EU’s Ban On Tattoo Ink: Breaking Down the Chemistry

Recently, a handful of tattoo inks have been banned by the European Union for safety reasons. Blue 15:3 and Green 7 made its way onto the banned list and tattoo artists are having a difficult time finding replacements for these two colors. Here’s what chemistry has to say about these precarious pigments.
#tattoos #tattooink #inkban #eutattooinkban
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Credits:
Executive Producer:
Matthew Radcliff
Producers:
Elaine Seward
Andrew Sobey
Darren Weaver
Writer/Host:
Alex Dainis
Scientific Consultants:
Michelle Boucher, Ph.D.
Brianne Raccor, Ph.D.
Michelle Boucher, Ph.D.
John Swierk, Ph.D.
Executive in Charge for PBS: Maribel Lopez
Director of Programming for PBS: Gabrielle Ewing
Assistant Director of Programming for PBS: John Campbell
Reactions is a production of the American Chemical Society.
© 2023 American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.
Sources:
cen.acs.org/articles/85/i46/T...
www.npr.org/sections/health-s...
www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/did...
www.theregreview.org/2022/04/....
www.npr.org/sections/health-s...
www.akerman.com/en/perspectiv...
quantumtattooink.com/blog-eve....
cen.acs.org/analytical-chemis...
www.acs.org/molecule-of-the-w...
www.acsh.org/news/2022/09/09/...
emergency.cdc.gov/agent/benze...
pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/comp...
www.nature.com/articles/srep1...
doi.org/10.1002/lsm.20618
echa.europa.eu/documents/1016...
www.eurekalert.org/news-relea...
www.painfulpleasures.com/comm...
www.premiumtattooremoval.com/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...
www.dw.com/en/new-eu-ink-rule....

[@ACSReactions]

UV-sensing pigments, glucose-monitoring tattoos… There's some really amazing research out there on how we can use tattoo inks for cool new uses. If you could imbue your tattoo with any special power, what would it be?

[@alarcon99]

I recently read an article that mentioned that tattoo needles are better at delivering certain vaccines (I believe polio is one of them) than traditional needles

[@thorloki5449]

How safe does it have to be proven to be? Because I'm pretty sure millions of people every day are given medicine that is unsafe to certain people(allergic, sensitivity, etc), why not just require informed consent? So the EU is basically guilty until proven innocent, so to speak. And last I looked, tattoo removal was still pretty expensive depending on size, location, and even color. So I don't thing many people are getting them removed plus it can be pretty painful and can require a few visits to finish. Besides technically speaking wouldn't the process of shooting a laser at the skin increase the risk of cancer being anytime DNA copies itself there is a non zero chance of it mutating. Hmm I'm not sure how I feel about this considering tattooing is literally older than most if not all current countries, and the fact that I literally burnt stuff for the soot and used gel pen ink to give myself my very 1st tattoo so I agree with where you said some tattoo parlors will start using worse things cause you can't regulate what someone is willing to do to their own body if we could prison tattoos wouldn't happen.

[@purplealice]

I'd use a metallic ink to create printed circuits on my skin!

[@morgan0]

blood glucose and ketone levels would be pretty cool to have as a tattoo, also hormone levels

[@DrBagPhD]

The ability to cure my depression :V

[@Unassuming_Gay]

"not unless you want your tattoo to change brom blue to green" no we do want that. We do want color changing tattoos very much yes.

[@hanana013]

Could not agree more with you xD imqgine how cool thst would be

[@nekoeko500]

Since apparently there is zero tesearch on tattoo-specific normal ink, I don't think there will be research on color-changing tattoo ink any time soon other than health-related sensors. But who knows, maybe someone convince some higher-ups that it could help in some forms of autism.

[@kinashy8863]

​@@nekoeko500 maybe it wouldn't help with my autism but it would make me more happy

[@nekoeko500]

@@kinashy8863 assumming color changes with byproducts of neurotransmitter production it could provide a visual cue to interpret people. Although it is probably not feasible or someone would have weaponized it already

[@kinashy8863]

@@nekoeko500 it would be interesting

[@unvergebeneid]

I would expect that stuff you legally put in you body has been demonstrated to be safe. Crazy this hasn't been the case before.

[@ireallyreallyhategoogle]

It's not just that. Regulations pretty much everywhere are a joke. Companies pay for studies that prove the product they want to sell is safe to be sold. Talk about conflict of interest. Chemicals known to be toxic have been declared "safe" at x concentration in the 1950s by testing what kills a lab rat or mouse and assuming it takes more to kill humans. On top of all that, the regulations aren't even being enforced. Lack of testing, economic considerations trump everything and whistleblowers getting punished by the system.

[@panfriedegg5048]

@@ireallyreallyhategoogle Teflon.

[@bartolomeothesatyr]

To my mind, adult human beings should be able to decide what to inject into their own dermis on an informed consent basis.

[@ireallyreallyhategoogle]

@@bartolomeothesatyr "informed consent" There's your problem. It's impossible. You would need a degree in biochemistry, access to your very own lab, and access to every single molecule present on earth to test potential reactions. The best you can hope for are properly conducted unbiased studies and statistical analysis of medical data. What you can expect in our capitalist society are biased studies paid for by chemical companies.

[@alextopfer1068]

Check up on the history of regulations for food, medical, and cosmetic ingredients. It's shockingly bad, and the current standard is a major improvement over where it was for most of history

[@ColaKitty9595]

I'd love a glucose monitoring tattoo that looks like a leaf, I think the color changing effect would be cool for some limited designs. It wouldn't even matter if non diabetics get those tattoos, it would increase demand and ensure production for a while at least

[@pom791]

or use a CGM to automatically log the hard numbers onto a spreadsheet on your phone, a tattoo changing color for glucose readings would be as useful as a mood ring

[@hedgehog3180]

They'd be somewhat uninteresting in non-diabetics since without diabetes your body is pretty decent at managing blood glucose levels, it'd only really change if you ate something really sugary and would return to normal within like 40 minutes. Though maybe you could intentionally make the dye overly sensitive to blood glucose so it changes in response to tiny local changes.

[@oscitancy]

Not sure why the algorithm brought me here, but I'm glad it did. This video was interesting and highly informative.

[@AlexDainisPhD]

I’m so glad it did too

[@ACSReactions]

We echo Alex's sentiments.

[@SteinGauslaaStrindhaug]

This could be a very good thing for tattoos in the long term; if this creates a demand for researching and creating tattoo specific pigments we could possibly get not only safer inks but also perhaps inks that interact optically better with the skin to create more vibrant colours; inks that are permanent but easier to remove, maybe even pigments that can be "turned on and off" like e-ink using magnets or something like that, etc. Also tattoos with medical purposes like you discussed sounds pretty cool too. I have little to no feeling or awareness of hunger so I often just forget to eat until I'm nauseous; so while I'm not really into tattoos, if I could get a subtle colour changing tattoo bracelet that changed colour when my blood sugar started to drop to remind me to eat and drink, that would be pretty cool.

[@Reverend_Salem]

id even love uv reactive tattoos, either changing color from say blue to red in sunlight, or even going from "invisible" to visible in sunlight (kinda like those sunglasses that darken in sunlight)

[@richiehoyt8487]

I'd be careful who I shared that information with - not that it don't sound pretty suckey in it's own right, but if you don't want to find yourself chained up in the underground lab of some shadowy Swiss pharmaceutical company working for the diet industry, with tubes coming out of you 'from a7seho[e - to - breakfasttime'!

[@hedgehog3180]

If you don't have diabetes your blood glucose won't drop significantly in the time it would normally take for you to get hungry. In a healthy person it takes something like 8 hours for blood glucose to drop significantly. Your hunger isn't directly regulated by your blood glucose but instead by a complex hormonal system that we don't quite understand yet but seems to be uniquely tuned in each person. So relying on blood glucose to decide when to eat would be a bad idea, it's a much better idea to just have a clear schedule, and to try to eat foods that are more slowly digested.

[@SteinGauslaaStrindhaug]

@@hedgehog3180 yeah, i usually only go shaky an nauseous if I forget to eat and drink all day and then do some physical activity. I'm pretty sure the shaking and dizziness is hypoglycemia? But I'd probably forget to look at a blood sugar indicator anyway, lol. I have 3 alarms on my phone to remind me to eat everyday, but when I'm hyper focused I often dismiss it without noticing.

[@DrBagPhD]

Blows my mind that something put in our bodies are so poorly regulated, I'm sure the industry will be able to adapt and find solutions for currently problematic pigments.

[@saladz3657]

They already did. It’s just unregulated because the regulations are a con job.

[@user-nd7rg5er5g]

Man if only regulations had power, and didn’t get stripped down so often. :(

[@marcbuisson2463]

​@@user-nd7rg5er5g You're american?

[@henryptung]

​​@@saladz3657 The great thing about tossing out all expert and scientific knowledge is that you can believe whatever your gut tells you to believe, and no one can tell you otherwise (because all the information out there sucks, so why believe anyone else over your own gut?).

[@ticktockbam]

Everything we eat is full of chemicals and a great majority of that stuff can cause inflammation in our bodies. Seed oils for example; and the worst part is that they're everywhere.

[@jonjohns7080]

I’m ashamed to admit this is the most I’ve learned about ink in 13 years of tattooing

[@JacyndaMinor]

Yeah memories of a chick I used to work in a shop with pumping white ink into a tattoo she was trying to make fade came to mind 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@jeffbrownstain]

Glad I've never been to your basement. I mean, you obviously don't work in a shop.

[@waldobuyck5827]

I am european tattooeer in belgium and there are already Alternative inks that we use that are regulated 😉

[@jwlgoesfishing]

Yeah, my friend runs a shop in NL here and they also have safe replacements.

[@liesdamnlies3372]

Care to share what those are? That way I can ask the artists here (in Canada) about them.

[@sarahbusch6759]

@@liesdamnlies3372 Intenze, kurosumi, and dynamic are the ones i‘m using atm. I personally dont like the Dynamic inks very much tho

[@nicolassaarni88]

I’ve got full color Japanese style body suit tattoo. Took years to fully complete I’ve had this completed for a decade or more and never had a problem with any inks except bright red inks seem to heal more slowly and usually need a touch up session

[@Kira-kg4kl]

This is awesome to hear ❤

[@stejaurni4169]

It is sad, because new compliant reach colors have way more negative reactions than the old inks! The healing is slow, hard, colors don't look good healed.. Never had this issues before. And now almost the same case on every client.

[@Smuglu]

It's somehow comedic that when people discover that certain colorings have contained substances that might not be the best idea to put under your skin, the main worry is that you can't make as colorful tattoos anymore.. ..Like ???

[@CAKESLAPPA]

Replace "might not be the best idea to put under your skin" with "Have not been scientifically demonstrated to be safe"

[@tristanwegner]

I was so surprised when I learned there was no regulation for these colors for a long time. I mean a lot of the ingredients would not be allowed in food or medical devices, but direct injection in the skin was ok??

[@saladz3657]

Most colors have been in circulation since the 1970s. Most are organic pigments. Chemists and doctors helped tattoo artists develop the pallet of colors used.

[@tristanwegner]

@@saladz3657 So. Many chemicals banned recently (including some prescription drugs) for health damages have been around for decades. And if they have been around for so long, where is the data showing they are harmless? Because with it, they would not be banned.

[@saladz3657]

@@tristanwegner look into the study they did before they banned them, oh wait there is no study. It’s a money making venture not a health concern

[@saladz3657]

@ you’d rather have laws based on no scientific evidence because someone might still disagree?

[@premiereboris]

'Pushes up glasses' Aktshully, that's not how tattoo guns work at 0:44. It's a common misconception. Tattoo guns work with capillary movement. They create holes in the skin that then gets filled by the ink that is sitting on the surface of the skin. That's why hand operated "Stick and Poke" needles can still tattoo!

[@maxsnow1613]

Tattoo machines.. but yes

[@allangibson8494]

And tattoos guns were invented by Thomas Edison…

[@MarkiusFox]

When I saw phthalocyanine, I knew there was going to be cyanide involved. I was _incredibly_ fortunate I didn't die from eating a slice of cherry pie that was tainted with amygdalin. Bone aches, severe headache, fatigue, muscle cramps, nausea; not a fun time at all.

[@EddieTheH]

The presence of cyanide doesn't automatically make something toxic. You know about vitamin B12, yeah?

[@EddieTheH]

No evidence has been reported for acute toxicity or carcinogenicity of phthalocyanine compounds. The LD50 (rats, oral) is 10 g/kg.

[@MikeJones-mf2rt]

Cyanin just = Blue/Purple lol, anthocyanins are the reason why blueberries are blue.

[@macmcleod1188]

I sympathize. I have issues with sugars. Even a *tiny* amount of sugar shoots my blood sugar levels over 170. A friend of mine has a problem with gluten. Even small amounts cause her intense pain and damage her intestines. It sounds like you are sensative. Not everyone is. When enough people are, we put out warnings. When even more are, we tend to ban the substance ( even tho it might still be safe for half the population ).

[@pedroff_1]

​@@macmcleod1188 What they described is an acute poisoning with a substance known to produce pretty consistently CN- ions when consumed. If you survive for a few hours, it should clesr up fairly quuckly, but it isn't a personal sensitivity, everyone gets intoxicated by amygdalin.

[@DeputatKaktus]

REACH was sort of the icing on the unappetizing poop cake that were the last 3 years. The recent public health crisis already left many tattoo artists basically out of a job, and then the remaining artists found themselves with a severely limited range of colors just as they start getting back on their feet again. As if they did not have enough issues already. Although certainly well-intended, the EU‘s approach was deemed…let’s say „pretty heavy handed“ by many and could really have done with out it at this point in time. The timing was really not ideal here. I mean…imagine you are a painter and make a living from painting flowers or sunsets. Then some crisis hits and commissions dry up completely. Then commissions start rolling in again, finally - and then some bureaucrat comes in, yoinks all your reds and tells you „sorry, red is illegal now - go find something else“ Sure, compliant alternatives are starting to show up gradually. But for a while, it kind of felt personal, like the folks in Brussels were hell bent on regulating something, anything, just to drive tattoo artists out of business. And if I look at certain political figures, I am sure they would have welcomed a wholesale ban on tattooing, because in their antiquated world view, only hardened criminals and outlaws have tattoos. That said, the ingredient list of the inks that went in my tattoos was like 5 ingredients long, give or take. Now some bottles have fold-out labels and you need to squint in order to read the entire list. Whether or not this is a good sign, only time will tell. Don’t get me wrong, I get why REACH is a thing and I am not against it. But this could have been handled a bit different, given the circumstances.

[@wow1371]

When the industry itself doesn't regulate itself the regulators will step in. This is a thing that has happened before and will happen again. The fact that after all these years the ink industry has not done its research work adequately says it all.

[@alihenderson5910]

@@frenne_dilley Tattooists are small business owners, my daughter's one. The timing seemed to coincide with something else involving needles and untested chemicals that seemed to require small businesses to close but not large ones. Just weird.

[@chucktrades3211]

The mindsets of European politicians and scientists involved are those of people who are old and frown upon tattooing in general. In truth, a lot of the focus wasn't so much on the artists, but the people lasering existing work. The meetings that took place were basically conventions to sell lasering equipment, and technicians demonstrated data as to how hard their jobs have become when "safely" removing tattoos without detrimental side effects. Remember this. Your government knows what's best for you, not what you choose to do for yourself and your body. That's their mindset in all of this. When they had laser technicians whispering into their ears, they viewed the laser techs as more of scientific experts than artists who are viewed through a filter of some guy in a kitchen "tatting" his buddy for quick cash. The government bodies have fear mongered any naive minds to believe that tattooing is a health crisis by discussing decades old information of problems that existed long before any of the major players were ever involved with ink.

[@hedgehog3180]

REACH is a broad regulation of all chemicals, not just chemicals used in tattoing and it was largely lobbied for by environmental activists and the plastics industry tried very hard to gut it.

[@beforedawn]

petfood, fragrances (candles, detergents, body products) and diffusers, pharmaceuticals produced overseas have insanely little oversight too. Turns out if you chronically underfund the FDA things get super lax.

[@XSpImmaLion]

I dunno, as someone with a few tats, I'd be interested in ink that changes color or appears and disappears depending on conditions... xD The only fear is that they are later revealed to also come with all sorts of problems when they break down and whatnot. Oh well, nothing I can do with the ones I already have.... don't have any intention of removing them at any point in my life too. :P As for doing more in the future, remains to be seen... is there even such a thing as being too old for it? xD I think most people with tattoos that made them completely conscious and without pressure never completely let go of the idea of making a few more. xD Mine are over 20yrs old already... and I still occasionally think of doing a few more.

[@XSpImmaLion]

@ Self expression changes with culture and age after all... I wouldn't say tattoos are mundane where I live, but they certainly exploded in popularity and acceptance since the time I got mine. But I never took that in consideration when I got mine... they are more about permanent reminders of a few things in my life I wanted to have imprinted so that I never forget them. :D

[@ThirrinDiamond]

Removing them would increase your risk of toxicity rather than letting them stay so if avoiding toxicity is a perk then you're making a wise choice/gen 💗

[@ex-nerd]

I would totally get a glucose-reactive tattoo (MIT's Dermal Abyss project was many years ago but still occasionally resurfaces via viral social media posts), though as a type 1 diabetic it would still be more just a cool tattoo than anything actually useful in gauging the precise insulin/carbohydrate doses needed to stay alive at any given moment. It could definitely be interesting for those with type 2 or MODY, though, where numbers are less likely to change quickly and precision is less life-or-death. Something tells me most of the first use of this technology will be in the livestock industry.

[@the-white-eye]

could you imagine using the sun reactive and glucose reactive inks in something like an abstract tatoo, or the scales of a snake or something? that would be fucking sick

[@ThirrinDiamond]

​@ it's a slang term started in aave by african americans and later also used in subcultures, slowly moving to the mainstream. Text doesn't convey tone but "That's sick dude 😎😄" has a different implication than "that's.... sick.... dude 🤢😒"

[@ThirrinDiamond]

​​@ both are technical slang terms that have nothing to do with the definition of illness though. Tldr in english sick has at least 3 different definitions depending on context and tone

[@skater101202303]

I’m so glad I found this video!! As a tattoo artist myself, I’ve heard a LOT about this issue in Europe, but it’s always good to know what the whole process is, why it’s an issue and what the whole deal was about and if it comes to where I live, I’d like to know what to avoid.

[@niknotnikki]

This was absolutely useful! I have tattoos, friends own shops and this will have dramatic effects on the artists in the EU. I admit I'm torn: I love getting inked, but I want it to be safe for people long term, too.

[@michalchik]

Really nice having a good chemistry Channel. I've good math channels, good computer science channels, good physics channels, biomedical channels, but chemistry seems to be the missing one

[@ACSReactions]

Hey thanks--we're glad to hear it.

[@potatofuryy]

Another fun chem channel is Nilered. It’s less focused on pure education, but it’s still a good channel IMO.

[@GoblinCrew]

Me: oh man that sucks for tattoo artists Also Me, a brown skin person who several tattoo artists told was unable to get color tattoos because my pallette is not white: Suffer

[@wow1371]

😂 It is mostly the artists now knowing what colors to use or not being able to work a good art on darker skin. Have seen many amazing colored tattoos on darker skin tones.

[@shanedancer3895]

you can probably find someone to do a tattoo for you with some effort, just people who aren’t experienced with it won’t want to bc they’re not good at it and don’t want to permanently put bad art on someone. You can definitely find someone who is willing tho. Also there are light pigments that would stand out, I guess it’s just up to you if you want one given this video and the fact that they tend to fade faster lol

[@shanedancer3895]

@ ok

[@jeffbrownstain]

Nah just find someone in the hood to do your ink. Brothers know how to make their art pop on their own tones. Probably get it cheaper and cleaner than in a shop too.

[@richiehoyt8487]

@@jeffbrownstain Cheaper? Sure! Cleaner? *>`Eesh..! ‘

[@wintershock]

I’m wanting to get a tattoo next year. The reason why next year is because I’m using a tattoo as motivation to work out for longer than a month. I’m so glad I’m just wanting it be grey scale because I don’t want to have an aneurysm over the colour green or blue.

[@Luredreier]

4:16 Well, the actual copper in the statue of liberty is actually from Norway, a country that's *not* a EU member. So technically not from the EU in that sense. But we here in Norway didn't make it or pay for it... It was a gift from France that *is* a EU member. However, the statue of liberty predates the EU, so France was not yet a EU member at that time.

[@georgH]

Cane to see this comment :) Well, we can say it was European

[@Luredreier]

@@georgH *Definitely* European, yeah. :-)

[@Luredreier]

@@georgH Yes, *canes* are important. And apparently I'm actually very prone to use the word actually...

[@jaymayhoi]

awesome info! exactly what i was thinking about - thanks - this channel is very underrated!

[@ACSReactions]

We think this comment is also underrated.

[@DameSilwek]

If you put sunscreen (like a lot of tattoo persons do), the ink doesn't react much. Protect your skin, tattoo or not 😎☀️

[@JOpethNYC]

As an inked chemistry teacher, this was an interesting video (all of them are). 👨‍🔬🧪

[@eternalamaiti]

I came for the tea and I got a library instead. This was very informative, thank you!

[@metamorphiczeolite]

Another excellent video! Thanks, ACS.

[@spencerdavis1708]

Well researched. Glad I found this channel

[@christophermiller3031]

I have always wondered... Isnt the smell coming from a nail salon bad for peoples health? I cant believe that there is no health affects on people who work among those smells all day.

[@ThirrinDiamond]

Oh there absolutely is, lung issues are extremely proven conditions for salon workers let alone a bunch of other health effects but because those are "regular" things that most people use, people won't look into the safety as much :/

[@dvd5542]

I would love to have indicator tattoos. It can be just a small part of an allready existing tattoo or like the spots on a snake or whatever. Tattoos that benefit your health sound amazing!

[@Jessicahasopinions]

Why not let people sign a waiver saying they know the risks and still want the tattoo anyway?

[@maverickdisco4036]

A very clear and concise presentation of the issue. 👍

[@ACSReactions]

We decided to take a break from muddled and confusing presentations. Thanks for the compliment!

[@FuzzballStudios]

My take on it: having to use fewer colours will force tattoo artists to improve their composition, rather than relying on vibrant colours to distract from the flaws in the design. It’s like how manga has way better shading and panel composition than anime, since manga can’t use colour as a band-aid for poor technique.

[@thor0987]

That Smurf is gonna suck tho…

[@ethanpeters3047]

yea if artists just dont have as many colours of paint art will get so much better

[@yuriination]

Fully disagree. I mean, yeah, working with a limited pallette forces you to get creative but that doesn't equate to a better tattoo. I'd rather have a full range of vibrant bright colorful inks . I feel like I should go buy my favorites now just in case they pull them all.

[@gaygranola]

I think you’ll find the vast majority of tattooists learn black and white first because it’s significantly easier than colour shading, so the idea of relying on a more complex type of tattoo to combat a lack of the basics doesn’t make any sense. Tattooists aren’t relying on colour, they’re being *asked* to do colour despite b+w being more traditional and easier to carry out. All tattooists can do b+w but not all can do colour. However, as the demand rises and colour tattoos become more of the norm, tattooists are challenging themselves with colour shading tattoos to keep up.

[@LanceMcCarthy]

Very useful, thank you! I'm about to refresh and expand a piece and knowledge is power.

[@ACSReactions]

Glad you liked it!

[@AtypicalPaul]

On one hand, I'm surprised there were not more regulations around tattoo ink already.

[@fellsphotos]

Really great reporting!

[@farhanaahmad408]

I like the way you communicate🤩 hats off to you

[@sabrinasummers4814]

wow great vid, thanks for this!

[@philjoyce7939]

Very interesting and clearly put.

[@DaveSlutzky]

Great vid! I'm glad this isn't from a super Chem-intense point of view, because this is understandable. Here's hoping chemistry can find some pigments that are beautiful *and* safe!

[@ExpatNatt]

So interesting, thanks for sharing!❤

[@yepiguess-nn8kc]

the opening animation is painfully mistaken. the needle enters the skin to the dermis. it is actually cleaned by the skin but leaves a puddle of ink around the needle, however it creates a pocket with a vacuum seal around the needle. when the needle is removed suction pulls the ink into the skin filling the pocket.

[@stevengill1736]

Getting near 70, and I never got a tattoo for some reason, but I would if it changed color in accord with blood chemistry or something like that - great idea!

[@ez9566]

Imagine digitalized tatoos, like some liquid crystal that changes composition periodically to produce monochromatic gifs. Tatoos could be so much more if there was just more Money put into biocompatible pigments and electronics

[@jeanladoire4141]

Aren't tatoo inks meant to contain heavy metals? The body can't break them down easily so that would make sense

[@alexandrahhh789]

i think it's great that we're learning about how these inks could affect our health. as someone who is passionate about tattoos, with many tattoos myself, im kind of on the fence about this topic tho. it seems like it only becomes harmful once it's blasted by a powerful laser, when someone wants to get their tattoo removed... rather than completely ban the pigments, why can't there be a disclaimer for when people are first getting their tattoo? i agree that it's important to know whether or not what we're putting in our body is safe, but i think in this case the decision should be for the consumer to decide, with proper warnings and knowedlge. especially considering it doesnt seem to be harmful for it's intended purpose, getting a permanent pigment implanted into their skin. only once it's been altered by an expensive and painful process, that often you need multiple treatments to completely remove the tattoo, does it become chemically altered and then cause harm. just one example, what about cigarettes? they're proven to cause cancer but they're still perfectly legal, with a big ol surgeon general warning slapped across each pack... its possible this could cause artists to become more creative and hone their skill to work around this ban, but imo i think an all out ban is unnecessary

[@petrosbaliouskas7293]

amazing video thank you

[@alejskates2287]

luckily for me, Im not interested in color tattoos, just black, grey, and maybe white. But I am concerned now about what those pigments may potentially do to me.

[@savagesarethebest7251]

Even if you don't have diabetes, a marker that indicates the blood sugar level is kind of useful? Or am I just thinking wrong? I know that Insulin is about regulating blood sugar so that it stays more or less consistent. But like it could be a reminder to take a break after an exercise, or showing of dark green after you have downed a bottle of apple juice. Kinda cool no matter what.

[@pom791]

Continuous Glucose Monitors already exist

[@samc5794]

Dude, did anyone notice how wild the scale was off on that dermis animation? They sunk the whole needle tube!😢

[@tycholorenzo]

I love how the animation shows the tattoo gun being stabbed into the skin further than just the needle

[@almakorhonen1028]

I would love to see how the color changing tattoos look on more pigmented skins. It's cool that some people would have that as useful indicator. I'm not that surprised of the inks not been studied that much before. Usually studies are only focused on things that aren't as taboo natured or floods cash later on to a company that could provide for a research benefitting them. Research and studies should really take more in account for what their studies can change in their environment in more boarder view. I'm not against science and I also love that people do studies to get knowledge on things. We just live in a society where research isn't done in a separate vacuum of reality. It's hard to predict things beforehand and getting some knowledge from the people on the field is a good idea. Though sometimes views and thoughts there can be aged and a little out of touch. Good video. Lots of thought put into it and well formatted. Found it easy to follow. The chemical details and picturing of them were amazing and sufficient in my view. I really enjoy how it enriched my view on world we live in

[@atlanciaza]

I thought I would enjoy learning about this, but sadly it only reinforced my dislike of tattoos. Anyway I shall catch you on the next one, and thanks for the great videos.

[@fast-yi9js]

the idea of a tattoo that only appears in sunlight actually sounds pretty darn nice.

[@Reverend_Salem]

it would be really cool for a piece that changes how it looks in the sun/indoors

[@neko2412neko]

I'm working in the textile industry, and we are highly effected by REACh regulations since a few years because textile is such a chemical intensive industry. And I think, at least here in Germany I know, the industry always keeps an eye on new regulations and tries its best to follow it without making a drama out of it. Maybe a side note: New regulations are not get released and has to be followed in a couple month.; it's a years long process with REACh being really open about what kind of chemicals they are looking at right now, and why and have lists of chemicals they recommend not to use even tho they are not banned yet. The upcoming PFAS ban will have an huge impact, also a lot of chemicals used to fixate dye one polyamide/nylon fabric are going to be banned in a couple of years. The list of dye stuffs also gets smaller really fast, and one coworker and I just joked this week that in a couple of years we all will wear only light colored cloths, because everything will be banned soon😅 Btw, there are way less sorts of pigments than you might think, a lot of pigments are use in paints, inks, on clothes and even in food are just the same thing. To find new and save coloring methods is a big deal in a lot of industries, and would be a Nobel Prize worthy invention, for sure.

[@ghoulchan7525]

yeah i noticed that when i bought some watercolor. Carmine felt like i was painting with Food Coloring.. and then i remembered, It Is Food Coloring... and made of squashed up bugs. i bought it because i wanted a pretty red.. and well i got it. Rip if i do full works to be hung on the wall tho. Carmine fades.

[@Matt-bp5vy]

You guys deserve way more views per video. I've subscribed with the bell hopefully KZbin won't try anything funny and show me all your future videos

[@ACSReactions]

That's super awesome--we're glad to hear it. And KZbin is gonna KZbin but hopefully you'll catch our stuff.

[@purplealice]

The last time I got a tattoo, I had a long chat with the tattoo artist about new developments. You can't have metallic pigments in tattoos, nor can you have ink that glows under UV light. I'm sure some enterprising chemist could create pigments that don't do nasty things to our bodies. And remember the fashion craze in the Victorian era for "Paris Green" fashions - everything from clothes to wallpaper. And the dye contained arsenic and antimony, both seriously poisonous.

[@wyrdo1501]

UV tattoos are common. pretty sure the only fda approved tattoo ink is a certain uv ink because it is used for medical purposes.

[@flowinsounds]

koru sumi has fully vegan plant derived pigments. would they also be banned? I have actual glow in the dark tattoos. my own invention. had them for ~17 years now. strontium aluminate in a PTFE encapsulation.

[@forgodsakestopplz7944]

Did you make the glow in the dark ink yourself?

[@flowinsounds]

@@forgodsakestopplz7944 kinda. a company called glow inc made the encapsulated crystals. i cleaned them and put them in a biocompatible medium. have to be put in the skin by hand as a machine breaks the ptfe, then the crystals get biodegraded very rapidly. They still glow amazingly after so long.

[@kindredmalise6633]

8:12 that is really interesting. Let’s turn it up a notch and have a tattoo that would indicate your heath bar.

[@GabbyMoore13]

This is a little off mark. A blue pigment and a green pigment have been banned. Not all green or blue. I am a tattooist in Europe and we have all colors available currently. Otherwise all of your information seems to be correct. I forget what green is currently being used but the blue pigment is now Blue #1.

[@SMunro]

So can an oscilating electric potential between two metal bands each side of a tattoo cause it to become flourescent?

[@maxdon2001]

Great video!

[@cyrilio]

This sounds like a good thing. This regulation wil incentivize pigment makers to innovate. EDIT: I’m a type 1 diabetic and got a beautiful (blue) tattoo to share this. I’d love to add this blood glucose measure feature. Would be super helpful.

[@Tattootin]

Is this why I’m seeing concentrates? I’m a Tattooer in the literal border of Wisconsin and Illinois. Live in Illinois. And recently shopping for colors and saw “blue concentrate” didn’t look too far into it. But it also looked like it was REACH regulated, and approved.

[@Tattootin]

@@frenne_dilley it’s a big deal in Europe in my shop no one cares about it. It bothers me

[@tothedirtwhenidie1798]

OK all that being said why did my blue and green react only when mixed and turned into something that my body wouldn't except. I mean bright white scarswhere i would mix the pigments

[@fanthomans2]

Alex? Haven't seen for ages. Instant subscribe.

[@UpstateAlgaeLaboratory]

I want a tattoo that adds the GFP gene into the effected cells around the design.🙂 Would that be possible?

[@bubbafug00gle51]

No, but for $5 I will staple a jellyfish to you. If you are willing to spend $10 I can give you the "cruelty free" version, it uses glue instead of staples... but the glue is toxic to humans.

[@humate9980]

@@bubbafug00gle51 and of course as a safety measure for the toxic glue the jellyfish is still alive with its venom intact

[@badgerbadger5061]

Ha, I just recently got a big tat with a ton of green in it. Guess I'll not be getting that lasered ever. (I wouldn't anyway - I love it).

[@adamrak7560]

The breakdown product of the chlorinated benzene rings is a nightmare too. Most organic chlorine products are pretty bad, even compared to cyanide.

[@chrisrigoni]

Thank You 🙏✌

[@dominikdobrotic8298]

EU treating too many things as "guilty until found innocent".

[@TheAshleydelmar]

Agreed. I’m originally from outside the EU and after living here for 4 years, some of the rules are a bit ridiculous. Obviously there needs to be oversight to keep people safe, but the EU does tend to over do it sometimes.

[@JoeKyser]

I am alergic to whatever blue green pigment isin the ink. I have a ttried a few and none were any good for me

[@vintageswiss9096]

American Traditional artists have been using heavily saturated greens and blues for 70+ years with millions of people wearing them their entire lives without issue. But, because when you hit the pigment with a million watt removal laser, they say it's dangerous? Sounds like we should be educating people of the dangers of tattoo removal, as opposed to regulating color pigments that have never proven dangerous in real life...

[@jaynemacklyne1462]

Really informative, thankyou. The diabetic tattoo was so useful can you do a video on that so that diabetics like myself can get clear information on this potentially habit changing simple device. What a help, one can't loose or forget it, once installed it keeps going cost free. It updates constantly so anyone diabetic, prediabetic or non-diabetic can at a glance work out what does and doesnt spike sugar levels for them. Wonderful! Thankyou so much for taking the time to explain tattoos in a simple to understand scientific way👍👍👍😁😁😁👏👏

[@unr3achabl35ky5]

Cool that just the Cl Atoms which are attached in Green7 to the structure of Blue15:3 move the observable color from blue to green :D

[@ginnyjollykidd]

The green pigment you put up there is the same molecule in crab blood, too, IIRC.

[@camillagilmore1547]

I worry that this ban is not only based on a lack of science, but also poor data collection that may or may not have been ideologically motivated. I saw mentioned they relied on one study from a dermatologist who interviewed 3000+ participants and 2/3 reported having a reaction to their tattoo and my immediate question was "have these people ever been tattooed before?" Because as someone who is heavily tattooed, and has spent a lot of time in the tattooing community, I can confidently state that that result is just not true. But I also know that tattoos have a healing process that is really like no other wounds, and if the participant was unaware of this they may well interpret the normal healing process as an adverse reaction. Or the questions may have been formulated in such a way that the normal healing process is counted as an adverse reaction. In the cases of those experiencing adverse reactions 2-3 weeks later, I would want to know what aftercare regime they are following and whether they stuck to it. I'm also getting increasingly sceptical about any and all links to cancer claims because I don't see how any study can control properly for all other factors that may also have been the cause of the cancer (or that we have decided have "links to cancer"). It's not like the tumour is going to have a label saying "made by tattoo ink" "made by smoking" "made by the stress of living under capitalism". If everything has the potential to cause cancer then nothing can really be pointed to as THE cause of cancer, and the banning of some chemicals over others becomes more and more arbitrary and therefore more and more open to political or social motivation over scientific evidence based policy. The tattoo industry is under almost constant attack at a local, national and international level and I firmly believe this is about getting rid of social undesirables just as much as it is from any genuine concern about the public health.

[@Andrew-rc3vh]

Can you make one that turns red when you are pi$$ed off and green when you are not?

[@charleshines7282]

Look at the list of toxic metals that can be in some inks. Some of these are bad news. Lead and arsenic are two obvious ones you really don't want in your body. Lead can cause mental disorders and even prove to be fatal if too much is in the body. I don't think I want nickel and cobalt either. If you have too much of something in your body it can have toxic effects and maybe even cause death if not treated (assuming there is a treatment for the toxic substance). The fact that the manufacturers don't have to disclose the composition or formula of the ink is frightening all by itself! That green ink may have a large percentage of arsenic or the blue may have too much cobalt. What color does lead get when used as a pigment if it does have a color when used in ink? Oh and the metals you see on that list are not the only toxic ones, there are plenty of dangerous ones on the periodic table you may breathe a sigh of relief when you find that they are not in inks we use or any products we use. Just pick any element on the table, some are so toxic you don't want them anywhere near you!!

[@o0o-jd-o0o95]

To have the color of a tattoo change dependent on some kind of body condition that sounds to me like the future of tattoos.... that would be awesome

[@Kira-kg4kl]

So our of curiosity, the fact that the UK is no longer a part of the EU, does this mean that they dont have to abide by the ban laws like the rest of the EU or is it just an umbrella ban across the entiety of Europe itself

[@computerman200]

Sounds more like control....never heard of anyone getting cancer from their tattoo...have seen some pretty old tats on some pretty old dudes too.

[@elijahangel2473]

I’ve been dealing with inflammation and red cell problems. Nerve pain , Muscle pain, and bone pain after my 3rd tattoo removal session on a raised scarred tattoo . I am only 23 with no prior health conditions 😥

[@luciamarzi]

Sorry to heat that. Do you happen to have color on your tattoo or too much ink?

[@ChaosToOrder777]

What about the chemicals that are routinely added to our food.

[@thepuddlejumper500]

It would be have been nice if they took the same care over the prescribed injectables.

[@Lemonz1989]

As a type 1 diabetic, I would rather the money they spend on researching glucose color changing tattoos went to finding actual replacements for real tattoo inks, lol. Things like color changing chemicals for diabetics is ancient technology, and isn’t used to regulate blood sugars anymore; at least not in countries with modern healthcare systems. Urine test strips were used before blood finger pricks, and are used as a quick quantitative test in hospitals and clinics now. This is because they are too imprecise, and often are pretty slow to react to changes in blood sugar. Regular finger pricks are currently the gold standard, and continuous blood glucose monitors (CGMs) are quickly catching up to replacing finger pricks. Not completely yet, as finger pricks are still needed occasionally when using CGMs, but it greatly reduces the frequency needed.

[@kacywatson6314]

And if the EU are going to do really silly things like ban certain tattoo colours of ink because of health concerns but people who have the colours of these tattoos and want to get the tattoos topped up, now have to get it done illegally get their tattoo spoiled, how much rather just get my tattoos done illegally.

[@kacywatson6314]

So is the problem really with the chemicals in the tattoo ink where they are stable and don’t really do anything, but the real danger comes from when they break down into the hydrogen cyanide when they’re hit with a laser so is the problem with the Tattoo ink or the laser? Because it seems like to me that the problem is actually all the laser killing the cell. Nobody said that getting a tattoo is healthy but if the laser is making it worse or making it generally unsafe, maybe we just say to laser tattoo removal go away. You are not safe I just say that the tattooist very permanent make people think about the tattoo they get.

[@kacywatson6314]

The tattoo that changes colour based on blood chemistry. I am very interested. I need that

[@sarahrose5772]

The pigments aren't too big for the immune system to break down. The macrophages hold the pigments in place and away from the bloodstream so they aren't released into the body. It's a constant, life-long immune reaction the body used to prevent blood poisoning.

[@luciamarzi]

Tatts have been around for ages and tattooed people don’t die more or get sicker because of them. I’m surrounded by heavily tattooed people and they are all doing great. Maybe it has to do the amount of ink? It would’ve be the same to have a small blue rose tattooed, than a huge blue flag. They would have to check how much of that chemical can the body tolerate. I’m removing my tattoos (mostly all black with an itsy bitsy little tiny bit of purple), and they are a medium size, but from what I understand, you can’t laser all at once if your tattoo is huge, because it over works your body while it’s trying to get rid of the ink.

[@maxmusterman3371]

Daim i want that glucose sensor tattoo

[@peteranon8455]

Until about 30 years ago, it was pretty much a given that tattoos were for prisoners, prostitutes, and sailors. I personally had no expectation that there was any inherent "healthiness" about the whole procedure, and have considered that not directly getting hepatitis was only a fairly recent expectation. Edit: Wow, Tattoos that change color with blood sugar levels? I completely take back the previous statement with the advent of actual usefulness of tattoos.

[@Reverend_Salem]

even tattoos that are uv reactive can be very helpful as a visual reminder to put sunscreen on.

[@peteranon8455]

@@Reverend_Salem Oh Cool. I googled and saw Glucose, PH, and Albumin detector tattoos, but UV reactive could be very helpful for my ginger friends!

[@abekane7038]

Might be a silly question but would encasing them in a silica help?

[@kcgunesq]

Silica or silicone?

[@abekane7038]

@@kcgunesq Yeah not sure how I missed that auto-correct...maybe I should be honest and say I'm not too diligent sometimes hahaha. Well, you still understood I meant silicone, so all good

[@kcgunesq]

@@abekane7038 Not to worry. I'm have very little chemistry knowledge so I didn't know if it should have been the former, though it sounded odd to me. I guess my main point would be that given how many problems we had when silicone implants ruptured, would encapsulating it be wise?

[@luciamarzi]

If you have those colors and want them removed, maybe the best idea is to take it veeeery slow. Get small parts of it lasered each time, and wait longer than they suggest before your next session. They recommend 6-8 weeks, but you wait 3 - 4.5 months. That way you give your body a good chance to detox. Drink a lot of water, green juice, vitamin C, antioxidants, and do cardio to work up a sweat.

[@UNVIRUSLETALE]

This brings back PTSD from ochem studying azo compound synthesis

[@HauntedSheppard]

Tbf this is laughable that they're so carefull. If you compare that what's been allowed to put in and on our food. But I guess the tattoo industry hasn't set up their lobby groups propperly

[@susanyoung6579]

I really wanted to get an ultraviolet tattoo as a prank for my senior year in highschool. My plan was to sneak off during summer break, get a faint red (UV) "666" tattooed on my forehead and then hide from my friends while it healed. Then in the fall, I'd go to the most popular haunted house to make sure my classmates "accidentally" saw it and pretend I didn't know what they were talking about and didn't believe them. Would have been a great laugh. Always figured UV inks couldn't possibly be good for you but the lengths I'd go through for a good gag.

[@becreb]

I love tattoos and get them regularly but I do wish the ink was better regulated