Are Tattoos Safe and Sound? Health Implications of Getting a Tattoo Done

While you are in love with your friend’s tattoo and thinking of getting it done for yourself as well, you could engage and talk with more friends or people who have got the tattoo done. This way you’ll also learn about long term effects about the tattoo and how much time will it take for your skin to become normal.

What could be the risks after getting a tattoo done?

Tattoos breach the skin, which also creates a risk of skin infections and other complications which could be as follows:

• Allergic reactions: Dyes used for making tattoos — especially red, green, yellow and blue dyes — can cause allergic skin reactions, such as an itchy rash at the tattoo site. This can happen even years after you get the tattoo.
• Skin infections: A skin infection is possible after tattooing. Symptoms of which could be extreme itchiness or redness or irritation or change of the colour of the skin around the tattoo.
• Unidentified skin problems: Sometimes an area of inflammation called a granuloma can form around tattoo ink. Tattoos can also lead to keloids — raised areas caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue.
• Bloodborne diseases: If any contaminated (or if the equipment was used on infected skin or blood) equipment is used to create your tattoo, you can contract various blood borne diseases including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) complications: Occasionally, tattoos or permanent makeup might cause swelling or burning in the affected areas during MRI exams. 

Take care and keep observing for any uncertain changes around your tattoo. If required, medication or other treatment can be taken if you experience an allergic reaction to the tattoo ink or you develop an infection or other skin problem near the tattoo area.

Removal of tattoos

Taking off a tattoo is actually painful than getting it done and more expensive and time-consuming as well. Black is the easiest shade to remove than others like purple, green or blue ink.

Also, the risky part is not all tattoos can get removed. If the tattoo is old or has faded a little, this means that the ink is already absorbed in the skin and the laser won’t work making it difficult to be removed.

Health risks of tattoo removal

Some of the risks include burns and scarring or allergies even after the tattoo is removed due the strong effect of laser on the skin which might suit every skin type. Few other complications may develop like hypopigmentation (white spots where the tattoo used to be) and fibrosis (thickening of the skin in the tattoo site). 

Over to you

The level of pain which you experience while getting a tattoo done could not be always worthy to the health risks you could get. Make sure you research and understand the facts behind it.

The best advice is to consult a dermatologist or a doctor after getting it done especially if you face allergies or your skin is sensitive.