Humanity has always been captivated by the idea of ​​decorating its body with “eternal” designs. The tattoo told about a person’s caste, tribe, and social status. His exploits and achievements were visible on his body. The peoples of the North covered their faces and hands with tattoos, being convinced that the designs warmed them. Humanity has carried this cultural tradition through time for so long that it is simply impossible to part with it. And no matter how much they talk about the dangers of tattoos, there will always be people who adorn their bodies with them. However, before you decide to get a tattoo, it will be useful to know what harm this decoration can cause you.

Harm from tattoo ink

A tattoo is an indelible design. Nowadays it is most often performed using an electric machine and disposable sterile needles. Pigment particles (in common parlance - ink) are injected under the upper layer of the epidermis, to a depth of 1-3 millimeters. The danger lies in the fact that the pigment often contains substances that are toxic to living tissues. For example, studies in the USA have shown that out of 21 dyes existing on the tattoo market, 13 are harmful to health because they contain carcinogens.

Red pigments contain mercury, green and blue pigments contain cobalt. Black ink contains benzopyrene, which causes skin cancer. Methanol, ethylene glycol, and surfactants are also found in pigments. There are often cases when “licensed” salons use printing inks, auto enamels solutions and acrylates as dyes! There is a type of dyes that contain metal particles. Such a spectacular design will cause you a severe burn if you risk an MRI scan or decide to sunbathe properly.

All of these are clearly not the substances that will make you and your skin healthier. Let us add that in no country in the world is the quality and composition of pigments regulated by health organizations.

Risk of infection and skin diseases

A freshly applied tattoo is an open wound. It requires careful care, disinfection and is an open gate for infections. In addition, needles come into contact with the human circulatory system, which means they must be sterile and disposable. Otherwise, you risk developing hepatitis or AIDS.

It is an absolutely proven fact: tattoos can cause skin cancer. Toxins accumulate in the skin and cause uncontrolled cell division. Cases have been described when a “fresh” tattoo causes constant allergies to sunlight, painkillers, or synthetic fabrics. Unpleasant symptoms do not appear immediately, but after a few days or even weeks, but can remain with a person for life.

Are tattoos for life or can they be removed?

Nothing lasts forever and your favorite tattoo may become boring over time. And even discredit you. Getting rid of it won't be so easy. Basically, this is done using grinding machines, but, alas, they also leave scars on the skin.

A multi-colored tattoo slowly loses its brightness. After 50 years, the skin becomes flabby and the pattern “floats” and becomes distorted. There is a very common joke that there will soon be a generation of grandmothers with patterned skeletons over their butts and wings on their shoulder blades.
Making a choice

A tattoo is a rather dangerous decoration. It threatens us with skin cancer, allergies, eczema, and deadly infections. At the same time, it creates an aura of attractiveness around a person. Makes us see those qualities that are sometimes not even there. Nowadays tattoos are more of an image and cultural thing. Decoration that could potentially cause harm to health. Are you ready to take a risk?

Why are tattoos dangerous?

The desire for harmony in humans is inherent at the genetic level. We want to see beauty in everything, from our environment to our body. At all times, people have decorated themselves using various cosmetics, dyes, jewelry and original items.

Tattooing (an indelible design of a wide variety of themes and shapes) and piercing (piercing various parts of the body for the purpose of constantly wearing precious metals, stones or other accessories) are precisely the most typical ways to attract attention to one’s own body.

People who decide to wear such body jewelry should be aware that subcutaneous application of a pattern can be fraught with the introduction of any infection. The list of diseases resulting from drawing with “dirty” or poorly sterilized needles is simply frightening - syphilis, AIDS, various types of hepatitis, tuberculosis, etc. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to ensure that the procedure is carried out by a professional, in hygienic conditions and using sterile instruments.

The ink used in tattooing sometimes contains toxic substances that are very harmful to the human body. For example, many tattoo inks contain benzopyrene. Animal experiments have shown that it causes skin cancer in experimental animals.

A tattoo made with black ink is especially dangerous, because in addition to the usual henna, it contains paraphenylene diamine. This chemical compound, if the dosage is not observed, usually causes eczema, dermatitis, complex allergic reactions and other skin lesions.

But the composition of colored inks can often “boast” of the presence of heavy metals such as titanium, lead, cadmium, and nickel. Getting these substances under the skin is extremely undesirable for the integrity of the entire body, because dangerous chemical compounds often cause cancer and other serious diseases, and not just the skin.

If you are not a chemist, then it will be almost impossible for you to understand the composition of the ink that will be used to apply the drawing. Therefore, you can never be completely sure that by decorating your body, you have not caused irreparable harm to your health.

Why are tattoos dangerous in terms of appearance?

We live for more than one year, or even 10. What amused us at 20, at 30 no longer causes even a shadow of a smile, and at 40 it may seem simply disgusting. Tastes change, as does fashion. Any drawing can simply become morally obsolete, not to mention its semantic load.

For example, the name of a loved one tattooed on the stomach may change over time and due to normal objective reasons. Unfortunately, people do not always stay together for many years. Then the unpleasant question of removing a thoughtlessly applied drawing will arise.

Or another aspect. Unfortunately, the skin does not get younger over time. It sags somewhere, loses elasticity somewhere, and wrinkles form somewhere, not to mention the fact that if a person gains or loses weight, then it simply either stretches or contracts. A tattoo done at the age of 25 at the age of 40 can simply, to put it mildly, surprise you with its unaesthetic appearance - unclear lines and faded colors.

What are the dangers of tattoos for your career?

No one knows how the future life will turn out. Perhaps a tattoo inflicted in youth will be the reason for refusal to apply for a high-paying position. After all, most reputable companies take care of their image and do not need a director with examples of body painting that attract unnecessary attention.

Think about your reputation in the future. Will you need a tattoo on your neck if you go into politics? But deleting any of the pictures is impossible without scars and pain. And never before have scars brought the owner any joy or happiness.

A reminder for those who decide to get a tattoo:

• for the rest of your life you will have to protect the applied pattern from active ones, so as not to provoke the development of skin cancer;
• tattoos made near the mucous membrane are hazardous to health;
• choose a place that is least susceptible to sprains - ankles, back;
• To prevent the master’s needle masterpiece from becoming boring over time and starting to seem simply ugly, get a tattoo on those parts of the body that you rarely see;
• Be sure to thoroughly find out what the picture or hieroglyph you like means, so that later it will not be excruciatingly painful in the literal sense of the word.

To summarize, we can conclude that a tattoo poses a direct threat to your health, even if all the necessary rules for applying it are followed. But every person has the right to choose what and how to do with his body. Just carefully weigh the pros and cons before making your final decision!

Before you go to a tattoo parlor, you should first find out what kind of troubles might await you there, what are the health risks of tattoos, and will you be able to get rid of annoying permanent designs in the future without any problems? Only after understanding all these points can you make a final decision - to apply a tattoo to the skin or not.

Tattoo, permanent makeup: what is it?

What is a tattoo anyway? This is a drawing on human skin, made using various devices (piercing, cutting instruments - needles, special machines). In this case, the integrity of the skin is violated, and various coloring substances are introduced, which ensure the stable preservation of a certain pattern for many years. The depth of skin puncture when applying a tattoo is 1-2 millimeters.

Permanent makeup is a more superficial, gentle procedure (natural dyes are introduced to a depth of 0.5-1 mm). This method is used mainly in cosmetology to visually enlarge the lips and correct their shape, change the contours of the eyebrows and eyelids. With the help of permanent makeup you can “paint over” pigment spots, scars and moles.

Tattoos: main health risks

1. Danger of contracting infectious diseases. If the skin is damaged and poorly sterilized instruments are used during tattooing, various pathogenic microorganisms can enter the human body: viruses B and C, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), pathogens of bacterial and fungal infections. According to research by American scientists, the process of applying a tattoo to the skin greatly increases the risk of contracting viral hepatitis, which often ultimately leads to the development of cirrhosis and liver cancer. As Dr. Paul Fisher (USA) notes, 22% of people who had tattoos on their bodies were infected with the hepatitis C virus (for comparison, in people who did not have tattoos, infection with this virus did not exceed 3.5%).

Often, after manipulation in a tattoo parlor, pustular skin diseases occur - impetigo, furunculosis due to the penetration of staphylococci, streptococci and other pathogens into the superficial and deep layers of the skin.

2.Allergic reactions. Quite often, when applying a tattoo, health harm is associated with increased sensitivity to the introduction of coloring pigments into the skin. Moreover, an allergic reaction may not appear immediately, but only after the second or third tattoo. This allergy usually manifests itself in the form of a local reaction with redness, swelling of the skin, the appearance of blisters, vesicles and other pathological manifestations. Often, such symptoms first appear when visiting the beach or solarium, when ultraviolet rays begin to interact with the pigments of the paints in the skin. Sometimes a tattoo can cause a general allergic reaction with damage to the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx, larynx, bronchi, development of Quincke's edema and even anaphylactic shock.

3. Toxic effect of coloring pigments on the body. Not everyone knows that the inks used for tattooing include substances such as iron oxide, magnetite crystals, soot, cadmium, iron sulfide, chromium oxide, lead chromate, cobalt oxide, manganese pyrophosphate, compounds of copper, zinc, barium and even mercury. Such chemical elements, mainly metal oxides, are absorbed into the blood and enter the bone marrow, liver and kidneys, and brain, and can have a pronounced toxic effect on the body, especially if a person has chronic diseases of these and other organs.

4.Carcinogenic effect of dyes introduced into the skin. According to foreign researchers, about 20-30% of substances used in tattoo parlors have a carcinogenic effect, that is, they can provoke the development of malignant diseases in the human body. At the same time, the health hazards of a tattoo can increase with prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.

5. Problems may also arise if the owner of tattoos is sent for an (MRI). In this case, skin burns may occur at the location of the tattoo.

6. Recently, such a phenomenon as tattoo addiction, when a person makes a tattoo over and over again, filling almost all free areas of the body with drawings. This already refers to mental disorders and requires intervention or a psychiatrist.

7. It is not always possible to remove a tattoo without consequences if its owner decides to get rid of the annoying designs. Tattoo removal itself (using surgery, using a laser) can cause infectious complications and allergic reactions, and the quality of such removal is not always satisfactory (often scars or traces of paint remain on the skin).

Tattoos are not harmful to health

So is it possible to get tattoos without harming your health? Of course, only for this to happen certain conditions must be met.

• Contact a well-known, well-established tattoo parlor in the market for such services, which has all the permits and licenses
• High-quality sterilization and the use of disposable instruments are the basis of such an establishment. If you have the slightest doubt, walk away!
• Use of certified safe coloring pigments. There are modern safe synthetic pigments for tattooing that do not cause allergic reactions and do not have a toxic effect on the human body. Ask for certificates for the paints used in the tattoo parlor and make sure that there are no harmful compounds of mercury, cobalt, lead, etc. substances (see above).
• Be aware that so-called natural dyes such as red-brown, blue or black henna are not safe for tattooing, as they often cause allergic reactions. Henna should be used for its intended purpose - for hair coloring.
• Don't get a tattoo for life, ask that the coloring pigments be injected shallowly (no more than 0.5-1 mm).
• Don't turn your body into an art gallery, it is beautiful just because of its naturalness.

If you follow these simple tips, the harm from tattoos to health and beauty will be minimal.

Tattoos are an original decoration and a way of self-expression. The desire to look more original, more interesting, to perpetuate something important or symbolic for yourself becomes fully realized with them. Tattoo artists, and fans of body designs themselves, unanimously say: as soon as you do one, it’s addictive, and after it more and more appear. However, in addition to aesthetic pleasure, tattoos also pose a direct threat to health and even life. Which one? Read below.

The main health hazards of tattoos

Most problems originate when choosing an untested, unprofessional artist with questionable technique, or the desire to take initiative in the form, for example, Since a tattoo is always traumatic for the skin, ideal sterility is a prerequisite for allowing a person with a needle to approach you. The second condition is high-quality pigment (ink), especially suitable for this purpose. It is better to avoid amateurs, beginners, experimenters, even very good friends and dearly loved ones. Because in addition to the wrong result, you can also experience a number of consequences if basic standards are not followed:

• various infections;
• complications during healing;
• unpleasant consequences in the future.

When applying a tattoo in a salon, most of these negative consequences can be avoided, but some are still possible due to the individual reaction of the skin and the body as a whole to the pigment.

Let's take a closer look at each of these points.

Allergic reactions

Allergies to ink are now much less common, as craftsmen try to use expensive, high-quality paint that has passed all possible medical tests and is hypoallergenic. But still, no one is immune from an allergy to pigment, even when visiting a salon. The main reasons may be:

• individual reaction - if you are an experienced allergy sufferer, then it is quite possible that even the safest pigment will be able to react;
• cheap and not particularly high-quality paint - before starting the process, do not consider it superfluous to ask the tattoo artist about the availability of a certificate and guarantees of the quality of the pigment used. Don’t skimp, because instead of the desired pattern, you may end up with a swollen part of the body with persistent itching.

If you are allergic to ink, it will be noticeable right at the very beginning of the process.

Various infections

Theoretically, you can get infected with anything when you get a tattoo. After all, needles violate the integrity of your skin and if dirt, dust, or other unwanted particles get into the wound, infection can occur with further spread of the infection. To minimize this risk it is necessary:

• make sure that all paint containers, needles and other equipment involved in the process are completely sterile;
• before starting tattooing, make sure that everything near the tattoo is wrapped in cling film, especially the corners of furniture and the chair itself;
• The room intended for the process must be maintained extremely carefully. Comply with sanitary standards, regularly ventilate, insect prevention and wet cleaning are mandatory;
• The master is obliged to maintain hygiene, work in gloves, clean clothes, and with his hair tied up.

If everything is sterile and done correctly, the possibility of catching any infection is significantly reduced.

Complications during healing

It should be understood that after the tattoo has taken its place on the body, this area of ​​skin will take quite a long time to heal. Initially, the drawing will be a continuous wound, which can become inflamed due to a variety of factors, thereby causing a bunch of problems. The consequences of improper healing and improper care of a tattoo are:

• infection - most often gets into the wound through premature contact with clothing or dirty hands;
• inflammation - occurs because the skin has not yet fully recovered, but is in active contact with clothing. Woolen and synthetic fabrics are especially contraindicated;
• scars and unsightly scars - the aesthetic appearance of a tattoo can be ruined if you scratch and pick at the crust that forms on top of the design;
• fading - if the tattoo is exposed to a large amount of ultraviolet radiation during the healing period, be prepared that your design will lose its brightness;
• slow recovery of the skin with painful sensations - this often happens with poor nutrition, weakened immunity, alcohol intake, and various diseases.

Therefore, in order to avoid all of the above, carefully monitor your tattoo during the healing period, avoid contact with infections, protect the skin from damage and follow all recommendations of the tattoo artist.

Unpleasant consequences in the future

The master can tell you about possible complications after the healing period, but everything is purely individual: there may not be any unpleasant consequences, but you should be mentally prepared for the fact that this happens. After a tattoo, this area of ​​the skin changes, since there is now pigment there, therefore, depending on individual sensitivity, the skin:

• may become inflamed when tanning;
• do not accept various creams, lotions and other cosmetics;
• It is difficult to tolerate some cosmetic procedures.

So before visiting a tattoo parlor, you should think it over carefully, weigh the pros and cons, and carefully examine the skin for susceptibility to inflammation. It is quite possible that a nice tattoo is not worth the risk at all. If you still decide, approach the issue with all seriousness - choose a proven professional with experience and a design that you won’t want to reduce in a couple of years, because the reduction procedure is much more complicated than application, and is also quite expensive, with obligatory trauma to the skin.

Many modern young people decorate their bodies in various ways: piercings, tattoos, or even more exotic scarring. This method of self-expression is sometimes observed in adulthood, which is explained by a special state of mind. But when applying certain insignia to the body, few people think about whether this is harmful to health or not. Thus, adults are confident that visiting a trusted beauty salon is a guarantee of safety, but teenagers most often do not care. But both of these approaches cannot be called correct. Let's talk about how dangerous tattoos are for a person, can they really cause harm to health and what?

Many experts claim that tattooing is a completely safe process if done correctly. A tattoo should be considered as something between a cosmetic manipulation and a surgical intervention. When applied with a needle, a pigment is injected under the skin, remaining in it forever.

Why are tattoos harmful? Is it dangerous to apply them?

Allergy

When thinking about getting a tattoo, you need to be concerned about the issue of allergic reactions. If you are allergic, it would be a good idea to do an allergy test: inject a tiny amount of pigment and wait at least a day. It is worth noting that modern inks used in licensed tattoo parlors are harmless and hypoallergenic. But of course, you shouldn’t apply tattoos with homemade machines in makeshift conditions.

Infections

If unwanted particles fall on an open wound, this can lead to infection and infection. A tattoo needle, of course, somewhat violates the integrity of the skin, and a number of conditions must be observed to prevent infection. Only sterile needles, pigment containers and other equipment should be used for tattooing. All objects that are near the surface with a tattoo must be wrapped in cling film. And the premises themselves must be properly maintained, which includes wet cleaning, compliance with sanitary rules, prevention of insect attacks and air conditioning.

The tattoo artist must comply with the rules and regulations of hygiene, he must wear gloves, remove hair and use clothes that do not get dirty.

It is worth noting that the use of unsterile needles is fraught with the development of very serious diseases, including AIDS, which are not immediately noticeable.

Improper healing

Sometimes a tattoo only brings discomfort to the owner. Most often this happens when the necessary rules of care are violated. So sometimes the tattooed surface can become infected due to premature contact with clothing or when bacterial particles get on the surface of the inflamed skin.

Inflammation can occur due to rubbing the tattooed area with synthetic or woolen fabrics before the skin has completely healed. Pathological processes can develop due to mechanical damage or scratches in the area of ​​the tattoo. Sometimes fading occurs due to excessive exposure to ultraviolet light.

Slow or very uncomfortable healing can be explained by a weakened immune system (illness, alcohol, poor diet).

As practice shows, all of the listed complications can be easily avoided by trusting licensed and trusted tattoo parlors, as well as professional tattoo artists.

Oncogenicity

Scientists from the Skin Research Center at the University of Bradford conducted a number of studies related to tattoos and came to the conclusion that there are a number of good reasons to abandon this method of body decoration. Experts have found that many inks used during drawing are carcinogenic, in other words, they can cause the development of cancer. The most dangerous substance discovered is benzopyrene, which causes skin cancer.

Carcinogens were not found in all inks, but in more than half of them. In addition, scientists have concluded that red ink often contains mercury, and blue and green ink often contain cobalt, which only increases the likelihood of developing cancer when used.

Ink manufacturers have already admitted that five percent of their clients (tattoo parlors) are exposed to ink containing carcinogenic compounds.

Having received the results of such a study, scientists insist on introducing strict controls on all ink used in tattoo parlors. But they have not yet achieved success.

Additional information

The health risks of tattoos are so potentially great that you need to think a hundred times before getting them even in a trusted tattoo parlor. After all, removing the pattern from the skin will be much more difficult, and sometimes even impossible. A specialist will tell you the most suitable place for drawing, away from large moles.

Folk recipes

As we found out, a tattoo can harm the body if the immune system is impaired. In this case, the skin damage will not heal well and the likelihood of a secondary infection will increase.

To improve the body's defenses, you can take a simple medicine based on black elderberry. Grind the leaves of this plant and brew a teaspoon of the prepared raw material with one glass of boiling water. Infuse the medicine under the lid for forty-five minutes, strain and drink immediately. It is best to take it shortly before going to bed at night.

Combine one tablespoon each of dried St. John's wort, mint and lemon balm, as well as linden blossom. Brew the prepared ingredients with one liter of boiling water and leave in a thermos for twenty minutes. Strain the finished drink and drink in small portions throughout the day.

You can also use nut leaves to improve immunity. Grind them thoroughly and brew a couple of tablespoons of the prepared raw material with one glass of boiling water. Infuse the medicine for twelve hours under the lid, then strain and drink half a glass twice a day.