July 19, 2024 – Commercial tattoo and everlasting makeup inks are too often contaminated with microbes that may result in infections, warn researchers in a novel study testing the products.
When US researchers tested 75 unopened and sealed tattoo and everlasting make-up inks from 14 different manufacturers, they found that about 35 percent of the products were contaminated with bacteria.
They discovered each aerobic bacteria, which require oxygen, and anaerobic bacteria, which thrive in oxygen-poor environments akin to the dermis layer of the skin.
“This suggests that contaminated tattoo inks could be a source of infection for both types of bacteria,” said Dr. Seong-Jae Peter Kim, a microbiologist on the FDA's National Center for Toxicological Research, in a press release.
The results are “worrying,” said Dr. Waleed Javaid.Professor of Medicine and Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City. “TThis contamination poses a big health risk as these inks are injected into the dermis layer of the skin, creating an environment conducive to bacterial infections,” Javaid said. who was not involved in the study, the published online in the Journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Infections from contaminated tattoo tools or ink can lead to serious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis and skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus (“Staph”) and other bacteria, according to to the FDA.
New body art culture
Tattoos are more popular than ever. It is estimated that at least 32% of people in the United States have at least one tattoo. And with the increase in popularity comes an increase in tattoo-related infections.
This new research follows previous studies that have shown that commercially available tattoo and permanent makeup inks are often contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms.
Of the 75 ink samples that Kim and his colleagues tested, 26 were contaminated with 34 different types of bacteria. 19 of these proved to be pathogenic. Some of the vials were labeled as sterile.
“The presence of bacteria such as Cutibacterium acnes And Staphylococcus epidermidiswhich can cause skin infections and other complications, underscores the potential danger for people who get tattoos or permanent makeup,” Javaid said.
The results “underscore the importance of monitoring these products for both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, including potentially pathogenic microorganisms,” Kim said within the press release.