Could a Tattoo Raise Your Risk of Skin Cancer? Twin Studies Suggest a Link
March 06, 2025 | Source: Science Alert | by Tessa Koumoundourus
A twin study suggests the consequences of getting a tattoo could be worse than potential regret, finding tattooed twins more likely to develop skin cancer or lymphoma than their tattoo-free siblings.
University of Southern Denmark biostatistician Signe Bedsted Clemmensen and colleagues used two different study designs to analyze cancer diagnoses and tattoo patterns.
A cohort study of 2,367 randomly selected twins compared individuals who had a form of skin cancer with those who didn’t, revealing those who had tattoos had nearly four times the risk of skin cancer.
Their case-control study compared 316 individuals with their twin siblings, finding between 33 and 62 percent greater risk of a tattooed twin going on to develop cancer.