The consumer association UFC-Que Choisir has just published a file today which warns about the inks used for tattoos. Of the twenty inks studied, fifteen are dangerous and contain products harmful to health.
It’s a study which could cool your tattoo cravings… The UFC-Que Choisir sounded the alarm and seized the General Directorate for Competition, Consumption and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) but also the National Security Agency of Drug (ANSM) in order to remove these inks harmful to health. The best-selling inks on the market are probably carcinogenic and have “sanitary risks” says UFC-Que Choisir.
Out of 20 tattoo inks among the most used in France, only 5 meet the standards
Isothiazolinones, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic amines… Behind these incomprehensible and terrifying names hide chemicals that represent a danger to human beings. The study points to a very worrying situation, since around fifteen out of twenty inks contain dyes or cosmetic ingredients prohibited by French and European regulations.
What are the health risks ?
First of all, not all inks are created equal, that is, black inks represent less risk than colored inks (yellow, green, blue, red). Although some black inks contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (petroleum derivatives). In April 2017, the Assistance Publique-Hôpital de Paris opened in April 2017 the first consultation dedicated to the management of complications associated with tattoos in France. It follows that : “Inflammations, infections (common bacterial, viral, mycological or parasitic), or allergic reactions, linked to the products used and the hygienic conditions of tattooing, can however occur“. Moreover, for long-term risks, such as cancer risks, it is difficult to say even if the UFC-Que Choisir as well as the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs claim that “The potential long-term risks should not be overlooked”.
