JOIN USNot only do tattoos open up your body to a number of dangerous health issues, but are also very stubborn when it comes to removal, warns Dr Anup Dhir
Body art or tattoo is a popular trend with almost everyone across the world. The colourful and lovely body tattoos and art are believed to add a sense of appeal and a new look to one’s personality.
It’s not just the youngsters, but also the middle aged and old folks who endorse this as a fashion statement. Different people have different reasons for having a tattoo or body art done. 19 year old Riya has recently got a butterfly tattoo carved on her shoulder saying it’s a fashion, 22 years old Parul has got her mother’s name carved on her forearm in remembrance of her late mother.
32 year old Vivek Atri has a big tattoo on the nape of neck and arm, just because his girlfriend likes his tattoos. 46 year old Nandita Batra has an owl carved on her breast. She says, “It is a way of expressing one’s own individuality and personal style”.
Tattoo is therefore not mere fashion, but a passion now. The idea of highlighting the body is roaring, but now there is a growing demand for bigger and brighter coloured tattoos. But this eye-catchy body art can become a root cause of severe health hazards. However, hardly does anyone think about the fact that there are severe repercussions related to tattoo and body art.
It is very important to be aware of these repercussions before going for tattooing and body art. Tattoos and piercings break the skin, which can leave you vulnerable to skin infections, STIs, and HIV. It can put you at risk for viruses that are spread through blood, like Hepatitis C, B, or HIV.
While some have severe localised skin reactions through tattoo ink, others may experience bodily allergic reactions from it. This happens because certain coloured inks often contain lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel, titanium, and other heavy metals. Red, green, yellow and blue dyes, in particular are known to cause skin allergies, infections, and granulomas.
On the other hand, piercing can cause nerve damage, meaning that you may experience numbness or loss of feeling near the piercing. It can also lead to permanent scarring or keloids, which are growths of scar tissue that rise up from the surface of skin. Over and above toxic ink used for tattoos could seep into the body and increase the risk of cancer.
Because these inks contain carcinogenic nano particle compounds that get into major organs of the body via the bloodstream and stop the functioning of that part. Therefore, some specific organs which must be avoided for tattoo and piercing such as breasts nipples, genital areas, and face.
Tattoos are one the most difficult plastic surgical problems to treat. Most tattoos leave a faint ghost of the image after removal, and older tattoos are more difficult than newer ones to remove. Piercings can leave scars including difficult-to-treat keloids and hypertrophic scars.
Though there are techniques of laser, dermabrasion and skin grafting available to eliminate unwanted tattoo, it takes several sittings and heaps of money to remove a tattoo, and it may still be a partial removal. Green and yellow tattoos are particularly difficult to remove. So think twice before you ink.
(The writer is a cosmetic surgeon)