Warning over ‘DIY tattoos’ being carried out by youths
A NUMBER of youths in Carmarthenshire have been meeting up in lockdown to tattoo and pierce each other, activities which may pose a serious health risk to themselves and others.
Public Health Wales has confirmed that they, along with Carmarthenshire Council and other partner organisations, are investigating a number of public health incidents arising from ‘do it yourself’ tattoos and piercings.
Several of these incidents have taken place in recent weeks.
While no specific details have been revealed, it is understood that youths have been meeting up and tattooing each other with self-tattoo kits which are available online, possibly influenced by ‘DIY videos’ that have been created and posted on social media sites like TikTok.
This is despite the fact that tattooing someone under the age of 18 is actually illegal in Wales, even with the consent of a parent or guardian.
Public Health Wales is now warning people to seek medical advice if they have taken part in any of these incidents in the past few weeks, as they could be prone to infection if the instrument they used was not clean or had been used on another person previously.
“The availability of selftattoo and piercing kits online, and an emerging trend of DIY videos on the social media network TikTok as well as YouTube, has resulted in a number of public health incidents involving young people in Carmarthenshire in recent weeks,” said Dr Rachel Andrew, consultant in communicable disease control at Public Health Wales and chair of the incident management team.
“Any tattooing or piercing can carry some risk of harm, including infection of the skin and infection with blood-borne viruses such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV. These health risks escalate significantly when unlicensed or DIY self-tattooing and piercing takes place, and when good hygiene practices - such as not sharing needles and equipment that are contaminated with body fluids - are not followed.
“We want to help young people to make an informed choice about tattooing and piercing, and to understand the risk they face of picking up an unwanted and serious infection as a result.
“The NHS isn’t here to judge, only to protect.
“To parents of young people and young people themselves who may have been involved in any of these incidents, we ask them to contact their usual health care provider so that they can seek medical advice and treatment including vaccination against infection and a blood test.”
Carmarthenshire Council is aware of some of the young people who have been involved in these incidents in recent weeks, but it is now working to trace anyone else who may also need to seek medical treatment as a result of taking part in what appears to be something of a new craze.
Philip Hughes, executive board member for public protection at Carmarthenshire Council, said: “Our officers are working closely with Public Health Wales to identify any further individuals that may have been involved in the incidents we are aware of, so that they may be contacted and advised to seek medical treatment.
“We will not be releasing any further detail on cases or providing information that may potentially identify individuals. Our environmental health team carefully regulates licensing of approved premises to ensure that activities are being carried out legally and safely.
“It is illegal to tattoo anyone aged under 18. If people aged 18 and over want a tattoo or piercing, we urge them to do so safely and visit a professional and licensed establishment.”