EU Legislation | Pigments

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What has the EU done to protect its citizens?

In 2015, the European Commission asked ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) to assess the health risks of chemicals in tattoo inks and permanent make-up and to analyze the need for a restriction on their use at EU level.

Authorities have analyzed the health risks of these chemicals and investigated the existence of safer alternatives. They also analyzed the socio-economic impact of restricting its use, considering its effects on manufacturing and jobs in the service sector.

Will all pigments cease to exist?

No! If there were no more pigments, there would be no more tattoos. Only pigments that do not comply with the legislation that came into force on January 5, 2022 can no longer be sold by suppliers.

The legislation divides 2 subjects:

  • The labeling, which will have to indicate batch, validity, components, among other elements;
  • Chemical components, as from January 5, 2023, two specific pigments will be abolished, Pigment Blue 15:3 and Pigment Green 7. These two pigments are present in two thirds of all tattoo colors. 

On January 5, 2022, some components became prohibited and others started to have a percentage or weight limit in the composition of the pigments.

What can we still do about this matter?

The concern resulting from the legislation led to the creation of a petition in the European Parliament that currently has more than 170,000 subscribers. It is supported by the European Tattoo Panel (CETA – Council of European Tattoo Associations), which brings together some European tattoo artists’ associations. Through this petition we can all play an active role in pressuring the European Union to revisit this new legislation in a fairer way.

At the bottom of this page you can find the link to sign the petition.

Can I use the old pigments in my studio?

Unfortunately, pigments that do not comply with the legislation cannot be used by tattoo artists for the purpose of tattooing human skin.

The commission considers that the tattoo artist must provide the person undergoing the procedure with the information marked on the packaging or included in the instructions for use, namely the complete list of ingredients that must appear on the pigment label.

Are these pigments unusable?

Although these pigments cannot be used on human skin, they can be used to practice on other surfaces.

What are the concerns?

The concerns of the European Community, despite not being supported by exhaustive studies that prove the need to ban certain components of pigments, are positive.

Tattoo inks and permanent makeup are a mixture of several chemical substances, and may contain dangerous substances that cause skin allergies or other more serious health impacts.

Since the chemicals in tattoo inks and permanent makeup can remain in the body for life, there is the possibility of long-term exposure to potentially harmful ingredients.

What is our position as Piranha?

As Piranha, we believe that our role is linked to three fundamental pillars:

  • Bringing clarity to all the complexity of these laws and making them simple for our entire community;
  • Provide all artists with the necessary means to understand how this legislation will affect us and what we can do;
  • Above all, ensure that all our products are under this new legislation to ensure that our community is not at risk of infringing what is stipulated by law.