November 2011
FEATURES
Dear EarthTalk: I’m interested in
getting a new tattoo, but recently
found out that red tattoo ink contains
mercury. Is this true of other tattoo
inks as well? Are there any eco-friend-
ly alternatives?
-- John P., Racine, WA
It is true that some red inks used for
permanent tattoos contain mercury,
while other reds may contain different
heavy metals like cadmium or iron
oxide.
These metals—which give the tattoo
its “permanence” in skin—have been
known to cause allergic reactions,
eczema and scarring, and can also
cause sensitivity to mercury from other
sources like dental fillings or consum-
ing some fish.
While red causes the most problems,
most other colors of standard tattoo
ink are also derived from heavy metals
(including lead, antimony, beryllium,
chromium, cobalt nickel and arsenic)
and can cause skin reactions in some
people.
Helen Suh MacIntosh, a professor in
environmental health at Harvard Uni-
versity and a columnist for the website
Treehugger, reports that as a result of a
2007 lawsuit brought by the American
Environmental Safety Institute (AESI),
two of the leading tattoo ink manufac-
turers must now place warning labels
on their product containers, catalogs
and websites.
These warnings explain that “inks
contain many heavy metals, including
lead, arsenic and others” and that the
ingredients have been linked to cancer
and birth defects.
Of course, exposure to mercury and
other heavy metals is hardly the only
risk involved with getting a tattoo.
The term tattoo itself means to punc-
ture the skin. Tattoo ink is placed via
needles into the dermis layer of the
skin, where it remains permanently (al-
though some colors will fade over time).
Some people have reported sensitiv-
ity springing up even years after they
first got their tattoo; also, medical MRIs
can cause tattoos to burn or sting as the
heavy metals in the ink are affected by
the test’s magnetism.
Beyond the long-term risks of walk-
ing around with heavy metals injected
into your body’s largest organ (the
skin), getting a tattoo in and of itself can
be risky business.
If the tattoo parlor’s needles and
equipment aren’t properly sterilized in
an autoclave between customers, you
could be exposing yourself to hepatitis
B or C, tuberculosis, mycobacterium,
syphilis, malaria, HIV or even leprosy.
“The potential risk of infectious
spread from tattooing (particularly due
to Hepatitis B) is high enough that it is a
practice that should be avoided by preg-
nant women to safeguard the health
of the baby [and that of the pregnant
The Southwest Portland Post • 5
woman herself] whose immune system
is down-regulated and is much more
vulnerable to these types of infection,”
reports dermatologist Audrey Kunin,
who runs the popular Dermadoctor
website.
Dr. Kunin advises to be careful about
choosing a tattoo parlor: “Make sure
the place is reputable, perhaps check
with the health department to see if
there have been past claims against
the parlor in question if you still have
doubts.” She adds that since tattoos are
essentially open wounds, they must be
cared for properly, especially in the first
few weeks, to stave off infection.
Those who want go ahead with get-
ting a tattoo anyway despite the risks
should consider steering clear of colors
derived from heavy metals. Dr. Kunin
reports that black might be the safest
permanent tattoo ink; it is often derived
from a substance called carbon black
and rarely causes any kind of sensitiv-
ity issues.
If your heart is set on red in your
tattoo, ask around to see if any tattoo
parlors in your area are willing to work
with non-metallic organic pigments
that lend a red color such as carmine,
scarlet lake, sandalwood or brazilwood.
(Photo courtesy of Hemera Collection,
Thinkstock)
There are non-metallic alternatives
available for many other popular tattoo
ink shades, too.
CONTACTS: Treehugger, www.
treehugger.com; Dermadoctor, www.
dermadoctor.com.
EarthTalk® is written and edited by
Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a reg-
istered trademark of E - The Environmental
Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send
questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com.
Advertise in The Post’s
annual Holiday Guide
Mention this offer and save 20% off the open rate
of any regular display ad.
Includes space, design, position and color.
Call Don or Harry at 503-244-6933 for details.
See our online ratecard at
www.swportlandpost.com
Experience Multnomah Village
Get ready for the holidays
Look
for it
soon in
Multnomah
Village
and
Hillsdale
Shop Local, Think Local, Be Local
n
www.multnomahvillage.org
OPEN
for
business
Ad paid for by Environmental Services City of Portland
WS 11149 NOV