Let's be real for a second: Tattoos are cool as hell, and they're a beautiful, fun way to express yourself and convey some of your personality visually (and even, in some cases, to cover stretch marks if they make you self-conscious).
Unfortunately, they may come with a caveat now: Twin studies have linked getting inked with getting cancer. Wait, what gives?
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The Departments of Public Health and Clinical Research at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) teamed up with the University of Helsinki for studies that examined 5,900 sets of twins, one of whom in each pair had cancer and the other who did not. Their findings demonstrated tattooed individuals getting skin cancers and lymphomas at higher rates than people without tattoos.
"The unique aspect of our approach is that we can compare twin pairs where one has cancer, but they otherwise share many genetic and environmental factors," Dr. Jacob von Bornemann Hjelmborg, Ph.D., professor of biostatistics at University of Southern Denmark, told MedicalXpress. "This provides us with a stronger method for investigating whether tattoos themselves may influence cancer risk."
Related: Nothing Lasts Forever! Every Question You've Ever Had About Tattoo Removal, Answered
Why Do These Researchers Believe Tattoos Might Increase Cancer Risk?
Researchers believe that some tattoo ink may be absorbed by the lymph nodes. They suspect that the absorbed ink may trigger chronic inflammation in the lymph nodes, which in turn may cause lymphomas.
"We can see that ink particles accumulate in the lymph nodes, and we suspect that the body perceives them as foreign substances," Dr. Henrik Frederiksen, Ph.D., consultant in hematology at Odense University Hospital and clinical professor at University of Southern Denmark, explained. "This may mean that the immune system is constantly trying to respond to the ink, and we do not yet know whether this persistent strain could weaken the function of the lymph nodes or have other health consequences."
Researchers did admit, however, that because lymphoma and other cancers can take years to develop, determining the specific link between tattoos and lymphomas is tricky and requires further studying.
Related: Can Tattoos Boost Your Immune System?
According to the study, individuals with tattoos that are considered large (as in, bigger than the average human palm) had nearly three times higher rates of lymphoma than people without tattoos when accounting for age, when the individuals got tattooed and how long researchers studied them.
"This suggests that the bigger the tattoo and the longer it has been there, the more ink accumulates in the lymph nodes," Dr. Signe Bedsted Clemmensen, Ph.D., assistant professor of biostatistics at University of Southern Denmark, noted. "The extent of the impact on the immune system should be further investigated so that we can better understand the mechanisms at play."
Dr. Clemmensen added, "In our study, we do not see a clear link between cancer occurrence and specific ink colors, but this does not mean that color is irrelevant. We know from other studies that ink can contain potentially harmful substances, and for example, red ink more often causes allergic reactions. This is an area we would like to explore further."
Related: The Best Way to Lower Your Cancer Risk, According to Doctors
Should You Be Worried About Tattoos Causing Cancer?
The jury is still out, but the answer is probably no, according to Dr. Robert H. Shmerling, MD, in Harvard Health.
Citing previous studies, Dr. Shmerling notes that there may be confounding factors for many patients aside from tattoos and that it's nearly impossible to pinpoint tattoos as a trigger for disease in these cases. Most importantly, he points out that even as tattoos grow in popularity, lymphoma rates haven't actually risen—so you can rest easy if and when you want to go under the needle and make your body into your canvas.
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Sources
"Do Tattoos Cause Lymphoma?" Harvard Health."Tattoo ink exposure is associated with lymphoma and skin cancers – a Danish study of twins." BMC Public Health. Read More Details
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