Can tattoos increase your risk of cancer?

30/04/2025 20 min
Can tattoos increase your risk of cancer?

Listen "Can tattoos increase your risk of cancer?"

Episode Synopsis


When weighing up the health risks of getting a tattoo, most people are concerned about the risk infection.But recently the ingredients in tattoo ink have come under the microscope, with some being identified as potential carcinogens.Norman and Tegan take a look at the many substances used to create permanent art, and whether they carry any real harm to humans.References:Why Tattoos Stay Put | UCSF SynapseWhat's in my ink: an analysis of commercial tattoo ink on the US market - PMCMuch ‘tattoo’ about nothing; Tattoo pigment mimicking breast microcalcifications on mammographyTattoo ink exposure is associated with lymphoma and skin cancers – a Danish study of twins | BMC Public HealthMelanoma Arising in Tattoos: A Case Series and Scoping Review of the LiteratureDoes tattoo ink give you cancer? - Cancer Council Australia2016 report from the Australian Government’s Department of Health, National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme