A new study shows tattoo ink drains into the lymphatic system and accumulates in lymph nodes, diminishing the effects of immune cells. This accumulation of ink pigment triggers both local and systemic inflammation that persists for months.
A third of American adults, roughly 32% – or about 80 million people – have tattoos, and they should read this new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).
"Despite safety concerns regarding the toxicity of tattoo ink, no studies have reported the consequences of tattooing on the immune response. In this work, we have characterized the transport and accumulation of different tattoo inks in the lymphatic system using a murine model," researcher Arianna Capucetti wrote in the study.
"Upon quick lymphatic drainage, we observed that macrophages mainly capture the ink in the lymph node (LN).
An initial inflammatory reaction at local and systemic levels follows ink capture. Notably, the inflammatory process is maintained over time, as we observed clear signs of inflammation in the draining LN 2 mo following tattooing. In addition, the capture of ink by macrophages was associated with the induction of apoptosis in both human and murine models. Furthermore, the ink accumulated in the LN altered the immune response against two different types of vaccines."
Considering the unstoppable trend of tattooing in the population, our results are crucial in informing the toxicology programs, policymakers, and the general public regarding the potential risk of the tattooing practice associated with an altered immune response.
As we noted earlier this year, "Many tattoo inks contain chemicals that have been classified as carcinogenic — or cancer-causing — by the International Agency for Research on Cancer."
While black tattoo inks use carbon black, colored inks contain pigments designed for industrial applications such as plastics and paints. More troubling, tattoo inks are far less regulated than pharmaceuticals.
We have already covered two important studies:
A 2024 Swedish study tracking nearly 12,000 people found that individuals with tattoos had a 21% higher risk of malignant lymphoma compared with those without ink.
A Danish twin study published earlier this year reported similar trends. Tattooed participants showed higher rates of skin cancer.
Posted by missscarlett1977
3 Comments
I have 0 tattoos and I’m in my 40s
Never trusted it in the first place and my grandpa’s looked like garbage because they don’t hold up forever lol
Never understood how it got to the point where I’m the weird one for not having any
So people shouldn’t be allowed to get tattoos? Or should the government require ink manufacturers to include carcinogen warnings? I’m confused as to what the conspiracy is here. People have been marking their bodies for ten thousand years.
I am not a Bible thumper, by any means, but, in my churchgoing youth, before it was a trendy thing to do, they were sure to drill this verse into our heads:
[https://biblehub.com/leviticus/19-28.htm](https://biblehub.com/leviticus/19-28.htm)
Back in the day, only the “low class”, criminal element, and general rabble-rousers tattooed themselves. Those from “the other side of the tracks”, generally.
I never understood the trend, there are plenty of other outlets to express one’s self to commemorate monumental events, or elevate your favorite popular thing to permanent commitment. One could write, or draw, or photograph, or pursue many other methods of preservation or admiration that doesn’t put ink into one’s self.
And, as we age, that skin “art” will lose it’s color, or texture, or shape with the change of one’s physique. I’ve encountered many older folks with a dark, unrecognizable blotch on their skin which turned out to be a former tattoo.
Furthermore, until the remnants of the “Greatest Generation”, the “Baby Boomers”, and the “Gen X’rs” who were taught and told those wrong side of the tracks folks would expose themselves as such with visible tattooing, the “trend” will continue to cause judgements that close doors of opportunity, rather than opening them.
We’re far from ready for a double sleeve wearing CEO becoming prevalent trend in the Fortune 500 crew, or the full chest art on a First Lady, as a positive benefit to her POTUS husband.
But, hey, you do you. It’s your bar of success to set, and work toward achieving. And, when you ensure certain doors are closed, and do your best to lock them tightly with your displays of personal angst or adoration, the consequences are yours to carry.
And, IMHO, if you just gotta, consider Henna. And, when it wears off, you can re-fresh, or re-do, or reconsider. Ink under the skin, as coming out from the long run studies, are starting to show cause to give pause.