Humans have been tattooing their bodies for thousands of years, from Ötzi the iceman’s ancient ink to Angelina Jolie’s famous tats. Still, the art of tattooing remains mysterious in more ways than one.
For example, a study published this spring in the journal Analytical Chemistry recently found that about 90% of tattoo inks in the United States contain ingredients not listed on their labels. So how can consumers know what is safe to put into their skin?
To find out, Mike Rogers visited with Dillon Forte, a tattoo artist based in the Austin, Texas area, about how to know who to trust, the differences between black and colored tattoos, and how the industry is regulated differently in the U.S. than it is in Europe.
“Tattooing in general is very, very wild. It has always been wild in a lot of ways. But the wildness that it has been prior was, I feel like actually more controlled and more strict,” said Forte, who explained how the once-fringe art has evolved as tattoos become more popular.
Forte had one key suggestion for those interested in getting tattoos. Listen to find out what it is.
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