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The article reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is examining the long-term health effects of tattoos. It discusses the increased popularity of body art and the availability of tools and inks online, noting that the FDA rarely screens products before they become on the market. Reports of potentially hazardous substances such as mercury and charcoal in some tattoo dyes are covered.

The article offers information on chemical components in ink of blue ball-point pen including use of benzyl alcohol and phenoxyethanol to make dyes of ball-point pens, use of invisible ink by spies during the World War I and use of surfactant alkyl alkanolamide to reduce surface tension.