Modern tattoos cause high concentrations of hazardous pigments in skin.
BACKGROUND
Modern tattoo colourants frequently consist of azo pigments that not only contain multiple impurities but also are originally produced for car paint and the dyeing of consumer goods.


OBJECTIVE
In order to be able to assess the health risk of tattoos, it is important to determine the pigment concentration in human skin.


METHODS
We tattooed excised pigskin and human skin with a common tattoo pigment (Pigment Red 22) under various conditions. After tattooing, we quantitatively extracted the pigment in order to determine the pigment concentration in skin.


RESULTS
The concentration of pigments ranged from about 0.60 to 9.42 mg/cm(2) of tattooed skin (mean value 2.53 mg/cm(2)) depending upon the size of the pigment crystals, the pigment concentration applied to the skin surface, and the respective procedure of tattooing.


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, high concentrations of colourants are injected into the skin during tattooing and based upon this quantification, a risk assessment of tattooing ought to be carried out.
Engel
Eva
E
Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Regensburg, 93042 Regensburg, Germany.
Santarelli
Francesco
F
Vasold
Rudolf
R
Maisch
Tim
T
Ulrich
Heidi
H
Prantl
Lukas
L
König
Burkhard
B
Landthaler
Michael
M
Bäumler
Wolfgang
W
D000818:Animals; D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012867:Skin / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry*; D013552:Swine; D013653:Tattooing / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods
D001391:Azo Compounds; D004396:Coloring Agents; C069430:Pigment Red 22