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submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by King@blackneon.net to c/science@mander.xyz

Study

The researchers discovered that once a tattoo is made, the ink rapidly travels through the lymphatic system and, within hours, accumulates in large quantities in the lymph nodes — key organs of the body’s defense system. Inside these nodes, immune cells called macrophages actively capture all types of pigment. This ink uptake triggers an inflammatory response with two phases: an acute phase lasting about two days after tattooing, followed by a chronic phase that can persist for years. The chronic phase is particularly concerning because it weakens the immune system, potentially increasing the susceptibility to infections and cancer. The study also showed that macrophages cannot break down the ink like they would other pathogens, wich causes them to die, especially with red and black inks, suggesting these colors may be more toxic. As a result, ink remains trapped in the lymph nodes in a continuous cycle of capture and cell death, gradually affecting the immune system’s defensive capacity.

The study found that tattooed mice produced significantly lower levels of antibodies after vaccination. This effect is likely due to the impaired function of immune cells that remain associated with tattoo ink for long periods. Similarly, human immune cells previously exposed to ink also showed a weakened response to vaccination.

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[-] gmtom@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Surely someone could check this by doing a statistical analysis of cancer patients with tattoos vs how many of the general population has tattoos?

[-] bluemoon@piefed.social 1 points 14 hours ago

i wonder where the cross-examination of deaths of tattooed people compared to non-tattooed people are

surely those are made

and we can just check causes of death checking out with immune system issues

this post was submitted on 28 Nov 2025
334 points (91.1% liked)

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