FDA has never exercised its authority to regulate tattoo ink ingredients

The FDA classifies tattoo inks as cosmetics and their pigments as color additives requiring premarket approval, yet it has never actually exercised this authority. This means tattoo ink manufacturers can put whatever they want into their products with zero premarket safety testing. So what? Independent lab analyses have found heavy metals including cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic in commercially sold inks. These metals are known to cause cancer, degenerative brain diseases, and endocrine disruption. So what? Unlike cosmetics that sit on skin, tattoo ink is injected directly into the dermis with needles, where it permanently interacts with the immune system. The body cannot expel these substances. So what? An estimated 32% of American adults have at least one tattoo, meaning tens of millions of people have been injected with pigments whose chemical composition has never been reviewed for safety by any federal agency. This persists because the FDA has historically deprioritized tattoo ink regulation due to 'other public health priorities' and a stated 'previous lack of evidence of safety concerns' -- a circular justification, since the lack of evidence stems from the lack of regulatory oversight that would generate such evidence.