Calls for better tattoo ink regulation ( The Article ) Tattooing is on the rise and what was once

a niche activity has entered mainstream culture. Yet regulation has still to catch up and there is little control over the inks used and the ingredients found in them. Once I had an allergic reaction to a metal based tattoo ink I then found I reacted to anything... my roll on, make up, hair dye, clothing with natural fabrics that leech dye can set me off, pen ink kills me, says Lauren Hodges, who had several tattoos before a red dye caused her problems. I'm itchy all the time. However, Hodges says that even after an allergy test she cant be sure which inks are safe for future tattoos due to a lack of information. A lot of these products are quite complex in terms of their composition, says Alan Beswick, of the UKHealth and Safety Laboratory in Buxton. Speaking generally, many of them arent necessarily provided with good documentation as to what is actually in the product. Some labs, including the HSL, have tested tattoo inks but these have tended to focus on the dyes and metal salts that give the inks their colour. While black tattoo ink gets its colour from carbon nanoparticles, most of the brighter colours tend to be suspensions of various coloured minerals. However, when Ken Donaldson, who works on nanoparticle toxicology at the University of Edinburgh, investigated the literature he concluded that the size of the particles was of little issue. It seems that its the ingredients themselves, rather than their size, which is the problem, he adds. As well as the pigments, the inks can contain oils to change the viscosity of the ink and fillers including other metal salts not needed for colouration, explains Beswick. For example, he says, aluminium salts are often found in tattoo ink. Thats not unusual in topical applications, but whats different here is that theyre introduced into the dermal layer, which contains small blood vessels and nerves, he adds. Regulation The Council of Europe has made recommendations on the composition of tattoo ink, including listing compounds that must not be used. However, while not every member state has signed up to these regulations some regions, such as the German state of Baden-Wrttemberg, have argued that the regulations arent strict enough and are trying to pass more stringent legislation. Anyone can go on the internet and actually order ink products that may come from the US or the Far East or the Middle East, Beswick says. And that makes establishing the quality and the composition of those products even more difficult.' He suspects that the outsider status of those who tattooed in the past has meant that the practice has long escaped more strict regulation. But tattoos are not just for soldiers and sailors anymore and increasingly micropigmentation is also being used medically for procedures such as scar camouflage. This has led to some devices and dyes being approved for medical use, but the average high street tattoo parlour wont have access to these. So what would Beswick recommend for anyone considering a tattoo? I would certainly never want to say to anyone dont do it and I know lots of people personally and professionally who have tattoos, he says. But as well as making sure the tattoo parlour is clean he recommends asking questions about the quality of the products such as, does the tattooist have any supporting information about the quality of the products that theyre using? Would it be possible to see that, even? Can they substantiate it if theyre saying we use the best quality inks? What are they basing that statement on?Beswick is keen to stress that he is wary of promoting regulation that would compel tattooists perform expensive testing on the dyes they purchase. I believe, and this is the case in many industries, that quality standards are raised from within and if clients and users of the inks start to ask questions of the suppliers then the chances are that those suppliers will have to up their game. Indeed, the UK Tattoo and Piercing Industry Union advise their members to use large, reputable manufacturers that supply data sheets with their products. So if youre planning to get inked its probably best to ask for the material safety data sheet.

Critical Review ( Exactly 600 words )

Tattooing is now becoming common and is gradually being integrated into society and being accepted by cultural norms, which is said in the article. Also said, the need to regulate tattooing also grows proportionately along with it. What the article focuses on is need for regulation of ink used in tattooing. As we all would know, people do have certain allergies towards various substances, and these substances can be used in almost anything, including tattoo inks. As such, this calls for extreme measures that have to be implemented to avoid incidents in the future that involve tattoo ink. The ingredients used in inks can vary, being simple or complex, thus complicating the process of regulation. Also, the ingredients can be gotten from anywhere, any source, any country. Thus, even if regulation is put into place, it is not extensive enough to the extent of regulating products related to ink that are imported from other countries. The quality and composition of these inks that are being imported cannot be established for sure. This serves as a potential danger to tattoo customers as they are not sure of what is being applied to their body. (http://chemistry.about.com/b/2008/02/19/whatsin-your-tattoo-ink.htm) Regulation, if carried out on inks used in tattooing, has to be done keeping the tattoo artists in mind. As per the FDA Office of Colours and Cosmetics (http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-204.html ) , a tattoo artist is effectively given a license to inject whatever he or she deems appropriate under the skin, according to the researchers, as there is no traditional regulation done by government agencies. Tthere are those who do tattooing as a profession, and earn their huge keep off it, there are also those street artists who earn little from it. How would they be able to conduct expensive tests on their inks in order to ensure the well-being of their clients? Hence, regulation is hard to implement. What can be done is to limit the type of inks that tattoo artists use, and to only let them buy from certain manufacturers who have proof that their inks are of no harm to people wishing to have tattoos. (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/21202.php) What is good about regulation is that tattoo artists would be wary of what they use and would attempt to ensure that their inks are of good quality by taking the necessary measures. If, by the worst way possible, they know that they cannot guarantee that their inks are of no harm to clients, they would stop their business. This might be bad to them but to government bodies and tattoo clients, this is good as they would be relieved to know that the remaining tattoo artists would use good tattoo inks. ( Own creative idea )
What can be done instead of regulation is that an association be made just for tattoo artists themselves. From there, the association could standardize the types of ink products that could be used by tattoo artists. This would allow clients to go to tattoo artists who are under this association so that there is surety in the process. Thus, tattoo artists would gain more trust and recognition if there are under such associations. Ink products can be made up of many ingredients and no one will know what they are unless tests are conducted on them. As such, tattoo artists should only use inks that manufacturers provide with composition details. This would serve the world of tattooing credibility and tattoo artists would be trusted and respected for trying their best to prevent the tattoos causing more harm than good for their customers both in the short and long run. www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm048919.htm