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Tattooing has been going on for about 5,000 years, moving from being an act frowned at to a modern trend, so much that about 120 million people, especially in the western part of the world, have at least a tattoo. Over time, tattooing gained recognition and acceptance in major cities in the world and is now categorized as a cosmetic, and states give licenses to tattoo artists to run tattoo parlours. Nevertheless, apart from the immediate acute risks including pain, bleeding, infection and allergic reaction associated with tattooing, many have failed to acknowledge the long-term severe health risks, like organ toxicity or cancer that can build up from tattoo inks deposits. Modern tattoo inks, mostly contain organic pigments, but can also include preservatives and contaminants like nickel, arsenic and lead. During tattooing, the ink is injected into the living tissue of the body, which contains blood vessels, nerves and immune cells. Issues ranging from poor skin preparations to irritations and lack of sterile equipment have been reported so far. Hepatitis, which is 10 times more infectious than HIV, can be transmitted through needles used by tattoo artists. Skin problems that can be more long-lasting and leave permanent scarring, it can also stem from tattoo-induced skin disorders like sarcoidosis, lichen planis and lupus-like reactions, according to a current medical study. Due to the increased risk of infections from tattoo equipment, hospitals also put a restriction on blood donations from people that have tattoos. More study is being done on the subject, and many states have returned to the books to do more research on the contents of the tattoo ink, and if it should be categorized as cosmetics. If you still think getting a tattoo is a choice you’d make, I suggest you visit a licensed tattoo parlour and be sure to use non-magnetic tattoo inks. However, if you have a tattoo you’d like to get rid of, laser technologies have advanced a bit more and can tackle some tattoo problems but the process may be severely painful, and due to the kind of its tattoo, it may take more than one session or even years, to completely get rid of it.   Featured Image Credit: Amazon.com
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This article was first published on 18th January 2018

amarachi

Amara Adanna Ogbonna is a Christian, foodie, and lover of arts. She spends most of her time on Facebook.

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