Tattoos: Are They Safe?
It is the new fashion trend in town. Everywhere you turn, you see someone around you wearing it on a selected body part or all over the body. And it comes in different shapes, designs and styles. It could be a scribbling of the wearer’s name or the image of a friend, spouse or animal pet. Some daring wearers even wear it as the design of a human skull or a snake. This fashion trend called tattoo or body art can be seen on ladies and men, young and old. In fact, more and more youths in our society today are getting into this global ‘ink’ vogue due to the influence of Nigerian and foreign showbiz celebrities who many look up to.
Well, tattoos might be more common now than ever, but are they safe and good in the long run? Should we take tattooing lightly as just a harmless fashion trend? I think it is high time we all knew the risks and understand basic safety precautions and aftercare steps involved in tattooing if we must get one.
You could be the proud owner of a new tattoo in a matter of hours but don’t let the ease of getting it stop you from making a thoughtful decision about this permanent body art. Before you get a tattoo, make sure you know what is involved. Also, be certain that tattooing is the right decision for you. Years from now, will you still be proud and comfortable with your tattoo?
There are different types of tattoo. The American Academy of Dermatology distinguishes five kinds of tattoos which are traumatic tattoos, also called “natural tattoos”, that result from injuries, especially asphalt from road injuries or pencil lead; amateur tattoos; professional tattoos, both via traditional methods and modern tattoo machines; cosmetic tattoos, also known as “permanent makeup”; and medical tattoos.
Space will not permit me to explain each type of tattoo as enumerated above but I will give a brief description of how tattoo is done before going into what risks are attached to tattooing.
A tattoo is a permanent mark or design made on your skin with pigments inserted through pricks into the skin’s top layer. Typically, the tattoo artist uses a hand-held machine that acts much like a sewing machine, with one or more needles piercing the skin repeatedly. With every puncture, the needles insert tiny ink droplets. The process – which is done without anaesthetics – causes a small amount of bleeding and slight to potentially significant pain.
Tattoos breach the skin’s natural integrity, which means that skin infections and other complications are possible. Specific risks include: Infection: Unsterilised tattooing equipment and needles can transmit infectious diseases, such as hepatitis. The risk of infection is the reason the American Association of Blood Banks requires a oneyear wait between getting a tattoo and donating blood. It is extremely important to make sure that all tattooing equipment is clean and sterilised before use. Even if the needles are sterilised or never have been used, it is important to understand that in some cases the equipment that holds the needles cannot be sterilised reliably due to its design. In addition, the person who receives a tattoo must be sure to care for the tattooed area properly during the first week or so after the pigments are injected. Removal Problems: Despite advances in laser technology, removing a tattoo is a painstaking process, usually involving several treatments and considerable expense. Complete removal without scaring may be impossible. Allergic Reactions: Although allergic reactions to tattoo pigments are rare, when they happen they may be particularly troublesome because the pigments can be hard to remove. Occasionally, people may develop an allergic reaction to tattoos they have had for years. Granulomas: These are nodules that may form around material that the body perceives as foreign, such as particles of tattoo pigment. Keloid Formation: If you are prone to developing keloids – scars that grow beyond normal boundaries – you are at risk of keloid formation from a tattoo. Keloids may form any time you injure or traumatise your skin. MRI Complications: There have been reports of people with tattoos or permanent make-up who experienced swelling or burning in the affected areas when they underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This seems to occur only rarely and apparently without lasting effects.
There also have been reports of tattoo pigments interfering with the quality of the image. This seems to occur mainly when a person with permanent eyeliner undergoes MRI of the eyes. Mascara may produce a similar effect. The difference is that mascara is easily removable.
The cause of these complications is uncertain. Some have theorised that they result from an interaction with the metallic components of some pigments.
However, the risks of avoiding an MRI when your doctor has recommended one are likely to be much greater than the risks of complications from an interaction between the MRI and tattoo or permanent makeup. Instead of avoiding an MRI, individuals who have tattoos or permanent make-up should inform the radiologist or technician of this fact in order to take appropriate precautions, avoid complications, and assure the best results.
Indeed, tattooing is gaining popularity in the world today but the process entails a lot of potential complications that most of the wearers are not aware of. Should you also get a tattoo or not? Can you still live with it in many years to come from now? It is up to the aspiring individual tattoo wearer to be fully aware of the implications and decide whether to get one or not. Yes, wearing tattoo is a growing “cool” social trend today. Tomorrow, it may no longer be cool or it could even become a life-threatening challenge.
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