Do You Know All The Risks Of Getting A Tattoo?

An estimated 16% of American have a tattoo, with about one-third of people between the age of 25-29 bearing some kind of body art.  But one has to wonder if they truly knew all the risks of getting a tattoo before going under the needle.  Some recent reports would suggest tattoo remorse is nearly as prevalent as tattoos themselves.  Read below to find out more.

What Are The Risks Of Getting A Tattoo?

Some time ago, my wife wrote a post for me about why getting old sucks, and how it changes your perspective on life.  Since that time, I’ve watched at least three people go through a tattoo stage.  Now I’m watching a fourth, and it makes me wonder if its really a good idea.

Tattoo Risks

When most people think about the risks of getting a tattoo, they’re concerned with the potential of blood-borne pathogens.  It’s a valid concern, but its not the whole story.

Getting a tattoo requires the injection of inks into the skin.  Tattoo applicators use a needle attached to a device that operates much like a sewing machine, so that the needle vibrates rapidly, making multiple tiny injections.  Just like any cut, this is a wound, and carries all the risks from wound formation.  Concerns about blood-borne pathogens are very real, and most experts recommend inspecting any potential tattoo parlor closely for cleanliness.  Things to look for include:

• Is the parlor clean and organized.
• Do they have an autoclave for sterilizing equipment?
• Are all the needles single-use and wrapped in sterile packaging?
• Do the artists wear disposable latex gloves?

But the concerns about tattoos don’t really stop at the application stage.  It turns out the FDA has never approved the use of inks for injection into the skin, and there have been very few studies on the safety of inks.  It has been shown that some people develop allergies to the inks, with an allergic reaction to red pigments being the most common.  These kinds of allergies may occur even years after the initial injection, and can lead to painful swelling, hives, or itching.  In a worse case scenario, some inks have even been found to contain heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and nickel, which can cause cancer or birth defects.  There has been at least one such lawsuit over heavy metals in tattoo inks, which was filed in California.

What is known is that the body may metabolize some of the inks slowly over time, and no studies have been done to understand the impact of those metabolites.  From a cosmetic perspective, when coupled with sun exposure, this metabolism may lead to fading, which explains why some tattoos require refreshing over time.

Tattoo Regret

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, of the 24% of people between the age of 18-50, about 1 out of 6 of those (17%) have said they would like to have it removed.  According to the report, the removal process usually includes lasers, tuned to the frequency at which the pigments absorb.  The destroyed pigments can then be absorbed by the lymphatic system, and excreted by normal means.  Dermatologists charge by the square inch for removal, so the process is both expensive, not to mention time consuming.  By most reports, the process of removing the tattoo is far more painful than receiving one.

I know several people who are at various phases of getting a tattoo.  For me, the risks of getting a tattoo far outweigh any perceived benefit.  After all, we were made in an image that needs no embellishment.

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