While I was having a coffee this morning quietly reading the digital press, I came across an unpleasant surprise. And the thing is, the so-called Spanish "mass media" have published almost in unison, a very sensationalist headline that we could summarize in the following sentence: "Tattoos are dangerous and can cause cancer and even have toxic effects".
That's right, in the middle of 2016 and in the European Union we continue to find media that prefer to create alarmism and even misinform society. Not, tattoos are NOT dangerous. Although we better go into details about this information than today, practically the main Spanish digital media echo it. We refer to a scientific study that has been carried out by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), and by which this conclusion is reached.
According to a British newspaper (and echoed by many Spaniards), some inks would be formulated with some chemical compounds that would be dangerous to health. Specifically, and if we read the report, we will realize that It is alluded to that many tattooists could turn to low quality inks and / or "low cost" products to save costs.
This can happen in many areas of our lives, and the world of tattoos is no stranger to it. If we go to a quality study, which complies with all regulations, we will not have this problem. However, If you decide to get a tattoo at the house of a friend who has bought Chinese tattoo inks online, it is another story very different.
Another point that has caught my attention is that this report indicates that some colors are more harmful than others. What's more, they point to the black color as the most "toxic." It is clear that depending on the tones that the ink has, it will be composed of one type of pigment or others. However, those approved comply with current regulations y NO, for getting a black tattoo we will NOT get cancer. As long as it is legal and safe material as we have said.
All EU approved tattoo inks are safe
With the exception of other regions of the planet such as Asia or Latin America, in the European Union we find some of the most demanding regulations for the approval of tattoo inks. Moreover, by law, if a health inspection goes to a tattoo studio in Spain or any other EU member country, it must necessarily have the homologated inks, otherwise, and if it is shown that they are tattooing with inks not approved, a penalty will be applied to the studio and its owner.
What we can all agree on is that At the European Community level, there are no clear regulations for the approval of tattoo inks. It is something that must be worked on to achieve common regulations. Despite this, and in any case, we can say that the inks approved for tattooing in Spain, France, Germany or Italy, for example, are totally safe. Therefore, and as mentioned above, all tattoo inks that are approved in the European Union are safe.
No one can prevent an allergic reaction
Another point that has created more controversy this information that ensures that tattoos can be dangerous is that they can cause allergic reactions. Let's see, we have written a lot in Tatuantes (I have even commented on my personal videoblog) that there is a small percentage of the population (less than 1%) that could generate some kind of allergic reaction to approved tattoo inks.
And as we have said in the different articles in which we deal with the topic of allergies to tattoos, the only possibility we have to know if our body will generate an allergic reaction to tattoo ink is to get a tattoo. Therefore, and as I have said on numerous occasions, if you have doubts about whether or not you can be allergic to tattoo inkIdeally, your first tattoo should be very small and in an area that is not very visible. This way you can avoid seeing yourself in the situation of having tattooed half an arm or leg and that has caused a serious allergic reaction.
Source - The Independent