Safety of UV Tattoos

     While the popularity of UV tattoos is rising, not much is known about the safety of these tattoos. They have not been approved by the FDA for use in humans because the FDA “has not traditionally regulated tattoo inks or the pigments used in them".  No tattoo inks have ever been approved by the FDA for this reason. Some companies advertise their inks as FDA approved. This is partly true, but these products have only been approved by the FDA for fishing or agricultural use, such as marking animals, such as livestock or fish.  

    There has been speculation that several UV inks are suspected carcinogens and/or allergens, but at this time, no research has been conducted into the side effects of long term exposure to these inks. Some people have had skin reactions, such as itching or dermatitis, but these reactions could've just as easily been caused by any ink. Reactions could also be caused by not protecting the tatoo from UV rays within 3 months or from using creams or lotions containing perfume on the tattoo.
     Some useful information can be gleaned  from researching the molecular construction of these inks. One of the major differences between UV tattoo inks and regular tattoo inks is the polymer microsphere encasing each UV molecule. The proper name for the synthetic polymer encasing the ink is polymethylmethacrylate, or PMMA. PMMA has been used since the 1930's for medical purposes, such as dental prosthesis, bone repair, orthopedics and pacemakers. The PMMA creates an ink-filled shell that rests between skin cells. The shells themselves are about 5 times larger than human red blood cells and are usually well-accepted by the body. From this, it appears that UV ink may actually be safer than regular tattoo ink because the actual ink never comes into contact with the body. PMMA is also completely hypoallergenic. However, one disadvantage of UV tattoos is that some of them use magnetic ingredients. If the inked individual ever needs to have an MRI, the magnetic material can be displaced by the strong magnets of the MRI machine. If you have UV tattoos, you should notify your healthcare professional of this before receiving an MRI.