body tattoo
According to the researchers of a new study, getting a tattoo done in your body may increase your health risks. You will be vulnerable to skin problems and issues that can get worse. According to the senior investigator of the study, Dr. Marie Leger, “We were rather alarmed at the high rate of reported chronic complications tied to getting a tattoo.” She is the assistant professor of dermatology at the NYU Langone Medical Cener in the NY city. She further adds, “Given the growing popularity of tattoos, physicians, public health officials and consumers need to be aware of the risks involved.” The study was done on 300 adults of the New York city who are aged between 16 and 69. Most of the people who were included in the research had five or more tattoos. The arm was found to be the most common place where people made tattoos and 67% of the people who were included in the research had tattoos done on their hands.
It was found by the study that most of the people who had tattoos suffered different types of skin problems. Around 6 percent of the participants suffered specifically from tattoo-related rashes and infections. They experienced severe itching, swelling, which aggravated to worst problems and lasted longer than four months. According to the investigators, participants even suffered skin problems that lasted for over a year and spread to other areas of the skin in addition to the spot of the tattoo.
According to Dr. Marie Ledger, in some of the cases of tattoo-related skin problems the patients had to be given anti-inflammatory steroid drugs. There are patients who had to opt for laser surgeries to get rid of the tattoos and related skin problems. The research thus found that skin problems due to tattoos are very serious and most of the time people suffered problems.
Ledger further added that the deteriorating skin problems occurred due to non-standard chemicals added in the ink of the tattoos. The ink used in most of the cases are not standardized and regulated properly, which cause skin problems in the people. She further added, “It is not yet known if the reactions being observed are due to chemicals in the ink itself or to other chemicals, such as preservatives or brighteners, added to them, or to the chemicals’ breakdown over time. The lack of a national database or reporting requirements also hinders reliable monitoring.” According to the study, in America, one in every five adults has at least one tattoo.
Decorative tattooing
Tattooing has been practiced in the world since thousands of years for embellishments. There are some communities where tattooing is considered to be a part of the custom and culture. Body tattooing represents a sign of social rank and distinction in among people of many societies.
However, it has been noted that tattooing has caused a number of skin disorders, including eczematous hypersensitivity reactions, anti inflammatory reactions on skin, granulomatous reactions, photo-aggravated reactions, pseudolymphomatous reactions, and lichenoid reactions. All these occurs due to the piercing on the skin with dyes and needles that are manufactured from metal salts.