Q: I want to get a tattoo, but is it really safe?
Once a form of rebellion hidden under your sleeve, tattoos are now so commonplace that almost half of U.S. adults ages 30 to 49 have at least one. But despite their growing popularity, there’s a lot scientists don’t know about how tattoos interact with the body.
When you get a tattoo, an artist uses needles to deposit ink 1 to 3 millimeters into your skin. This process — and the ink itself — can cause reactions that include immune responses and bacterial infections. Some researchers are also studying whether tattoos can cause longer-term complications, like cancer.
“We’re not at a point as a scientific community to be able to say tattoos are definitively safe” or unsafe, said Jonathan Swierk, a chemist at Binghamton University, part of the State University of New York. The research now being conducted, he said, is a step toward those answers.
Here’s what experts know about the risk of complications and how to avoid them.
What the research says
Though it’s difficult to know how many people develop problems with their tattoos — studies estimate 2 percent to 67 percent — some complications are more common. A study at a tattoo clinic in Denmark of a few hundred people found that 11 percent of the complications were bacterial infections and 37 percent were allergic reactions.
Infections can occur within days of getting a tattoo. They can cause redness, drainage and fever, and they often need treatment with antibiotics, said Dr. Marie Leger, a dermatologist in New York City. The cause can be contaminated equipment, skin bacteria entering the wound or the ink itself. In 2012, scientists detected bacteria underlying an outbreak in an unopened ink container, suggesting contamination during manufacturing. Last month, researchers at the Food and Drug Administration reported finding bacteria in 35 percent of more than 200 inks they tested, even those labeled sterile.
Allergies, for their part, can occur in reaction to the use of aftercare products in the days or weeks after getting a tattoo, when skin is especially sensitive, Dr. Leger said. They can cause redness or itchiness, and topical creams may control the symptoms.
Longer-term allergies to ink can set in months or years later. They occur more frequently with red inks, Dr. Leger said, and the itchy or raised area can be confined to a certain color: You might notice it within a red rose, for example, but not in its green leaves. In severe cases, a doctor may recommend tattoo removal, for example through shaving off the outer layer of the skin containing the pigment.
Dr. Christopher Bunick, a dermatologist at Yale, said other immune reactions can also appear as bumps in a tattoo years after getting it. The reactions can last for months or years and are typically treated with topical corticosteroids, he said.
Experts aren’t sure what sets off these responses, in part because labels on tattoo ink bottles don’t always fully describe the contents. In 2024, Dr. Swierk and his colleagues found that 83 percent of inks they tested contained unlisted pigments or additives. Europe has regulations limiting certain ingredients in tattoo ink, but the United States does not, although the F.D.A. has issued manufacturing guidance.
Do tattoos increase my risk of cancer?
Some ink ingredients, like heavy metals, can cause health problems. Research suggests that some ink in a tattoo ends up in a person’s lymph nodes. Scientists are beginning to study if the chemistry of the ink or your immune reaction to it can lead to cancer.
In 2024, researchers, including Christel Nielsen, an epidemiologist at Lund University in Sweden, found in a large study that people with tattoos may have a higher risk of lymphoma. But Dr. Nielsen said the risk of lymphoma is very low to begin with, and the increase doesn’t prove that tattoos cause cancer. Still, she said, the question warrants further investigation. Other studies of lymphoma risk have been inconclusive, as has research on tattoos and skin cancer. “I think we have to take this seriously for sure, but we still don’t really know yet” if there’s a connection, Dr. Leger said.
How can I reduce my overall risk?
If you’re getting a tattoo, Dr. Bunick said, it’s important to make sure beforehand that there are no open sores in the area and to keep the tattoo clean and protected from the sun afterward. Dr. Leger recommended avoiding red pigments if you’re worried about allergies. You should see a doctor if you notice signs of infection or changes in your skin’s texture months or years after getting a tattoo, she said.
Working with an experienced tattooist can also help. “Tattoo artists are serious professionals, and many of the known definite risks around infections and even allergies can be mitigated by working with a good artist,” Dr. Swierk said.
Ultimately, the decision to get a tattoo comes down to personal choice. “There are plenty of good reasons to get a tattoo, and people have to weigh that there is a degree of uncertainty there,” Dr. Swierk said. “But that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t get a tattoo.”
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