks more relevant than ever.
Besides the fact that 19 out of the 75 inks they tested (25%) contained “possibly pathogenic bacterial strains,” the FDA researchers found that even unopened and sealed tattoo inks can can harbor anaerobic bacteria alongside aerobic bacteria.
Anaerobic bacteria thrive in low oxygen environments. The dermal layer of the skin, where tattoo artists deposit ink, is a prime example of a low oxygen environment.
The key difference is that aerobic bacteria produce energy with oxygen, while bacteria that make energy without oxygen are anaerobic. For example, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis is aerobic; the bacterium that causes botulism is anaerobic.
How dangerous is contaminated tattoo ink?
The FDA issued a safety alert in 2019 about certain tattoo inks contaminated with microorganisms, according to its website. It then issued a draft guidance to help manufacturers and distributors of tattoo ink to recognize situations in which tattoo ink may become contaminated with bacteria or cold.
Adverse reactions to contaminated tattoo ink can include redness, bumps and a rash. In more extreme cases, people can experience a fever, shaking, chills, and sweats. WebMD adds that nonsterile needles can pass bacterial infections like impetigo and staphylococcus from person to person.
However, the FDA doesnt regulate tattoo and PMU inks because it considers them to be cosmetics. The pigments are color additives, and other public health priorities take precedence over the potential hazards of tattooing since there is a lack of evidence of safety problems specifically associated with these pigments, writes Forbes.
In other words, the risks are too low for the FDA to take a great deal of notice.
