A new regulation to stop the use of certain chemicals might cause a shortage of tattoo ink in the EU. The new restrictions apply to substances contained in colored ink and that, according to the EU regulators, it may cause cancer or other health issues.
An update on EU regulations on chemicals, also known as Reach, prohibits the use of over 4,000 chemicals including isopropanol alcohol, a common ingredient in tattoo inks, according to a report from The Guardian.
The reason for the European Chemical Agency to ban these chemicals is because, according to its scientist, the inks that include them may cause “skin allergies and other more serious health impacts, such as genetic mutations and cancer”.
And while officials say substitutes are already available, tattoo artists complain that these inks are not easy to replace and the ones available lack the vibrancy customers often look for.
Some worry it might be a ban on tattoos
Even though officials claim this new regulation has nothing to do with an attempt to ban tattoos or tattoo parlors, artists fear the lack of certain inks will threaten the industry as well as criminalize them.
Tin-Tin, tattoo artist and head of the French tattoo industry union (SNAT), told Reuters that these new regulations might lead to a black market of parlors that do not follow the rules.
“It’s ridiculous. It’s like taking the flour from a bakery, it’s as stupid as that. If we don’t have any colors or ink to work with, what are we going to work with?” he said.
The EU estimates that up to 12% of its residents have a tattoo and the number is likely to go up in the next years.
