Once you get over the initial nervousness about getting a tattoo, the process is typically smooth sailing. Sure, it’s painful—a mechanized needle digging into your skin over and over will have that effect—but temporary soreness aside, being inked by a trusted and qualified artist is usually a positive experience. But even a talented and diligent tattooist might face an issue on which the U.S. Food & Drug Administration is once again shining a light: microbial contamination in tattoo ink.
Tattoo ink is legally defined as a cosmetic and therefore falls under the regulation of the FDA, which recently released a document titled Guidance for Industry: Insanitary Conditions in the Preparation, Packing, and Holding of Tattoo Inks and the Risk of Microbial Contamination. In it, the agency states that there were 15 voluntary tattoo ink recalls between 2003 and 2019, 14 of which revealed microbial contamination caused by manufacturing or distribution processes. “Eight of these recalls occurred after FDA conducted multiple surveys of tattoo inks available in the U.S. market and tested them for microbial contamination,” the document explains. “Many of these inks were heavily contaminated with a variety of microorganisms, some of which can cause serious infections.”
The report also notes that in 2012, contaminated tattoo inks caused a multi-state outbreak of skin infections. “Exposure to tattoo ink that is contaminated with microorganisms can cause skin infections," board-certified dermatologist Brendan Camp, M.D., a New York City board-certified dermatologist, confirms to Allure.
Such infections can include impetigo, abscess formation, and cellulitis; in severe cases, they can even lead to sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to infection. These types of infections “can present on the skin as painful pink or red bumps, pustules, abscesses that ooze pus, erosions and ulcers, and scars,” Dr. Camp explains. Naturally, this is not great for the tattoos themselves. “When a tattoo becomes infected, it can permanently alter the appearance of the tattoo by distorting the image through the formation of scars, uneven pigment distribution, and discoloration of the surrounding skin.”
In an effort to prevent these outcomes, the FDA issued this guidance “to help tattoo ink manufacturers and distributors recognize situations in which a tattoo ink may become contaminated with microorganisms and thus be potentially injurious to health.” The document makes recommendations to ink manufacturers and distributors for identifying and correcting unsanitary conditions such as testing ink and components, ensuring the manufacturing process does not introduce microbial contamination by way of adequate cleaning and sanitization of equipment and providing protective equipment to employees, using appropriate sterilization methods, and doing everything possible to prevent the release of any microbially contaminated product.
Thankfully, the vast majority of tattoos provided by qualified tattooists don’t result in contamination-related infection, but knowing that it’s possible can lead any client to worry about their health and safety going into their next session. That’s where tattoo artist diligence comes into play—though there are limitations, even for the most careful of pros. “The manufacturing of the ink is out of our hands,” says Sam Bowman, an artist at High Hopes Tattoo in Brooklyn.
Because of this, tattooists must do meticulous research when selecting their ink (it’s standard practice for artists to purchase and maintain their own machinery and ink rather than tattoo shops, which usually supply their artists with more basic supplies such as paper towels and ink cups). “Professional licensed tattoo artists should always make sure that they purchase tattoo inks from reputable companies,” says Aleksandra Stojanoska, a tattoo artist and co-owner of Aeon Tattoo Studio in Miami. “These companies make clear descriptions about their whole manufacturing process of the ink and what kind of ingredients goes into each ink bottle.”
Ben Shaw, public relations officer for the Alliance of Professional Tattooists and an artist at Archetype Tattoo in Albuquerque, echoes this. “On those tattoo ink bottles, we want to ensure that there's a lot number. That lot number is just in case there is a recall so we can identify that specific batch and pull them back,” he says. There should always be an ingredient list with an accompanying safety data sheet, he adds. “We avoid buying any tattoo inks from third-party vendors like Amazon.”
Although artists have no control of the manufacturing process, once they have trusted ink in their possession, they have best practices for delivering the safest session possible. For a tattooist, "Ensuring ink safety comes down to making sure the other materials we use—needles, ink cups, etcetera—are totally sanitized,” Bowman says.
Shaw adds that you should feel free to ask your artist if they follow these protocols. “One of the most important pieces is that the tattoo artist is bloodborne-pathogen certified,” which means they’ve taken an OSHA-compliant class that educates workers about bloodborne pathogens and how to help prevent exposure and spreading. (Organizations like the American Red Cross offer this.) “This is to ensure when the tattoo artist is handling and dispersing ink and sanitizing their bottles that there's no cross-contamination risk.”
It’s also important to keep in mind that if your tattoo gets infected, it may have nothing to do with the ink or even what your artist does while tattooing you. “Infections are most likely to occur once the customer has left the shop and are out in the world living their lives with a fresh wound,” tattoo artist Erin Odea of Crossed Keys Society in Fort Lauderdale says.
If you think you might be experiencing an infection after getting a tattoo, regardless of cause, see a board-certified dermatologist. “Infections can be cultured and need to be treated with prescription antibiotics and topical treatments,” Dr. Camp explains. And remember to always follow the directions your artist gives you about aftercare, especially when it comes to keeping your tattoo clean and protected from the elements. While you’re unlikely to experience the effects of contaminated ink, there are proactive ways for you to promote the healthiest healing of your next tattoo.
More on tattoos:
- The 9 Biggest Tattoo Trends of 2024
- Cara Delevingne Fixed Her Tattoo Typo in the Artsiest Way Possible
- Everything You Need to Know Before Getting Your First Tattoo
Now, watch someone get their first tattoo:
