Risks of infection from tattoo inks

Posted: 08/24/2012

The Food and Drug Administration is alerting the public about the risk of infection from contaminated tattoo ink.

The FDA says some tattoo inks, and the pigments used to color them, can become toxic.

Inks contaminated by bacteria, mold, and fungus have caused serious infections in at least five states in the past year.

Because there are no specific FDA requirements to sterilize tattoo inks, tattoo parlors and their customers have to be extra careful about hygiene.

Baltimore, MD

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