Tattoo Ink: Is it Safe or Dangerous?

Is tattoo ink safe? Here’s what you need to know. 

Timestamps

0:00 Tattoo ink 

0:12 What to know about tattoos 

1:22 Is tattoo ink safe? 

2:15 What if you already have tattoos?

2:39 Bulletproof your immune system *free course!

Today we’re going to talk about taboo ink and whether or not it’s safe. When you get a tattoo, they’re injecting certain pigments into your skin. 

A few points on tattoos to keep in mind:

• Tattoo ink is not regulated by the FDA

• You can’t donate blood if you’ve gotten a tattoo within the same year

• If you get a tattoo, make sure they do autoclave sterilization 

• There is a small risk of infection

• There is a risk you could be allergic to the pigment 

• There are certain pigments that can be toxic 

• Some of the ingredients in the pigments could be carcinogenic 

• There are no systematic safety studies on tattoos 

If you’re going to get a tattoo, you may want to make sure that the ink they expose you to is non-toxic. 

Here are a few of the chemicals and different things that can be in tattoo ink:

1. Heavy metals (mercury, lead, cadmium, aluminum)

2. Acrylics 

3. Solvents

4. Plastics 

5. PETs and PBHs

Manufacturers also don’t have to reveal their ingredients if it’s a proprietary blend. If you want to get a tattoo, make sure the ink is organic, free of iron oxide, and free of the things above. 

 If you already have tattoos, I think one of the best things you could do is to eat very healthily and make sure your immune system is very strong.