Dermatology expert: Tattoo inks cannot cause cancer

The Environment Ministry claims that certain tattoo inks can cause cancer and must be banned, but chief physician at Bispebjerg disagrees and says the government has released misleading information

A leading dermatologist is disputing the government’s claims that tattoo inks can cause cancer and says that the Environment Ministry was less than truthful in reporting the results of a study he participated in.

 

Jørgen Serup, a professor of dermatology and chief physician at Bispebjerg Hospital in Copenhagen, was part of a project initiated by the ministry that aimed to clarify whether commonly-used inks cause a health threat. 

 

The ministry’s website states that 65 inks were studied and tested, but Serup says that they only ran tests on less than a third of that number.

 

“The ministry disliked our report and our results. Their claims do not reflect our medical knowledge so they tried to manipulate us and make us change the report,” said Serup. 

 

However, Dorte Lerche, head of the ministry’s Department of Chemicals, defended the decision to test as few as 21 inks. She said it was not necessary to test inks that had previously been studied. 

 

“Running a full test on all the colours would have been a waste of the Danes’ tax money,” Lerche said, adding that she does not believe that Serup has enough evidence to suggest that the inks do not cause cancer.

 

The environment minister, Ida Auken (Socialistisk Folkeparti), and the health minister, Astrid Krag (Socialistisk Folkeparti), recently teamed up to propose a new voluntary registration system for tattoo artists and a ban on certain tattoo inks that they deem cancerous. 

 

But Serup contends that the that politicians are misleading the public by introducing the ban. According to Serup, the report that the researchers handed in to the ministry proved that the tattoo inks they tested cannot cause cancer. He argues that when a person gets a tattoo, the chemicals are not released into the skin and that therefore the proposed ban is misleading.

 

“Now people will go on thinking that wherever they get their tattoo done, it is safe because the ‘dangerous’ inks have been banned. But this is not the case; bacteria and bad hygiene are what cause severe infections,” Serup said.

 

The ministry blacklisted 13 inks and the new tattoo law is set to be discussed in parliament today.




  • Danish universities increase security checks on researchers from China, Russia, and Iran, reports DR

    Danish universities increase security checks on researchers from China, Russia, and Iran, reports DR

    Danish universities, especially Aarhus University, now rigorously screen researchers from China, Russia, and Iran to prevent espionage, following recommendations and increasing concerns about security, reports DR

  • Danish Originals S7E5: Camilla Stærk

    Danish Originals S7E5: Camilla Stærk

    This week, Bonderup-born, London-trained, New York-based Danish designer Camilla Stærk talks about her work, anchored against a strong foundation of her Danish heritage combined with her fascination with Old Hollywood and film noir, and expressed in what she describes as the whole universe: of fashion, furniture, lighting, rugs, accessories

  • Young Copenhageners supply study grants by selling cocaine

    Young Copenhageners supply study grants by selling cocaine

    In recent years, the spread of cocaine has accelerated. The drug is easily accessible and not only reserved for wealthy party heads. Copenhagen Police have just arrested ten young people and charged them with reselling cocaine

  • 5 Mistakes I Made When I Moved to Denmark

    5 Mistakes I Made When I Moved to Denmark

    Here are five mistakes I made that helped me understand that belonging isn’t a strategy—it’s a practice. This isn’t a story of struggle—it’s a reflection on growth, told through the lens of emotional intelligence.

  • Analysis shows that many students from Bangladesh are enrolled in Danish universities

    Analysis shows that many students from Bangladesh are enrolled in Danish universities

    Earlier this year, the Danish government changed the law on access for people from third world countries to the Danish labor market. Yet, there may still be a shortcut that goes through universities

  • Danish Flower company accused of labor abuse in Türkiye

    Danish Flower company accused of labor abuse in Türkiye

    Queen Company, a Denmark-origin flower producer with pristine sustainability credentials, is under fire for alleged labor rights violations at its Turkish operation, located in Dikili, İzmir. Workers in the large greenhouse facility have been calling decent work conditions for weeks. The Copenhagen Post gathered testimonies from the workers to better understand the situation

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.


  • “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    Describing herself as a “DEI poster child,” being queer, neurodivergent and an international in Denmark didn’t stop Laurence Paquette from climbing the infamous corporate ladder to become Marketing Vice President (VP) at Vestas. Arrived in 2006 from Quebec, Laurence Paquette unpacks the implications of exposing your true self at work, in a country that lets little leeway for individuality

  • Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Agreement between unions and employers allows more foreign workers in Denmark under lower salary requirements, with new ID card rules and oversight to prevent social dumping and ensure fair conditions.

  • New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    Kadre Darman was founded this year to support foreign-trained healthcare professionals facing challenges with difficult authorisation processes, visa procedures, and language barriers, aiming to help them find jobs and contribute to Denmark’s healthcare system