Surprising Study Results: Do Tattoos Really Cause Cancer?

This is some scary news.

Inking

You probably didn't much thought to getting inked, and may still not give much thought to getting more ink moving forward. I am certainly WAY inked up and I'm no more scared today than I was yesterday, but let's just say this recent survey is enough to give pause.  I guess, as with anything, you should know the risks.

The Study

A recent study showed that people who had a tattoo, regardless of size, had a 21% higher chance of developing malignant lymphoma. The goal doesn't seem to be to scare anyone away from getting tattoos, but to have every one think a little harder about what they are getting injected under their skin. I'm not so sure the message will matter.

More Results

You may read the warts-and-all version of the research right here. One thing that doesn't sit well with me is that if 30% of U.S. adults have tattoos, you would think there would be an enormous amount of people currently suffering from lymphoma. In simpler terms, the study would show that about three out of every ten people I know with tattoos would have malignant lymphoma at some time, and in reality, I have dozens and dozens of friends with tattoos and, at least for now, they're all clear (yes, that could change, but with results this high, you'd think we'd see an instance or two of it by now).

Does It Matter?

I certainly don't have any regret and I doubt this study will keep anybody from getting ink. I would think since getting ink is rebellious in nature, this is just going to make it more "cool" and "dangerous" for those who take the chance. I personally have zero tattoo regret even after the results of this study.