BOISE, Idaho — If you're planning on getting a new tattoo soon, be aware of the Food and Drug Administration's recent recall of a variety of tattoo inks that have been contaminated with bacteria, which can lead to serious infections.
The FDA recalled Scalpaink SC, Scalpaink PA, Dynamic Color, and Solid-Ink Diablo because they've been contaminated with microorganisms. Symptoms of infections caused by the bacteria include rashes, sores and can even leave permanent scarring. The FDA says the recalled inks should be thrown away immediately.
Idaho has very few regulations on tattoos and doesn't require artists to be licensed or meet many safety standards. This leaves individual artists and customers to do their homework and research.
Matt Egizi with Iron Wolf Tattoo in downtown Boise says recalls like these are rare but agrees that artists shouldn't chance it and just throw away any of these inks.
"If you had a bad batch just throw it out make sure no one gets tattooed with it, if it got contaminated or anything like that," Egizi said.
He also says that consumers should always do their homework to find clean, reputable tattoo shops.
"I'll only go to tattooers that I know do good work so I trust that they keep it all sanitary and everything," he said.
"There is a ton, its kind of word of mouth, a lot of people in my family have tattoos so I go and talk to them, see who's a good artist, are they clean, and you really just have to trust other people," one customer at the Tattoo Expo at CenturyLink Arena said.
One of Idaho's few laws regarding tattoos prohibits anyone under the age of 14 to get one, and anyone between 14 and 17 needs to have permission from a parent or guardian.