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4 weird health effects of tattoos that’ll make you think twice
Tattooed people are taking over the world. At least, it seems that way sometimes. Your barista at Starbucks. Your yoga teacher. Your bank teller. They all have tattoos. Heck, even your boss has a tribal design peeking out from his shirtsleeves.
In other words…
The time when tattoos were the domain of sailors and circus performers has long passed. Nowadays, you’re just as likely to see a tattoo on a 60-year-old grandmother as a 20-year-old college student.
It’s pretty cool that we’ve reached a point where tattoos cross the barriers of age, race, sex, occupation, etc. But you know what?
If you haven’t joined the tattooed masses yet (or even if you have), there’s something that’s good to know about getting inked…
Tattoos come with a few surprising (and a few less surprising) health risks. They’re rare. But you might as well be aware of what that full-back tattoo could do to you before the needle hits skin…
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1. Tattoos make MRIs riskier.
Most tattooed people who get MRIs don’t experience any side effects. But there are a few extra risks tied to these medical scans if you have tattoos. If your tattoo ink contains iron particles, for example, it can react with the static magnetic field of the MRI machine causing a pulling sensation on your skin.
Even more seriously, tattoos could increase the risk of burns from MRIs. MRIs use high-frequency magnetic fields. And since tattoo color pigments are conductive, tattoos could absorb too much of the energy of the high-frequency field, which otherwise would be spread across the body. That could cause skin irritation, or even first or second-degree burns. It’s not a likely outcome. But it is a possible one.
2. Tattoo ink can cause skin reactions and infections.
Only about 10 percent of people experience a complication from their tattoo. But the most likely complication is a skin reaction. There are a variety of ways your skin can react to a new tattoo. In the first few weeks, it can become infected. An infected tattoo is red, crusty and pussy, and is caused by contaminated ink, unsterile equipment or lackadaisical after-care.
Related: The not-so-pretty ‘more than skin deep’ problem with cosmetics
Skin reactions can also pop up months or years in the future. If your tattoo becomes itchy and red, you may be having an allergic reaction to the ink. Bumps around your tattoo are a sign of an autoimmune disorder called sarcoidosis, which can affect the skin. And FYI…if you have skin issues like eczema or psoriasis before you get a tattoo, there’s a chance the tattoo will make them worse.
3. Tattoos may raise your risk of cancer.
There has been some research connecting tattoos to melanoma skin cancer. But before you get too concerned about your tattooed relatives and friends (or yourself), researchers aren’t sure if the tattoos contributed to the cancer or that the cancer overlaps with the tattoos for other reasons. Tattoo ink also contains titanium dioxide, which is a possible carcinogen. A 2017 study found that the titanium dioxide from tattoos travels from the site of your tattoo and ends up in your lymph nodes.
All in all, the scientific connection between tattoos and cancer isn’t very strong yet. But at the very least, experts agree that tattoos make skin cancer harder to spot. That’s why it’s never a good idea to get a tattoo over a mole.
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4. Tattoos could cause chronic pain.
A tattoo is painful enough when you’re getting one… the last thing you need is for that pain to last long-term. But that’s exactly what happened to one 31-year-old woman. She dealt with severe pain in her leg for three years before her doctors determined it was probably caused by inflammation triggered by the large, colorful tattoo she had on the same leg.
Of course, this is hardly a common scenario. This woman also had a bunch of ongoing health issues that made her more susceptible to an inflammatory reaction. Still, it’s something to think about before going under the needle, especially if you’re not in perfect health.
Now, most people who get tattoos will never face any negative repercussions. But when you’re injecting any foreign substance into your body, there’s always a chance your body won’t like your decision. Luckily, should you get a tattoo that doesn’t agree with you for whatever reason (whether it’s causing you physical pain or mental anguish because you don’t love Tweety bird as much as you did five years ago), there’s always laser tattoo removal.
Sources:
- The Risks of Getting a Tattoo Are Rare, But Real. Here’s What to Know — TIME
- Going for an MRI scan with tattoos? — MedicalXpress
- Do MRI Machines Affect Tattoos? — Live Science
- Severe Adverse Events Related to Tattooing: An Retrospective Analysis of 11 Years — Indian Journal of Dermatology
- Doctors Think a Woman’s Tattoo May Have Been Causing Her Severe Leg Pain — TIME
- AAD: Complications of tattoos and tattoo ink discussed — MedicalXpress
- Bad reaction from a new tattoo? Here’s what to do — MedicalXpress
By Jenny Smiechowski
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