Tattoos and Risk of Skin Cancer
Truth be told, I’m the only one in my immediate family without a tattoo. My daughters started their tattoo journey when my oldest got her first during her freshman year of college. Not wanting to be left out, she tattooed her sister’s arm with a small butterfly design. My husband followed suit, with three bands on his arm representing the three women in his life.
Unfortunately, a recent study on twins found a potential link between the exposure of tattoo ink and the development of certain cancer types. The researchers are concerned that tattoo ink releases inflammation at the deposit site, which may lead to chronic inflammation. This may result in abnormal cell development and lead to skin cancer and lymphoma.
The Study
For the study, 2,367 randomly selected twins born between 1960 and 1996 were compared to a case-control study of 316 twins. The Danish Cancer Registry obtained cancer diagnoses via ICD-10, while exposure to tattoo ink was retrieved from the Danish Twin Tattoo survey from 2021. The research examined the effects of time-varying exposure.
Results
Researchers discovered that in the case-control study, individual-level analysis led to a hazard of any skin cancer type (except basal cell carcinoma) that was 1.62 times higher in tattooed individuals. A twin-matched analysis of 14 pairs of twins discordant for tattoo ink exposure indicated a hazard risk of 1.33 for skin cancer.
Increased hazards were also observed for skin cancer and lymphoma in tattoos bigger than the palm of a hand. In the cohort study, individual-level analysis indicated a hazard ratio of 3.91 for skin cancer and 2.83 for basal cell carcinoma.
Conclusion
This study suggested a higher hazard rate of skin cancers and lymphoma in individuals with tattoos, shown via two designs: a twin cohort and a case-control study. Researchers are concerned that tattoo ink that interacts with surrounding cells may have dire consequences.
Future studies focusing on the causal pathway of tattoo ink-induced cancers are advised. I’ll certainly be encouraging my family to think twice about those tempting tattoo trends.
Below are tips to reduce the risk of skin cancer:
· Skip or limit your tattoos!
· Try temporary tattoos, which do not penetrate the skin.
· Don’t smoke or use other nicotine products.
· Avoid tanning beds and laying out in the sun.
· Be generous with sunscreen from head to toe
· Reapply sunscreen after an hour
· Limit citrus fruit intake. Excessive intake has been associated with increased risk of skin cancer. 2
· Eat a diet high in antioxidants with a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and lentils.
· Add fatty fish into your diet for omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce inflammation and may protect against skin cancer. 3
· Include foods with polyphenols, which may reduce risk of skin cancer. These include red grapes, berries, spinach, pomegranate, and green tea. 4
Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD
References:
1. Clemmensen, S.B., Mengel-From, J., Kaprio, J. et al. Tattoo ink exposure is associated with lymphoma and skin cancers – a Danish study of twins. BMC Public Health 25, 170 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21413-3
2. Fang X, Han D, Yang J, Li F, Sui X. Citrus Consumption and Risk of Melanoma: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. Front Nutr. 2022 Jun 20;9:904957. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.904957. PMID: 35795586; PMCID: PMC9251443.
3. Black HS, Rhodes LE. Potential Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer. J Clin Med. 2016 Feb 4;5(2):23. doi: 10.3390/jcm5020023. PMID: 26861407; PMCID: PMC4773779.
4. Nasir A, Bullo MMH, Ahmed Z, Imtiaz A, Yaqoob E, Jadoon M, Ahmed H, Afreen A, Yaqoob S. Nutrigenomics: Epigenetics and cancer prevention: A comprehensive review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2020;60(8):1375-1387. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2019.1571480. Epub 2019 Feb 7. PMID: 30729798.
