Reader Mail: Tattoo Inks and Allergic Reactions
Answer: While I admittedly have no medical background, I think your doctor is being paranoid. It sounds like they're just against tattoos in the first place, so this is a great excuse for them to scare you with their extremist worst-case-scenario views to keep you from getting more ink. I have never heard of anyone dying from anaphylactic shock due to an allergic reaction to tattoo ink. However, that's not to say it could never happen and it certainly wouldn't be worth dying just to get a tattoo, so here's what I would do: Get a second opinion.
Go to a dermatologist, not just a family physician. Make sure the dermatologist doesn't have any preconceived issues with tattoos and then explain the situation to them. Get tested to find out what you are allergic to (which is a simple blood test now, not the old-fashioned prick test) and maybe you can even ask if they can test for tattoo ink as well. Get a sample of the ink from your artist. Find out what brand it actually is and request an MSDS fact sheet from the manufacturer. Do whatever research you feel is necessary to determine - without prejudice - whether you should get another tattoo again or not.
Comments
I have 112 tattoos and I am allergic to reds,blues, and greens of the millenium ink. I do fine with Superior Ink. I had a reaction so bad that it gave me blood poison and it was hot, swollen,and extremely painful!
My opinion taken from someone who has developed skin eczema from hair colour, I would be very careful. Not knowing what is in the ink you could be doing something to yourself and be totally unaware of it. Do your homework before you go ahead with any tattoo. I thought about getting a black tattoo thinking the ink might be more carbon than anything, but I am scared to run the chance. I could end up in the hospital very easily.
Just a simple little advice from a friend.
An MSDS sheet won’t be much help as some of the manufacturers don’t know/don’t care what is in their pigment and the FDA never got around (yet?) to looking at what is in these products. Also a MSDS sheet won’t alert you to trace amounts of heavy metals that are present in some pigments (I’m dead serious). A previous comment singled out millennium ink (also called Mom’s) but I’m not naming brand names here. I know I’m right about this but the FDA and tattoo industry itself doesn’t seem to care, so let’s all wait out this human trial period and see what long term harm results- which is what everyone seems to be waiting for. Like much to do with body art this is a popularity contest not an intellectual debate, and until other people start taking this seriously I’m in a league of my own (step up people!)
There are many inks on the market today, and there are many that are untested and others claiming to be FDA approved but what the manufacturers are not telling you is that the FDA approved inks are only approved for fish…not humans.
The last comment was cut off before I was finished…..
You should definately follow Karen’s advice & get tested for a specific reaction to the ink by the dermatologist. Make sure he/she is a tattoo friendly person who is unbiased against tattooed people.
There are too many variables in getting a tattoo to single out the ink… Contact Dermatitis can happen from the powder from the gloves, the adhesive from the tape,or you could even be having a reaction from the plastic bottle the ink was stored in or the plastic from anything that the liquids used in your tattoo touched; ie. soaps, water, etc.
Think of all of the things that went into your tattoo and be open minded enough to do the research to find the problem…I say this not just as a tattoo artist but as a heavily tattooed person with very sensitive skin…yes i too am allergic to the items i mentioned above including powder & tape that cause contact dermatitis on my skin.
quess what? the bright inks,in some companys,are UFO’s ,meaning there putting differant stuff, to make them brighter.in my studio, i only use national.never found any allegic reaction.sounds,like a good idea to go to a dermatologist.
Can I just say that it doesn’t matter was causes anaphylactic shock, tattoo or otherwis, but the allergic reaction can be deadly, so please get tested before you have another.