October 28, 2021 general

• Tattoos. I didn’t plan to talk about tattoos until I drove by a sign in Addison, TX that read “Cat tattoos” Naturally, my first thought was why would a cat want or need a tattoo?* On second thought, surely it is like the “Roach Paint Company” which is not for painting roaches…it is just a name. While on the Cat Tattoo website to figure out why they chose that name, I read their FAQ. I did not learn about the name, but the answers to questions about safety were interesting. They dealt mainly with their strict sanitation efforts which is important because infection is a common tattoo problem.

Personally, I do not have a tattoo because (1) I’m not cool; (2) I always worried that the inks may contain heavy metals; and (3) also for vanity’s sake (…what if fades ugly or like the joke goes, “over the decades, a butterfly on the back can become a buzzard in the crack”?). Contrary to what I would have guessed, Harvard says that tattoos don’t negatively effect employability and career advancement.

Searching the science, I found these unintended health consequences of tattoos:

• This linked article talks about a broad range of side effects, including “Hepatitis B and C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transferred by tattooing” which they say “remain a significant risk needing active prevention.” It also mentions that 1 in 5 persons experience sensitivity to the sun after being inked. The scientists note that while chemical carcinogens are present in some inks, there has not been much evidence of an increase in cancer risk. That is perhaps because (except for those who cover their bodies in designs) the tattoo is usually just a one-time small exposure. But, hey, we get a LOT of other little toxic exposures, and they might add up. (E. g. see Shampoo and Hair color below .)
• Tattoo ink can trigger inflammatory processes. Those typically involve the skin, but in one case, a vision problem.
• This article is about a reference guide with pictures showing 79 side effects including allergies (especially to red ink).

* Wouldn’t you know it—I found many pictures of cats with tattoos. This photo was from a website, pethelpful.com, which describes why it is cruel to tattoo your cat. They are probably right…the kitty pictured does not look very happy about it.

• Shampoos. I wish people would understand that what you put on your skin is absorbed into circulation. Ideally, body care products should be safe enough to eat. This article on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) website discusses DMDM Hydantoin, which is used as a preservative in shampoos, cosmetics, and other body care products. DMDM Hydantoin is a Formaldehyde-Releaser. (Formaldehyde, as you may recall, is embalming fluid and has been found to cause cancer in lab animals and leukemia in workers who are exposed routinely.) The EWG notes that the main concerns with that chemical seem to be about skin irritation, allergy, immunotoxicity and perhaps aggravation of asthma, but that there are also anecdotal reports of it causing hair loss. It is best to read label ingredients, but at the least, buy these products from a natural foods market that has high standards. EWG has more information and lists of safe products.
• Men’s gradual “gray away” hair color. I’ve warned clients for a very long time that the products used to gradually darken men’s gray hair contained lead. There is no safe level of lead acetate, a dangerous neurotoxin. One indirect way that it causes harm is that when absorbed into circulation, the body confuses lead with calcium and other essential nutrients. The toxicity of lead has been known for centuries, but US regulations were slow to ban lead in house paint (1977) and gasoline (1996). Since FDA published its final rule in 1995, food cans are not supposed to contain lead. However, in 2019, the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund found that “a staggering 98% of 70 canned fruit samples” contained lead, apparently from the tin and solder. (There are other reasons to avoid canned food.)  Also, unfortunately, in many cities (like some in Michigan), lead water supply pipes are still sources of dangerous lead contamination. Lead is detrimental to children’s brain development. Potential problems for adults include: multiple myeloma, increase in blood pressure and some evidence of a link to lung cancer, stomach cancer, and gliomas (brain cancer).

Some sources of lead are trickier to dodge, but hair color seems to be avoidable. (At what price vanity?) Hair color products such as the popular Grecian Formula® (now voluntarily lead-free!) are not just a worry because of absorption of lead through the scalp, but also from hands…even from running them through dry hair. A very interesting People’s Pharmacy article points out that the FDA ignored the dye / lead problem for 30 years or more.  Apparently relying on only testing submitted by the manufacturers, the FDA trivialized and mocked consumer concerns for decades until 2018—ten years after Canada banned lead acetate. Even then because of pressure from manufacturers, the agency did not make a final rule until this month (October 2021). Furthermore, companies have until 2023 to be fully compliant. Is this another case of the modern golden rule? (“He who has the gold makes the rules?”) It will take a long while before contaminated inventories are flushed out, so please read labels.