Think before you ink

By  Dr. Josh Pali | Published by March 16, 2018

The number of young adults who say they, or someone in their home, has a tattoo has increased from 21 percent in 1999 to 40 percent today, according to a poll by The Wall Street Journal. While folks of all ages get them, Millennials lead the pack.

Tattoos (a loanword from the Polynesian word tatau, meaning “to write”), have become more and more popular in recent years. Statistics show that:

• Total percent of Americans (all ages) who have at least one tattoo – 14 percent
• Percent of U.S. adults 18-25 who have at least one tattoo – 36 percent
• Percentage of U.S. adults 26-40 who have at least one tattoo – 40 percent
• Total number of Americans that have at least one tattoo – 45 million

So, should you get a tattoo? You need to do some serious self-interrogation before you step up and get inked – and it’s not all about whether you’re ready for the pain. There are other considerations to be thought of in a tattoo decision-making process.

1. Do I really want this permanently on my body, or do I just like it a lot?
2. Will it fit with the style of clothing I like to wear?
3. Am I prepared to do the proper amount of maintenance on it?
4. Do I know enough about tattoos and styles to be specific about what I want?
5. Have I saved enough to be sure I’ll get a good job?
6. Have I really selected my tattoo artist carefully?
7. Am I prepared for people to potentially react poorly to it?

You could be the proud owner of a new tattoo, but don’t let the ease of the process stop you from thinking carefully about permanent body art:

1. The meaning behind the future tattoo. Why do I must have it on my skin. There is no “right” reason to get a tattoo. (Whether your tattoo has a small meaning or a large one, your reason is good, as long as the meaning is there.)
2. Cost
3. Size
4. Location
5. Permanence
6. Pain tolerance
7. Your artist’s experience
8. Your own experience
9. Social impact
10. Potential addiction (If you are going in for your first tattoo, make sure you consider whether or not there will be a second.)

Are tattoos safe? The FDA regulates inks in tattoos, but the actual practice of tattooing is regulated by local jurisdictions, such as cities and counties. That means there is no standardized certification for doing the tattooing or the overall governing body supervising the health and safety of tattoo parlors.

Thirty-eight states have laws prohibiting minors from obtaining a tattoo without parental permission.

In 2017, the American Academy of Pediatrics released guidelines for providing care to adolescents and young adults seeking body modifications such as tattooing.

Tattoos can cause complications. So, before making the decision to modify your body, it is important to understand the health risk of tattoos. That could include

• Allergic reactions to tattoo dyes, which may develop years later; signs of an allergic reaction include a rash at the tattoo site
• Skin infection, such as a staph infection or tuberculosis
• Development of nodules of inflamed tissue called granulomas around the tattoo site
• Formation of keloids, which are overgrowths of scar tissue
• Blood borne diseases, such as hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV. And tetanus; these can be contracted by using contaminated tattoo needles that haven’t been sanitized
• Interference with future magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests
• Burning or swelling at the tattoo site

The long term effects of tattoo ink and coloring remains unknown. Until recently, no government regulatory agency has closely examined the safety of tattoo ink.

More than 50 colorings used in tattoos have been approved for use in cosmetics, but the risk of injecting them beneath the skin is unclear. Such pigments are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). So far the FDA has only looked at whether these pigments were safe for external use, not for injection under the skin. No coloring has been officially approved for injection under the skin.

You can lower the chance of health complications with a tattoo by taking a few simple precautions.

• Get a tattoo from a licensed, reputable facility. Tattoo regulations and requirements vary by state, so check with your local department of health for the latest safety laws.
• Needles and razors should not be reused. Make sure you observe your artist remove needles from a new, sealed package
• Check to make sure your artist uses a fresh pair of gloves and washes their hands before starting the procedure
• Work surfaces, chairs, and non-disposable equipment must be properly cleaned and sterilized between customers. Choose another facility if there’s evidence of poor sanitation.
• The area of skin being tattooed should be swabbed wit a disinfectant, such as rubbing alcohol, prior to tattooing. Fresh tattoos should be covered with sterile gauze or a bandage. Follow the artist’s instructions for caring for newly tattooed skin.

There is also a lower risk of infection and complications from body modifications with proper aftercare steps:

• Keep new tattoos bandaged for 24 hours. Apply antibiotic ointment to keep your skin after removing the bandage.
• Gently clean the tattoo with plain soap and water, then pat dry
• Use a mild moisturizer on newly tattooed skin throughout the day
• Avoid sun exposure for the first few weeks
• It’ll take up to two new weeks for your skin to heal. You can reduce the risk of infection by not touching the tattoo until it heals.
• Gently clean new piercings with a saltwater solution. Soak clean gauze in the solution, and then apply the gauze to the new piercing.
• Only clean piercings twice a day, over-cleaning can irritate skin and slow the healing process
• Wash hands with warm water and antibacterial soap before touching or cleaning piercings

Tattoos might be more common than ever, but don’t take the risks lightly. Understand the basic safety precautions and aftercare.

For more information, contact: Alliance of Professional Tattooists (http://www.safe-tattoos.com/)

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