Toxic Tattoo: Unregulated tattoo inks may lead to health problems, Valley doctor says

       The federal government can regulate tattoo ink. It doesn't.

       And that has at least one Valley doctor concerned that some tattoos might actually be toxic.

        Dr. Suneil Jain, a naturopathic physician and founder and owner of Scottsdale wellness center Rejuvena Health & Aesthetics, says that some tattoo inks contain heavy metals like lead, mercury and arsenic that could contribute serious health problems once injected.

        "I see a lot of heavy metal toxicity in my practice, and I see it implicated in a lot of different neurological diseases, from dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's [and] MS." Jain says. "Now, are those metals contributing to those illnesses? Probably so. Are they causing them? It's hard to say. But the bottom line is that it's never good to have elevated levels of these metals inside the body."

The presence of such heavy metals isn't always detectable by way of traditional toxicity tests because the metals settle in the body's fat cells instead of the bloodstream, Jain says. The body's cells could also digest and destroy some of the ink just as they rid the body of bacteria as a defense against infection, while research indicates that some tattoo pigment may migrate to the body's lymph nodes, according to the FDA.

        While the FDA has jurisdiction over the production of tattoo inks under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the agency considers tattoo inks to be cosmetics and the pigments used in the inks to be color additives and chooses not to exercise its regulatory authority over either. As such, research on the health risks of tattoos has been limited.

        "It's a little surprising," Jain says, "but then again, if you think about the 80 thousand plus chemicals that are being used today in general, outside of the tattoo industry, most of those have not been studied, either."

        Jain says that a main culprit for more toxic inks are "old-school" tattoo artists who choose older inks for aesthetic reasons that are more likely to contain heavy metals and other harmful ingredients.

Managers at several Valley tattoo shops say their artists use newer, strictly non-toxic inks in practice, and that many artists place their own ink orders based on preference.

        Safety information isn't usually delivered with tattoo ink orders unless it's specifically requested, according to Carrie Fernandez, a sales representative with Phoenix-based Superior Tattoo Company. The company manufactures two brands of tattoo inks in-house and sells them online to customers worldwide.

        A requested Material Safety Data Sheet for one of the locally-produced brands, Prizm Ink, reveals that the ink is composed of isopropyl alcohol, water and pigment, and states that the pigments are "essentially non-toxic," though specific ingredients for the pigment are referred to as "proprietary" and aren't listed.

        Rejuvena Health & Aesthetics offers IV therapy to combat heavy metals, a treatment often paired with laser removal. The IV therapy uses EDTA, an acid chelator, to remove trace heavy metals from the body's fat cells and replace them with healthier minerals like chromium, zinc and copper. The heavy metals are then excreted and exit the body through urination.

        Healthier people are less likely to experience symptoms associated with the presence of heavy metals, Jain says.

One universal message regarding tattoo safety rings true for Jain, the FDA, ink manufacturers and tattoo artists themselves: know your tattoo artist.

Artists at reputable tattoo parlors are more likely to know what type of ink they're using, Jain says, and are more often OSHA certified in Bloodborne Pathogen control and proper sterilization practices.

"Once you go into the tattoo shop, you want to ask lots of different questions," Fernandez says. "You are trusting them with your skin and a forever deal that never really goes away."