The immune system is central to both tattooing and tattoo removal. Dermal macrophages capture and retain tattoo pigment particles in the skin. Some insoluble nanoparticles of pigment will migrate to lymph nodes after a tattoo is placed, where they accumulate. Laser tattoo removal breaks pigment into smaller particles, allowing them to be taken up by macrophages and transported through the lymphatic system before being excreted from the body.
In 2024, a group of researchers in Sweden published findings from a large population-based case-control study showing that lymphoma was 21% more common among people with tattoos vs control individuals.
Source: Scientists Take a Closer Look at Laser Tattoo Removal
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