Health risks associated with Tattoos & Piercings

Did you know that the Indian tattoo industry is growing at a fast race and generates around Rs. 20,000 crore every year! This figure clearly indicates the rising fascination of Indians towards tattoos. At least 4 out of 10 of every 20-something individual has a tattoo and most of them have the desire of getting a tattoo done at least once in their lives.

Sure, tattoos are amazing; they’re cool and they brighten up your physical appearance. But tattoos are also marked permanently (considering they’re not removed through laser procedures) on your body.

Piercing is another popular form of body art, where a piercing artist uses a needle to puncture a hole into the body and then insert a piece of jewelry into that hole.

Both tattoos and piercings modify your body and hence, it is always advised to remember the various risks associated with them.

Here are some of the most common risks associated with tattoos and body piercings-

Health Risks Associated with Tattoos

When you get a tattoo on a body part, the professional uses a machine with an attached needle to puncture the skin. Every time this device punctures a hole, it injects ink into the dermis, which is the second layer of skin, right below the epidermis.

This means that tattoos can directly cause severe skin-related issues and cause other complications such as:

Allergic reactions:

Tattoo dyes — especially red, green, yellow, and blue dyes — can cause allergic skin reactions, such as an itchy rash at the tattoo site. This can occur even years after you get the tattoo.

Skin infections:

Such as a staph infection or cutaneous tuberculosis

Other skin issues:

Sometimes after getting a tattoo, inflammation called granuloma can form around the tattoo ink. Tattoos can also cause keloids, which are raised areas caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue.

Bloodborne diseases:

If the equipment & tools used to create your tattoo are contaminated with infected blood, you can contract various bloodborne diseases such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.

Interference with MRI Tests:
Tattoo ink can also disturb the results of MRI tests.

Additionally, doctors are still studying the long-term effects of tattoo ink on the body.

Health Risks Associated with Body Piercings

Body piercing is another common type of skin modification that involves puncturing a hole with a needle into a body part and then inserting a piece of jewellery.

Since the skin is pierced here, the risk of skin infections is common with all types of body piercings, along with a serious threat of bacterial infections.

Other risks associated with body piercings can be-

Abscess:

A serious side effect of body piercing, it’s a pus-filled mass that develops around the pierced area and can cause severe, life hreatblood poisoning (sepsis), if left untreated.

Bacterial Infections:

Common with mouth & nose piercings.

Swelling:

Around the piercing site. Can be severe in case of speicific body parts such as tongues, which can cause breathing issues.

Keloid:

A formation or a thick, raised scar that forms around the piercing

Bleeding:

Caused by a damaged blood vessel

Pain & irritation:

Some body piercings, especially genital pirercings can lead to severe pain & irritation while urnaiotion & sex, which is higher in case of medical conditions such as diabetes, skin disorders, allergies, etc.

Precautions to avoid health risks from tattoos & body piercing's

The health risks associated with tattoos and body piercings can only be avoided successfully if you’ve taken enough precautions to ensure safety & hygiene before,during & even after the procedure. One must take the following precautions in order to avoid these risks:

Tips for safe tattoos

Get your tattoo from a licensed, reputable facility, which follows appropriate safety laws.
Avoid places which have evidence of poor hygiene. In hygienic parlours, the work surfaces, chairs, and nondisposable equipment will be properly cleaned and sterilized between customers.
Check if the tattoo artist uses a fresh pair of gloves and washes their hands before starting the procedure.
Make sure you observe your artist removing needles from a new, sealed package. Needles and razors shouldn’t be reused.
The tattooed area should be swabbed with a disinfectant, such as rubbing alcohol, before the procedure.
Fresh tattoos should be covered with sterile gauze or a bandage. Diligently follow the instructions for caring after a newly tattooed skin.

Tips for safe piercings

To avoid crushing delicate skin tissues, your piercer should use a hollow needle on body parts, except on the earlobes, which should be pierced using a piercing gun.
Piercers should wash their hands and put on a fresh pair of disposable surgical gloves.
Body piercings should be done with a single-use, dispoable needle.
Jewelry should be carefully sterilized before being inserted through the body.
Piercing equipment and surfaces should be sanitized and wiped down after each customer.

Conclusion

It’s aways fascinating to think of getting tattoos and doesn’t look likemuch of a task from afar.The truth is that tattoos are body modifications that are capable of causing serious health issues, if proper precautiosn are not taken.

Hence, always ensure you get inked from only professionals of reputed tattoo parlours, who have a good experience of working in the field. Even a small act of negligence can cause more damage to you as compared to the good a tattoo will bring.

DJ”z Ink is one of the most renowned tattoo parlours of Pune, which is especially known for its safety precautions and exceptional hygiene. Our artists are talented & experienced who are aware of exactly what they’re doing and ensure that you don’t just get tattooed, you get safely tattooed!