A recent study, published in March 2014, sought to examine a possible connection between tattoo ink and cancer. Despite finding no evidence to support such a link exists, researchers from the study insist that the connection is possible.

German researchers conducted the study to try to determine if a man had gotten cancer from a tattoo. The 48-year-old man had been diagnosed with skin cancer just four months after he had gotten a tattoo on his left leg. The cancer was located within an area of the tattoo that had been filled in using red ink.

The results of the study yielded no evidence of a connection between the ink and the development of cancer. Researchers caution that despite this lack of connection, the concordant lack of tattoo ink regulation worldwide means that finding a link could be possible. Little to no regulations on what is put in ink could lead to the presence of undetected carcinogens.

However, other research on the topic has came up with the same amount of nada regarding an empirically supported link. Scientists from other studies have stated that the rate of skin cancer developing as the result of a tattoo does not leave the realm of coincidence.

The United States, along with many other countries, classifies tattoo ink as a cosmetic and subjects it to similar regulations. The FDA could test all tattoo ink for carcinogens, but does not. According to the FDA, testing does not occur with tattoo ink because there is no evidence that the ink presents a health threat that outweighs other priority concerns.

Rates of skin cancer have been skyrocketing over the last 30 years; however the CDC reports that this is largely due to people’s tendencies to expose themselves to sun without sunblock.