Tattooing has long been practised in various societies all around the world and is becoming increasingly common and widespread in the West. Tattoo ink suspensions unquestionably contain pigments composed of nanoparticles, i.e., particles of sub-100 nm dimensions. It is widely acknowledged that nanoparticles have higher levels of chemical activity than their larger particle equivalents. However, assessment of the toxicity of tattoo inks has been the subject of little research and ink manufacturers are not obliged to disclose the exact composition of their products. This study examines tattoo ink particles in two fundamental skin components at the nanometre level. We use atomic force microscopy and light microscopy to examine cryosections of tattooed skin, exploring the collagen fibril networks in the dermis that contain ink nanoparticles. Further, we culture fibroblasts in diluted tattoo ink to explore both the immediate impact of ink pigment on cell viability and also to observe the interaction between particles and the cells.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3762/bjnano.6.120 | DOI Listing |
BMC Public Health
January 2025
Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Biodemography, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Background: We aim to study the potential association between tattoo ink exposure and development of certain types of cancers in the recently established Danish Twin Tattoo Cohort. Tattoo ink is known to transfer from skin to blood and accumulate in regional lymph nodes. We are concerned that tattoo ink induces inflammation at the deposit site, leading to chronic inflammation and increasing risk of abnormal cell proliferation, especially skin cancer and lymphoma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArch Toxicol
January 2025
STARTNETICS - Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy.
Femtosecond lasers represent a novel tool for tattoo removal as sources that can be operated at high power, potentially leading to different removal pathways and products. Consequently, the potential toxicity of its application also needs to be evaluated. In this framework, we present a comparative study of Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser irradiation, as a function of laser power and exposure time, on water dispersions of Pigment Green 7 (PG7) and the green tattoo ink Green Concentrate (GC), which contains PG7 as its coloring agent.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Tattoos were a prevalent art form in pre-Hispanic South America exemplified by mummified human remains with preserved skin decoration that reflects the personal and cultural representations of their times. Tattoos are known to fade and bleed over time and this is compounded in mummies by the decay of the body, inhibiting the ability to examine the original art. Laser-stimulated fluorescence (LSF) produces images based on fluorescence emitted from within the target.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The new EU regulation on tattoo inks in force January 2022 in a hitherto unregulated market marks a historical change.
Objective: Mapping of the thousands of tattoo inks de facto used in studios before the new EU regulation and establish a historical reference to tattoo customer exposure, ink toxicology assessment, clinical complications, and the impact on tattooing businesses.
Method: A tattooist-operated electronic system (InkBase) for ink registration required by law is used in Denmark since 2018.
J Clin Med
December 2024
Department of Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
The autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA) is a rare condition caused by an immune response associated with over-reactivity of the immune system, triggered by adjuvants. The most common adjuvants are aluminium salts but can also be bioimplants or infectious agents. It may lead to the development of various autoimmunologic diseases.
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