According to a study published in PNAS, scientists have mapped how tattoo ink behaves after it enters the skin.
Using imaging techniques in mice, the research team observed that pigment begins moving almost immediately through lymphatic vessels.
Within a day, particles accumulate in the first draining lymph node and continue settling there for weeks.
Early on, the pigments were concentrated near the outer edges of the nodes.
Also read: Researchers explore why some bodies react differently to soybean oil
As time passed, the material spread into deeper regions that help coordinate immune reactions.
The pattern was consistent across several ink colors, suggesting that long-term pigment retention may be a common feature of tattooing rather than an exception.
Overloaded immune cells and prolonged inflammation
Once inside the lymph nodes, pigment encounters the immune system’s frontline scavenger cells.
The study reports that macrophages, cells responsible for clearing debris and pathogens, absorbed most of the ink.
Also read: Study suggests humans can detect objects before touching them
Over time, many became heavily burdened and showed signs of cellular stress or death.
Researchers tested both mouse and human macrophages in laboratory settings and saw similar toxicity patterns.
These findings help explain why lymph nodes connected to tattooed skin often remain inflamed long after the tattoo heals.
The inflammation was not short-lived. In mice, it persisted for weeks and involved shifts in the types of immune cells present.
Also read: New data shows Long COVID rarely follows a single pattern
Possible consequences for vaccination
One of the study’s more unexpected observations involved vaccine responses.
When mice received a vaccine in the same drainage region as a recent tattoo, immune reactions changed.
Responses to an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine weakened, while a flu vaccine produced stronger antibody levels under certain conditions.
Scientists stress that these effects were seen only in animals and cannot yet be directly applied to people.
Also read: New study: Plant-based diet is most effective for weight loss
Sources: News Medical, and PNAS.
Also read: Christmas songs that could make falling asleep easier