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20 Reasons Not to Get A Tattoo

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BEN WEHRMAN

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Hello friends!

Today we’re going to talk about a topic which those of you who follow me on the socials know has been a bit of a crusade for me over the years: TATTOOS, and more specifically, why I believe it’s a bad idea to get them for all kinds of reasons, especially for women.

If you’ve already gotten them done, I apologize in advance for the thrashing of your life choices about to commence. I still recommend you take the time to read, as it’s always important to understand the true state of what’s inside our body, including the things we put into it when we didn’t know any better (which we have ALL done at some point). Additionally, if like so many other tattooed folks you are considering getting more, this post will illuminate a lot of information I guarantee you’ve never heard about the unforeseen side effects of tattoos, which may impact your decision.

Not much else is needed by way of introductions, so let’s get straight into it.

Part 1 – Health

 

“Most tattoo consumers only consider how much it will hurt, what design they want, and who will be tattooing them.

The next level folks might weigh the possible risks of infection and how safe/clean the environment is.

Very few look into research on the toxicity of the inks, or long-term issues.

I have. It’s ugly. Real ugly.”

– Dr. Garret Smith, @NutriDetect

#1) Tattoo inks are loaded with poisonous heavy metals

Tattoo inks contain high levels of transition metals (found in the middle of the periodic table).

Iron (Fe): black, red, brown, and gray inks
Cobalt (Co): blue inks
Titanium (Ti): white inks
Chromium (Cr) / Nickel (Ni): green inks
Copper (Cu): green & blue inks

Others include aluminum (used as ink colorant), cadmium (highest in white ink), lead (highest in black ink), mercury, antimony, beryllium, and arsenic.

Keep in mind that the cocktail of metals used by ink-manufacturers is NOT publicly disclosed, so whatever mystery potion they’re brewing and injecting people with is subject to constant change without any transparency to the general public.

 

More Resources/Studies on the heavy metals/toxins present in different color tattoo inks:

#2) These heavy metal nanoparticles travel inside the body

Several studies have concluded that nanoparticles from tattoos do not stay put at the point of injection – they travel throughout the body via the bloodstream, opening up ALL of your internal organs to damage from these metals/toxins.

One of these studies, conducted the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, summarizes:

“The elements that make up the ink in tattoos travel inside the body in micro and nanoparticle forms and reach the lymph nodes according to a new study. It is the first time that there is analytical evidence of the transport of various organic, inorganic pigments and toxic element impurities as well as in depth characterization of the pigments ex vivo in tattooed tissues.”

– Full Study: Nanoparticles from tattoos travel inside the body

Combining the known toxicity of metals in tattoo inks with this high-transportability throughout the body post-injection leads to all sorts of downstream negative health effects, including…

 

#3) Tattoos increase EMF sensitivity

EMF = Electromagnetic Frequency (WiFi, bluetooth, 4G/5G, microwave, etc.). Learn more about EMFs and their damage to human health here)

The metals in tattoo inks have partially-filled d-orbitals in their electron configuration, which draws nnEMF (non-native EMF), especially microwaves and RF (radio frequency), to them.

In simpler terms, when you inject these heavy metals into your body (which absorb straight into your bloodstream from the skin), you’re essentially turning your lymphatic system (and therefore your entire body) into a highly-conductive antenna for EMFs from WiFi, Bluetooth, 5G towers, etc., thus amplifying all of their well-established damaging effects.

Not good.

 

Understanding how much damage is caused to a metal-filled human body when powerful frequencies are applied to it gets very dark, very quick…

 

Side note: As alluded to in the above video, vaccines are also a major contributor of heavy metals in the body, which is why I quit them cold-turkey in 2022. For all my tattooed friends out there who are reading this post and regretting their decisions, or thinking I’m on some sort of high horse for sidestepping this particular poison…trust me, we have ALL made mistakes on this truth-seeking journey. What matters above all else is that we forgive our past selves, take every step possible to detox from previous errors so we can improve our health situation moving forward, and most importantly NOT be paralyzed into silence by our embarrassment from falling for these scams. To the contrary, it is our duty to our fellow humans to get AS LOUD AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, so we can protect others from falling into the same traps we did. Future generations depend on us swallowing our pride and SPEAKING UP. /endrant

 

#4) Tattoos attack the immune system, increasing all sorts of health risks, including cancer

 

“Tattoos involve puncturing the skin with 100s of needle pricks.

Each prick delivers a deposit of ink into the dermis.

Most ink stays put, which means the body is *unable to detox it*

If toxic, similar to mercury fillings, it’s now stuck & will continue damaging health long-term.”

– Dr. Garret Smith, @NutriDetect

 

The human body does not want foreign chemicals inside of it. The toxins in tattoo ink are the textbook definition of foreign, and greatly increase the risk that your body will come back swinging at you for disrupting its natural biochemical balance.

Common health conditions that can surface following tattoos (often several years after getting them):

  • Inflammation
  • Skin Cancer
  • Blood Cancer / Lymphoma
  • Neurodegenerative disease
  • Bone disease

+ More

tattoo skin cancer

For the latest research on tattoos’ alarming correlation to cancer, read this thread 👇

Referenced study, which followed thousands of Danish twins

Another study conducted in Sweden, which tracked over 11,000 participants, discovered that people with tattoos have a 21% higher risk of developing lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.

Yet another study proposed that tattoos may hide skin cancer from being found, and even be related as a cause:

“Malignant melanoma cases arising in tattoos have been increasingly described…In most cases, the melanoma occurred on dark blue (10/30), black (8/30), or blue ink (3/30)”

– Full Study: Melanoma and tattoos: a case report and review of the literature

Even more health detriments that have been linked to the tattoo + EMF combo:

  • Accelerated molecular clocks in cells near the tattoo
  • Desynchronization with SCN clock
  • Inflammation of the skin (e.g. Eczema)

“Heavy metals, namely, cadmium, lead, mercury, antimony, beryllium, & arsenic are responsible for cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, lungs, kidneys, liver, endocrine, and bone diseases…”

– Full study covering a whole laundry list more: Tattoo inks are toxicological risks to human health: A systematic review of their ingredients, fate inside skin, toxicity due to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, primary aromatic amines, metals, and overview of regulatory frameworks

I think you get the idea. Moving on…

 

#5) Tattoo pigments can permanently lodge toxins into your lymph nodes, liver, and other internal organs for life

In a jarring study by Scientific Reports, it was proven that the toxins we’ve discussed so far have a tendency to get lodged in critical internal organs (particularly the lymph nodes and liver), and can remain stuck there for life.

“Altogether we report strong evidence for both migration and long-term deposition of toxic elements and tattoo pigments as well as for conformational alterations of biomolecules that likely contribute to cutaneous inflammation and other adversities upon tattooing…The deposit of particles leads to chronic enlargement of respective lymph node & lifelong exposure…We also were able to prove presence of several toxic elements, such as Cr & Ni, derived from tattooing.”

– Full Study: Synchrotron-based ν-XRF mapping and μ-FTIR microscopy enable to look into the fate and effects of tattoo pigments in human skin

Another study found strong evidence that tattoo inks get stuck in the liver, and like the lymph nodes, can be stuck there for life.

“The study demonstrated black and red tattoo pigment deposits in the liver; thus, tattoo pigment distributed from the tattooed skin via the bloodstream to this important organ of detoxification. The finding adds a new dimension to tattoo pigment distribution in the body, i.e., as observed via the blood in addition to the lymphatic pathway.”

– Full Study: Tattoo Pigments Are Observed in the Kupffer Cells of the Liver Indicating Blood-Borne Distribution of Tattoo Ink

 

 

#6) Allergies to tattoo ink is common

If you know someone with tattoos who lives a very healthy lifestyle but is still suffering from mysterious allergic reactions, this may be the reason.

“Allergic reactions to a particular pigment can manifest in several ways, including allergic contact dermatitis & photoallergic dermatitis…reactions can be classified as acute inflammatory reactions, allergic hypersensitivities, granulomatous, lichenoid, and pseudolymphomatous types of reactions.”

– Full Study: Cutaneous allergic reactions to tattoo ink

Tattoo allergies are rarely caught by doctors, and even if they are, the condition is very hard to treat, as the allergen/toxin is stuck inside the person. To alleviate symptoms, the only known treatment is topical/injected corticosteroids, which may have to be used for life. (Extreme cases require surgical removal.)

 

#7) Tattoos lower the quantum yield of the sun

Inked skin reduces the quantum yield of the photoelectric effect, i.e. the body’s ability to gain beneficial photons from the sun.

You already cover 70% of your body with clothes. Tattoos further reduce your skin’s sun exposure.

And for any folks out there who still think the sun is bad for us and the cause of rising skin cancer, that’s a whole different rabbit hole…get caught up by listening to these episodes of my podcast:

Lots more on this topic coming soon. Stay tuned!

 

#8) Tattoos often cause sun-related reactions

Not only do tattoos reduce the health benefits of sunlight, but they can also turn the sun against you.

If the tattoo ink itself doesn’t cause an allergic reaction as described in point #6, there’s also a chance of experiencing a sun-triggered reaction, as risk of photosensitivity and photodynamic events (i.e. skin problems) are increased by the chemicals in pigments.

“Complaints such as swelling, itching, stinging, pain and redness are common, predominantly in black and red tattoos, but also frequent in blue tattoos, thus, not confined to one specific colour or chemical entity or class of pigment.”

– Full Study: Photosensitivity and photodynamic events in black, red and blue tattoos are common

 

#9) There is a cloud of mystery over the toxicity of tattoo inks

 

“Ever thought about what’s actually inside tattoo ink? We know that it permanently stains the skin… but where else in the body does the pigment go? Legally, manufacturers of ink and pigments are not required to disclose ink contents, because it’s not technically a ‘food’, even though it’s going straight into your body.”

– @SolBrah

 

You may have noticed that most of the studies referenced across this post are fairly old. That’s because research in this area is very sparse, which should come as no surprise to those who’ve been listening to my podcast, since as we’ve learned since very early on in our episode with Nina Teicholz, there’s little incentive for any group/corporation to pay for studies when the result encourages consumers to NOT spend money on something.

Chances are high that the negative outcomes covered in this post have gotten significantly worse in recent years, as it’s difficult to imagine that the combination of:

a) Total lack of regulation in the tattoo industry

b) Inflation forcing artists/chemists to use cheaper ingredients

…could lead to HEALTHIER outcomes in tattoo inks (a field that already doesn’t place a ton of emphasis on the health of their subjects in the first place…)

“Currently, basic toxicological aspects, from biokinetics to possible alterations of the pigments, are largely uncertain…Even though toxicological data might be available for some ink ingredients individually, information on in vivo interactions of ink’s components and their fate within the body is rare.”

– Full Study: Synchrotron-based ν-XRF mapping and μ-FTIR microscopy enable to look into the fate and effects of tattoo pigments in human skin

In other words…they have no idea what these inks actually do when combined with each other, OR with your body’s biochemical processes, OR with the sun/other external stimuli as discussed earlier, let alone the ink itself.

And on top of all of this, there is still zero transparency on the inks, so there is no end in sight for this mystery.

 

Are you beginning to understand why I’m raising such a ruckus about this PERMANENT body modification that so many people are sleepwalking into right now?? It’s truly insane when you stop to think about it.

 

#10) Tattoos can trigger addiction in certain emotionally-vulnerable individuals

Some say tattoos aren’t addictive, or that it’s impossible.

Others say that “addiction” seems to fit the behavior of tattooed people they know.

Here are two articles on the topic – judge for yourself:

 

#11) Tattoos are correlated to shorter lifespan

While there is some gray area on this one regarding where correlation becomes causation, studies have shown that people with tattoos have significantly shorter lifespans on average. Exactly how much the catastrophic list of negative health effects discussed so far play a part in this statistic is difficult to nail down, but it certainly cannot help.

“At autopsy, tattoos are recorded as part of the external examination…The mean age of death for tattooed persons was 39 yrs, compared to 53 yrs for non-tattooed…Persons with tattoos appear to die earlier than those without. There may be an epiphenomenon between having tattoos & risk-taking behavior such as drug or alcohol use…”

– Full Study: How tattoos correlate with early mortality

 

#12) Laser removal is WORSE than ineffective for tattoo damage-reversal

Many hold the misconception that if they get a tattoo and regret it later, it’s all good, because they can just get rid of it with laser removal surgery.

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Since the laser removal process just breaks down the pigment toxins into even smaller pieces within the skin, it has actually been shown to WORSEN the associated health problems, as tinier particulates can travel to even more freely within the body.

A new case-control study supports this, as it found that while getting a tattoo led to a 21% higher risk of malignant lymphoma…

Laser removal of the tattoo actually increased risk by nearly 200%!

According to Dr. Brandon Luu (a very sharp twitter doc), this laser removal-induced risk increase may be due to chronic immune responses to tattoo ink, exacerbated by laser removal due to the production of carcinogenic aromatic amines 👇

 

#13) There is no getting rid of heavy metals/toxins once you’ve injected them

The logical next question now that we know laser removal isn’t a good option…Is there ANY way to detoxify from tattoos after you’ve gotten them?

From my personal research (again, I’m not a medical professional, so these are just recommendations to explore yourself), I would focus on the following detoxing practices to minimize tattoo harm:

a) Sweating.

Sweating is by far the most important aspect of the human detoxifications system. Aside from exercising, saunas are fantastic for this. Build one in your backyard or grab one on Amazon, and make that part of your routine.

b) Epsom salt baths.

Magnesium deficiency is rampant across the world due to depleted soils, over-farming, and garbage diets. Since magnesium is a major supporter of the body’s natural detoxification processes, it’s easy to deduce that the majority of people are losing out on making the most of their natural detoxification due to this vitamin deficiency. Epsom salt baths are an excellent way to fix this.

If you don’t have a bathtub, you can still just soak your feet for 30mins/day before bed and derive a lot of transdermal magnesium from it, which will increase glutathione, the body’s master antioxidant and detoxifier.

Take note however: If your bath water is unfiltered/fluoridated, you may want to rethink doing this until that box is checked, as you’ll be trading the magnesium boost for fluoride poisoning. Don’t you just LOVE living in this modern toxic minefield??

c) Heavy metal detox supplementation.

There are lots detoxification supplements out there, and I don’t want to get too out of scope comparing all of them in this post, but one of the best-known ones (which I take daily myself) is Shilajit.

shilajit heavy metal detox

d) Lock in your diet

Episode 20 of my podcast dove deep into exactly this: The Ultimate Detoxification Diet. Give it a watch below, and subscribe to the podcast here to stay in the loop for tons of new detox-focused episodes I have in the pipeline.

TLDR: The carnivore diet is peak for maximizing your body’s natural detoxification processes, as all carbs/sugar/plant-toxins burden your body’s resources, thus getting in the way of its ability to detox everything else. Long live ketosis!

Quick clarification for those who aren’t familiar with my work, and think the carnivore diet sounds insane:

Bluntly put, it’s not. But don’t take my word for it – the most dialed-in doctors on Earth agree that it’s the most ancestrally-optimal diet there is. A 100% animal products diet contains all the nutrients you need in highly-bioavailable form, which as a bonus, creates adequate amounts of glutathione to handle our extremely toxic environment. Your body LOVES these fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D, K2, special amino acids like taurine and glycine, water soluble vitamins like B1, B2, B12, etc, as well as the minerals like zinc and selenium for optimal detoxification and excretion pathways.

Lastly, FAT is how our bodies deal with toxin exposure, so throw the nonsensical “fat is bad for you” brainwashing out the window. There’s nothing healthier than eating a copious amount of it via fatty meat cuts, butter, tallow, ghee, lard, etc.

More resources on the carnivore diet, and why it’s optimal for human health + detoxification:

 

Part 2 – Other

(I’m putting this part second rather than last, since the final part is for women only.)

 

#14) Tattoos visually-deteriorate with age

It’s well-known that tattoos fade, blur, and otherwise deteriorate in quality over time. Many don’t think much of this, as they can “touch it up” later. However, as we’ve covered thoroughly in this post, this requires yet another health hit on your body as you’re injecting even more heavy metals into your lymphatic system.

Not to mention the fact that even after touch-ups, your tattoo will never look as good as it did the day you got it, and sometimes it’s not even possible to refine them due to the art blurring so badly:

blurry tattoo

There are entire online communities full of people sharing badly-aged tattoos, so they can all cope together about how their body is permanently ruined. (Example: r/AgedTattoos subreddit).

Take it from these folks…your future self will not be pleased if you act impulsively on this one.

 

#15) Tattoos are no longer unique

 

“Not having a tattoo is the new tattoo.”

– Me just now

 

According to World Atlas, 46% of American adults have at least 1 tattoo.

Italy, Sweden, Australia, Argentina, Spain, Denmark, and the UK all clock in between 40-50%.

tattoo country statistics

Full article with more statistics

In other words, nearly HALF of the adult population of several prominent countries now have graffiti on their bodies…so no, you’re not going to stand out by doing this. (And as these trends continue, you will in fact moreso stand out by NOT doing it).

This is an enormous increase in tattoo prevalence compared to just a few decades ago, and as mental health continues to deteriorate globally (which is closely correlated to people’s discomfortability with their natural bodies), it’s tough to see this trend reversing anytime soon…unless older generations get loud and help the younger folks avoid this toxic trap.

 

#16) Tattoos Are Expensive

Simple and self-explanatory.

Just think of all the things you could do with that money that would actually make your life better…

May I recommend putting it toward buying some Bitcoin, or a few months of steak? 😁🥩

 

#17) Tattoo Regret-Rate is Increasing

More and more tattoo recipients are regretting their decisions, likely due to the overwhelming number of reasons (like the 20 I’ve outlined in this post) that injecting yourself with poison to look more like a prison convict is not the best idea.

From a 2015 Harris poll:

23% of those with tattoos say they regret ever getting one (up from 14% in 2012).

When asked WHY they regretted their tattoo, the top responses were:

  • Too young when they got the tattoo
  • Personality changes / Doesn’t fit my present lifestyle
  • Got someone’s name that I’m no longer with
  • Poorly done / Doesn’t look professional
  • Isn’t meaningful

I find it very interesting that the health effects I’ve stressed so hard in this post were nowhere to be found among these concerns. I predict that’s mainly because the health dangers are still largely unknown by the public. Once word starts getting out that tattoos are incredibly toxic to the human body, that’s going to skyrocket to the top of the list, and simultaneously carry the tattoo-regret percentage on its back into the stratosphere.

Full Harris Poll Report

 

Part 3 – For Women

FYI this part takes an aggressive turn into subjectivity, but based on the consistency at which I’ve heard both men and women confirm the below statements, I feel obligated to include it. If you’re a tattooed woman who’s easily triggered, consider this your warning…don’t shoot the messenger!

 

#18) Tattoos decrease natural beauty in the eyes of high-quality men

Ask any man: If he had a Ferrari, would he cover it with bumper stickers?

The answer will always be no, for the same reason he doesn’t want markings all over his woman – it detracts from her natural beauty.

Now, before y’all blow up my comments for stating the harsh truth many don’t want to hear, let me call in some backup from my friend Cupid’s Daughter, a Matchmaker with the most relevant proof one could have on the matter:

 

(I’m going to sprinkle in a couple more of Cupid’s tweets over these last few sections as a reminder that these are not my personal opinions, but the consensus reality, which is why I feel it’s important to discuss despite the hate I’m sure I’ll get for it).

Taking a look at the data, the claim that top-quality men reduce or disqualify tattooed women from wife consideration remains solid.

According to a 2007 study:

“84 female and 76 male undergraduates rated a series of 16 female line drawings that varied in 2 levels of hair color and 8 levels of tattooing…Results showed that tattooed women were rated as less physically attractive, more sexually promiscuous, and heavier drinkers than non-tattooed women, with negative ratings increasing with number of tattoos.”

– Full Study: Unattractive, promiscuous and heavy drinkers: perceptions of women with tattoos

In addition, a Pew Research survey found that out of all non-tattooed groups, men carried one of the highest “negative” reaction scores toward those with tattoos (32%), compared to a measly 4% viewing it as a positive.

tattoos women dating

 

#19) Tattoos on women signal negative traits such as low impulse-control, impurity, and hard life experience

A few premises to understand what men desire romantically:

  • While women are attracted to men with masculine ruggedness/experience, men are attracted to the polar opposite, a feminine softness/innocence/inexperience
  • Men are VISUAL creatures, and thus pay close attention to a woman’s appearance.
  • Men are also LOGICAL creatures, so when they see a woman with artificial body-altercations, they are going to draw conclusions about what this says about said feminine characteristics

 

In tattoos’ case, they signal that the woman has some mixture of the following:

  • Low self-esteem/comfortability in her natural skin
  • Low impulse control
  • Bad relationship with father/ex-boyfriends, as they failed to protect her from damaging herself through the above two

High-quality men, who are inherently thinking long-term, want to avoid this baggage, and as a result, are increasingly lowering/eliminating tattooed women from wife consideration.

tattoos for women

tattoos on women

#20) Tattoos on women don’t just repel mature men, they attract immature men

While MEN view tattoos as a negative for women, oftentimes BOYS will view it as a positive, as they aren’t thinking about finding a mother of their kids, but moreso chasing visually-pleasing eye candy.

This is why women with tattoos often complain that they aren’t being approached by husband-material men anymore, but rather immature boys who just want to hookup to add an entry to the sexual memory bank.

Referring back to the Pew Research study from point #18, the age demographic of 18-29 (non-tattooed) had the highest positive rating toward those with tattoos (12%). In the next age interval of 30-49, the number more than halved (5%), then more than halved AGAIN for 50+ (2%). This trend supports the claim that the older men get, the more negative their view toward tattoos becomes.

 

Conclusion

When most people are mulling over whether or not to get a tattoo, the typical top concerns I hear are:

  • What if the artist doesn’t do a good job / the finished product doesn’t look good?
  • Will the needle be clean/safe from infection?
  • How bad is this going to hurt? I’ve heard it’s really painful

Notice that I didn’t even include any these in this post, as I think they are the complete wrong questions people should be asking.

We’re talking about an injection of toxic chemicals into the body that’s now garnering significant evidence of detrimental health effects, plus a continuing trend of people thinking they’re just plain trashy and not attractive, leading to socially/romantically-negative consequences.

Sorry to end this post on a harsh note, but I really want to drive the point home for anyone who’s considering getting tattoos that the list of reasons why tattoos are a bad idea is extensive, and I can’t think of a single one in support.

From internal organ damage, to reduced physical attractiveness, to increased susceptibility to the environmental toxins increasingly prevalent in the modern world…tattoos get a big fat NO from me, and I hope I’ve enlightened others to some new perspectives that may prevent them from making a permanent decision that they later regret.

 

And with that, I bid you farewell, my friends. I hope you got some value out of this post!

If you did, please consider scrolling down to follow me on the socials, and subscribe to my email list for notifications on future posts. And particularly for this one, PLEASE SHARE IT, as we all know people in our social circles who are considering getting tattoos at this very moment. You could quite literally stop someone you care about from getting very sick, losing out on romantic partners, or falling into a pit of deep regret by simply sending over this link. It cannot hurt!

Cheers, and I’ll see you next time.

-Ben

 

Sources + Further Research:

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