Tattoo restrictions in Europe creating worry for local artists

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Two common pigments used in tattoos have been banned in Europe. Now, local artists in Colorado say if that were to happen here, it could be detrimental to their industry.

The two pigments are Pigment Blue 15:3 and Pigment Green 7. Officials overseas saying those have led to customers getting side effects ranging from allergic reactions to cancer.

However, a report done by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment found that those two pigments have a "comparatively low level of toxicity."

Regardless, those pigments will be phased out over the next year out of safety concerns for customers.

Currently, in the United States, there is no similar legislation. Here, the tattoo industry isn't as heavily regulated as it is in Europe, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

David Brown, a tattoo artist at Fallen Heroes Tattoos in Colorado Springs, says what's happening in Europe is an overreaction.

“I think we are hitting a thumbtack with a hammer and I don’t think it’s necessary,” Brown says. In his years of being an artist, he has never seen someone have a reaction like what is being described overseas, “I’ve seen more reactions when it comes to aftercare than I have to the actual procedure.” Brown adds if the United States were to implement the same regulation here, it would wipe out the majority of their pigments. “What it boils down to roughly 80% of my shelf would be gone,” Brown says.

Those two pigments are used to create a wide variety of different colors.

“It touches quite a few, you’ve got yellows, blues, skin tone,” according to Brown.

A recent study shows about a third of all Americans have a tattoo. Regulations on the industry are done through local jurisdictions.

However, because there is not much federal oversight, some researchers say manufactures are not required to disclose what they put in the ink.