Tattoos and peircings are becoming more and more popular in our society. I bet you or someone you know has tattoos and peircings. As common as they are, many people forget about the health risks involved in getting a tattoo or a peircing. Tattoos and piercings break the skin barrier, making it very easy to contract disease or infection. Also, the inks used for tattoos are considered cosmetics, so they are not approved by the FDA. A substance goes into your body that has not been approved for injection.
There are many risks involved with tattoos especially. If needles are not clean or have not been properly sterilized, you can catch many blood-related diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, tetanus, and even HIV. Some people have allergic reactions to the ink, red ink in particular. It can cause itching, swelling, and blistering. You can also get granulomas, raised reddish bumps, around your tattoo. Other risks include baterical infections of the skin and raised scarring.
Even though there are many risks associated with body art, I am still a huge fan. I have tattoos and have never had a problem with them. It is important though to know your piercing and tattoo artist. Make sure you are going to a clean, professional place. Make sure that they are using new needles that have just been opened. And above all, take care of new body art. You can still get infections weeks after it has been done. If you are smart about it, you shouldn't have any problems with piercings or tattoos.
For more on tattoos: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tattoos-and-piercings/MC00020
2 comments:
Your blog got my attention right away because one of my roommates is obsessed with tattoos. She actually just got two wings on her should blades recently. For a day a two after she got the tattoo she could not get it wet. For the first couple of weeks she was in a lot of pain and it even hurt her to sleep. She seems alright now and is loving her new body art. Tattooing is a widespread trend in todays world, and many view it as a desire for self-expression. According to our health book, because of the lack of standards regulating this business and the potential for transmission of dangerous pathogens, anyone who receives a tattoo, body piercing, or permanent make-up tattoo cannot donate blood for one year.
I have thought about getting a tattoo but never really thought about the health risks involved. A lot of people I know have gotten infections in peircings but you never really hear about tattoos getting infected. I liked that you included things you could do to prevent getting infections.
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