Understanding the risks of tattoos

Information source: The Mayo Clinic

Tattoos may be more common than ever, but individuals shouldn’t take tattooing lightly. It is important to know the risks and understand basic safety precautions and how to handle an area that has been freshly tattooed.

One can be the proud owner of a new tattoo in a matter of hours — but one shouldn’t let the ease of getting tattoos stop them from making a thoughtful decision about permanent body art.

How tattoos are done

A tattoo is a permanent mark or design made on the 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 anesthetics and may last up to several hours for a large tattoo — causes a small amount of bleeding and slight to potentially significant pain.

The risks

Tattoos breach the skin, which means that skin infections and other complications are possible. Specific risks include:

• Allergic reactions. Tattoo dyes — especially red dye — can cause allergic skin reactions, resulting in an itchy rash at the tattoo site. This may occur even years after a person gets a tattoo.

• Skin infections. Tattoos can lead to local bacterial infections, characterized by redness, swelling, pain and pus-like drainage.

• Other skin problems. Sometimes bumps called granulomas form around tattoo ink — especially red ink. Tattooing can also lead to raised areas caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue (keloids).

• Bloodborne diseases. If the equipment used to create your tattoo is contaminated with infected blood, you can contract various blood borne diseases, including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Tetanus and HIV — the virus that causes AIDS.

• MRI complications. Rarely, tattoos or permanent makeup may cause swelling or burning in the affected areas during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams. In some cases — such as when a person with permanent eyeliner has an MRI of the eye — tattoo pigments may interfere with the quality of the image.

Medication or other treatment may be needed if a person develops an allergic reaction, infection, or other skin problem. In some cases, the tattoo may need to be removed. Keep in mind that tattoo inks are classified as cosmetics, so they aren’t regulated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Insist on safety precautions

To make sure a tattoo will be applied safely, ask these questions:

• Who does the tattooing? Go to a reputable tattooing studio that employs only properly trained employees. Keep in mind that regulation requirements and licensing standards vary from state to state. Check with the city, county or state health department for information on local licensing and regulations.

• Does the tattoo artist wear gloves? Make sure the tattoo artist washes his or her hands and wears a fresh pair of protective gloves for each procedure.

• Does the tattoo artist use proper equipment? Make sure the tattoo artist removes a needle and tubes from sealed packages before beginning a procedure. Any pigments, trays and containers should be unused as well.

• Does the tattoo artist sterilize non-disposable equipment? Make sure the tattoo artist uses a heat sterilization machine (autoclave) to sterilize all non-disposable equipment after each customer. Instruments and supplies that can’t be sterilized with an autoclave — including drawer handles, tables and sinks — should be disinfected with a commercial disinfectant or bleach solution after each use.

• Consider whether you truly want to invest in permanent body art. Choose the location of the tattoo carefully. Don’t get a tattoo if you’re under the influence of alcohol or drugs or worry that you might regret the tattoo later.

Take good care of your tattoo

How to care for a new tattoo depends on the type and extent of work done. Typically, however, one needs to:

• Remove the bandage after 24 hours and apply antibiotic ointment to the tattooed skin while it’s healing.

• Keep the tattooed skin clean. Use plain soap and water and a gentle touch. Pat, don’t rub the area dry.

• Use moisturizer. Apply a mild moisturizer to the tattooed skin several times a day.

• Avoid sun exposure. Keep the tattooed area out of the sun for at least a few weeks.

• Choose clothing carefully. Don’t wear anything that would stick to the tattoo.

• Allow up to two weeks for healing. Don’t pick at any scabs, which increases the risk of infection and can damage the design and cause scarring.

If a person thinks their tattoo may be infected or is concerned that the tattoo isn’t healing properly, they should contact their doctor. Those interested in tattoo removal should ask a dermatologist about laser surgery or other options for tattoo removal.