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Tattoo artists in uproar over EU ink bans

05 January 2022 03:15 (UTC +04:00)

Tattoo parlours across the European Union were in crisis on Tuesday as a new rule came into force which effectively bans many of their most popular inks and which one artist described as like taking "taking the flour from a bakery," APA reports quoting Reuters

Tattoo artists say alternatives to the inks, some of which have been in circulation for decades, do not yet exist or are in short supply, and the law deals a blow to an industry already reeling after repeated lockdowns.

The law limits the use of certain chemicals which the EU said are hazardous, with some linked to cancer, reproductive difficulties and skin irritation, and which are contained in mixtures for tattoo inks and permanent make-up.

The law was agreed in December 2020 but the industry was given a year to adjust and find alternatives.