Ink!

Ink Poisoning:
Do you write on your hands? Were you ever concerned of whether or not you’ll get ink poisoning? Have your parents or teachers ever yelled at you for doing so? Well, have no fear. Ink poisoning can be caused by your everyday ballpoint pens, but only if it gets in your bloodstream. “Because ink is a relatively safe substance, a small amount of ink in the mouth should not cause poisoning symptoms.” (Source). Ink poisoning is only fatal when large amounts of ink are consumed. According to Medline Plus, a service of the National Institutes of Health, "Large amounts of writing ink must be consumed (more than an ounce) before treatment is needed."

The only time when ink can reach your bloodstream and put you at risk to ink poisoning is when you have a wound. Doodling on the skin can also cause a discoloration and the natural oils on your skin to dry up, leaving your skin vulnerable and extremely dry. (Source).

The most common type of ink poisoning is irritation, which happens when ink gets into your eyes (or your skin – if you are allergic to ink). The symptoms of an irritation by ink may cause a burning sensation. If this happens, be sure to rinse the irritated area until the ink is gone or you are no longer feeling a burning sensation. “The ink may temporarily stain the whites of your eyes, skin or mucous membranes (inside your nose or mouth). It is unlikely for ink in the eyes or on the skin to cause long-term or permanent symptoms complications.” (Source).

Medline Plus considers ink in pens to be non-toxic, however if a substantial amount was consumed, symptoms of poisoning could appear.

Bottled ink (or water-based ink) such as that used in fountain pens, is considered non-toxic, according to Medline Plus. However, if you drank a substantial amount of it, you could exhibit symptoms of poisoning. The risk of poisoning from tattoo ink is somewhat higher, mostly because its ingredients are not regulated. Some ink may contain Xylene, a toxic substance that is normally inhaled – therefore it rarely causes harm when it is written on your skin. Most doctors, however, recommend avoiding writing on your skin with any type of permanent ink. (Source).

There are other kinds of ink…tattoo ink. The ingredients in tattoo ink are generally not regulated (Source). Tattooing has been around for a long time, since around 3200 BC. Today, tattooing remains a controversy subject in terms of health hazards. “Supporters of tattooing claim that it is impossible to become poisoned from tattoo ink as it never really reaches the bloodstream.” (Source).

There are currently no tattoo inks that have been approved by the FDA, this makes it a gamble to say the least. Most of the time, people suffering from some sort of reaction to tattoo ink develop these reactions to the more vibrant colors such as red, blue, orange and yellow. A reaction to black ink is quite rare. (Source).

Another question that I asked myself is how tattoos stay on you

and never disappear (unless you get it removed by a laser, of course). So what is a tattoo exactly? A tattoo is a deep (puncture) wound in your skin that is filled with ink. The ink is injected past the epidermis (past the top layer of your skin) into your dermis. Dermis cells are very stable, so the tattoo is practically permanent. The needle and tube of a tattoo machine drives about 1/8 inch into your skin. (Source). You can also get poisoning for tattoos, so be sure to test out if you are allergic to the ink before you actually get a tattoo!!! Please also be sure that everything is clean and new.

Click here to see an animation of how the tattooing process actually looks!

Be sure to take precautions and think carefully about what you are doing or want to do with your body.