Tattoos and Melanoma: A Finding That Defies Expectations

Do tattoos harm health?

It depends. An analysis of 7,000 Utah residents revealed a paradox: more tattoo sessions correlated with lower melanoma risk. Published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the study found that people with at least 2 sessions showed reduced risk of both invasive and in-situ melanoma.

For years, researchers have debated tattoos’ health effects. Prior work in 2023 suggested pigment under the skin could cause long-term immune changes, while other studies (e.g., from the University of Alabama) noted stronger immune responses in heavily tattooed individuals. The new Utah results echo that complexity: participants with just 1 session had higher melanoma rates (especially in situ), but risk dropped among those with 2 or more sessions. Why? The mechanism is unclear.

Lead author Dr. Jennifer Doherty cautions that tattoos are increasingly common yet understudied as a potential environmental exposure, especially among young people — and that we need to understand how they might affect different cancers.

Before you book more ink

The team initially hypothesized the opposite: that more tattoos would mean higher melanoma risk. Tattoo pigments can contain carcinogens, including metals, and inks can degrade over time into new compounds. So, should tattoos be seen as protective? Not so fast.

Coauthor Rachel McCarty stresses that the finding doesn’t translate to “get more tattoos to lower melanoma risk.” More research is needed to determine whether the association reflects behavioral or physical factors, or even beneficial immune responses linked to tattooing.

Worth reading about preventing cancer recurrence.

What could explain the effect?

Researchers outline several hypotheses:

• Sun behavior: People with multiple tattoos may be more consistent with sunscreen to prevent fading — which also reduces UV exposure and may limit ink breakdown.
• Physical barrier: Dense pigment might partially block UV.
• Immune priming: Tattooing could stimulate immune activity against precancerous cells.

These remain unproven. The study is observational, from one region, and subject to confounders (skin type, sun habits, surveillance bias, occupation).

The study challenges the assumption that tattoos straightforwardly raise melanoma risk — but it doesn’t prove protection. Practice sun safety (SPF, shade, checks), and remember that labels like “safe” or “harmful” oversimplify a nuanced picture. For now, the fairest answer to do tattoos harm health is: it depends, and we need better data.

Read this article in Polish: Odkrycie badaczy z USA. Tatuaże chronią przed groźną chorobą