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People with tattoos are at 29% higher risk of contracting an aggressive form of skin cancer, according to a new study.
Researchers looked at the relationship between tattoos and cutaneous melanoma, a cancer of the cells that produce melanin, which gives skin, hair and eyes their color.
Cutaneous melanoma is generally considered to be the most aggressive form of skin cancer and can quickly spread to other parts of the body if it is not treated swiftly.
Although the cancer can form on any part of the body, it usually forms on areas of skin exposed to the sun.
The researchers analysed health data from nearly 3,000 Swedish people aged 20-60 and identified a 29% higher risk of cutaneous melanoma among people with tattoos.
Tattoo size was not found to be linked to higher risk of the cancer.
“Coloured tattoos alone or in combination with black or grey in the tattoo seemed to be associated with a slightly higher risk of cutaneous melanoma,” the study authors said.
They continued: “We did not find that highly UV-exposed tattooed individuals had a higher risk of cutaneous melanoma than tattooed individuals with lower UV exposure. Thus, our data suggests that UV-accelerated pigment breakdown does not increase the risk of cutaneous melanoma beyond the risk associated with tattoo exposure per se.”
The study also found that individuals who had tattoos for 10 to 15 years had the highest risk of developing the cancer.
Tattoo ink is treated as a foreign substance by the body, triggering an immune response. Pigments are encapsulated by immune cells and taken to the lymph nodes for storage.
Recent guidance from the FDA has warned Americans to “think before you ink,” because of the potential safety risks, including from cancer.
Forty percent of Americans aged 18 to 34 have tattoos.
