Tattoo Thursday

Epoch Times Health, 35 Percent of Tattoo Inks Researched Include Bacteria, Suggesting Health Risks

The study, published July 2 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, investigated the presence of both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in commercial tattoo inks and permanent makeup.

Aerobic bacteria survive and thrive only when oxygen is present, while anaerobic bacteria—such as the bacteria that cause tetanus—don’t require oxygen to live and spread. In the case of contaminated tattoo ink, these pathogens can infect injured human tissue, particularly the skin’s dermal layer.

Researchers analyzed 75 tattoo inks from 14 manufacturers in the U.S. market using standard incubation methods for aerobic bacteria and an anaerobic chamber for detecting anaerobic bacteria.

The study found that about 35 percent of sealed and unopened inks contained both types of bacteria. This was true even when product labels claimed sterility. Over half of the inks were labeled sterile yet were contaminated with bacteria. This suggests that either the sterilization process was ineffective or the sterility claims were inaccurate.

The Wombat makes up time with Rule 5 Sunday: Hangar Queen Double-Scoop Sunday!