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Slide deck from my presentation at the Paradise Tattoo Gathering in 2024. This is a high level overview of pigment chemistry, physiology, and complications.

1. Check the packaging or product listing for the steel grade (usually 304 or 316L stainless steel) 2. Go to the manufacturer's website and look for a spec sheet, SDS, or material data page 3. If it's not listed, email their support team and ask for the Material Certificate or Mill Test Report (MTR) — they're required to have one 4. Cross-reference the grade with publicly available ASTM or ISO standards (e.g., ASTM F138 for 316LVM surgical implant grade) The MTR will show you

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6710876/ This was the first study to investigate and confirm that metal particles from tattoo needles themselves (not just the ink) get deposited in human skin and then translocate to lymph nodes. Here's what they found: Although tattoo needles contain high amounts of sensitizing elements like nickel (6-8%) and chromium (15-20%), their influence on metal deposition in skin had never been investigated. The researchers reported the deposition of