The Food and Drug Administration warned all tattoo parlors, customers and at-home tattoo kit users this morning that not all tattoo ink is safe.
A bacterium, known as sepsis or blood poisoning, can enter the bloodstream upon tattooing even in the most sanitary conditions, according to Associated Press reports.
Sepsis Alliance reports that 258,000 Americans are killed by the bacteria a year.
Last month, in-home tattoo kits from California company White and Blue Lion Inc. recalled their product in July after bacterial contamination was confirmed to be present in unopened bottles.
This is especially dangerous, according to AP, because infections from bad tattoo ink may not show any symptoms until years after the tattooing.
Common sepsis symptoms can include bumps on the skin, discharge, redness, swelling, blisters or excessive pain at the site. The risk is especially high for those with pre-existing heart or circulatory conditions.
Earlier this year, an FDA warning (which also cited the dangers of red and black henna in temporary tattoos) said the regulations of tattoo ink differ from state-to-state.
''Depending on where you are, it's possible no one is checking to make sure the artist is following safe practices or even knows what may be harmful to consumers,'' the alert read.
The FDA released guidelines to use when identifying kits that may be contaminated, whether you are buying an at-home kit or going to a tattoo parlor. Some indications on ink bottles to watch out for are as follows:
- no brand name, multicolored, have a dragon logo, and/or are missing the name and place of business of the manufacturer or distributor
- sold singly
- sets of colored inks containing anywhere from 5 to 54, or perhaps more, bottles
- marked with "Lotch" or batch numbers or "Best if used by" dates
The FDA also reminds those who get an infection from tattoos to seek medical attention.
