What are tattoos and permanent make-up? Both are marks or designs on the skin made with a needle and colored ink designed to permanently soak into the skin. Some of the colors in the ink are also used in printing and in painting cars and have not been tested for safety, according to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). Allergic reactions have been reported in some people who have had tattoos.
If you get a tattoo:
Think carefully before getting a tattoo. Most tattoos are permanent and removing them can be impossible, cost a lot of money and be painful. Removal often means surgery and scarring.
Make sure you go to a professional tattoo parlor and a licensed tattoo artist
Never have a tattoo applied over a lesion, skin rash or a mole. Although there’s no evidence that a tattoo increases the risk for skin cancer, a tattoo can make it more difficult to see the earliest signs of skin cancer. Melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, can begin in a mole and has a high cure rate only when caught and treated early.
See a dermatologist immediately if tattooed skin changes in any way or you have a skin reaction, which can occur even a year or so later.
If you’re out in the sun, remember ultraviolet (UV) light can fade some tattoo inks, so protect your skin with a broad-spectrum sunscreen that provides an SPF or higher and is water resistance.
If you have permanent makeup on your lips, use a lip balm that protects you from UVA and UVB rays and has an SPF 30 or higher. A wide-brimmed hat helps protect permanent eyeliner.
Tanning beds are not recommended for tattooed skin. Reactions with all ink colors in a tattoo may occur, but are most common with yellow or red ink.
If your tattooed skin feels dry, apply a water-based lotion or cream. Petroleum-based products like petroleum jelly can cause the ink to fade.
If you’re pregnant, wait to get a tattoo. Unlike foods and medicines, tattoo inks are not regulated and the ink could pose a risk for a developing baby.
By the numbers:
According to a study published in the Journal of the American academy of Dermatology:
24 percent — the number of 18-50 year-old respondents who had a tattoo.
65 percent — the number who considered getting a tattoo.
26 percent — the number of men with tattoos, compared with 22 percent women.
50 percent — the number with multiple tattoos
36 percent — the number born between 1975 and 1986 who had tattoos, compared with 24 percent born between 1964 and 1974 and 15 percent born between 1953 and 1963.
For more info visit: The American Academy of Dermatology at aad.org; the Federal Drug Administration at fda.gov and the Centers for Disease Control at cdc.gov.
Tattoos have been around for centuries as a form of body art, a representation of religious beliefs and today as a part of cosmetic enhancement.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, tattooing may be used in reconstructive surgery to stimulate natural pigmentation on facial skin, such as in cases of vitiligo, which results in a lack of pigmentation. For someone with alopecia, tattooed eyebrows are a way to fill in the loss of facial hair.
Today, many women are choosing to have tattoos that serve as permanent makeup to save time and difficulty applying makeup. From eyeliner to lip liner, from eyebrows to blush, tattoos can make getting ready each day a piece of cake. For young adults, tattoos as body art are gaining in popularity. A recent Pew Research Center report found that among Americans, 36 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 25 sport a tattoo.
That, according to the AAD, has sparked an increase in tattoo-related skin conditions including allergic reactions, serious infections and reactions to tattoo ink. Dermatology expert Michi Shinohara, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Seattle’s of Washington, recently issued a warning about the risk involved with tattoos, at the AAD’s annual meeting in Miami Beach.
Shinohara says the ingredients that make up tattoo ink have changed dramatically through the years. Gone are the lead, cobalt, metal salts and carbon and in are plastic-based pigments also used in textiles, printing and paint for automobiles — especially in intense reds and yellows. As a result, it’s difficult to know how these ink concoctions interact with the skin and any resulting complications.
Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers inks used in tattoos and permanent makeup to be cosmetics, it traditionally exercises no regulatory authority for those tattoo ink color additives, leaving regulation up to local jurisdiction. Last spring, however, the FDA began investigating pigments used in the inks and is still in the process of assessing them, after many complaints about adverse reactions.
The FDA says there are more than 50 different pigments and shades in use for tattoos. Although some of the color additives are approved for topical use in cosmetics, none are approved for injection into the skin. The use of unapproved color additives in a tattoo ink adulterates the ink, the FDA reports, noting that some of the additives are not approved for skin contact at all.
Anyone considering getting a tattoo — whether for cosmetic reasons or as a form of body art — should be aware of the possibilities of adverse reactions, Shinohara cautions. Tattoos should never be placed over an existing mole, which can cause a bump or lesion resembling squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. She says such a situation may require a biopsy and subsequent treatment for cancer, even surgery.
In addition, allergic reactions to tattoo pigments can result in itching, bumps and rashes — immediately or even years later — requiring treatment with a topical ointment. Tattoos can cause chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema to flare, says the AAD. In rare cases, a sarcoidosis, an autoimmune disorder, may cause swelling and itching and may involve the lungs or eyes. Although not directly caused by the original tattoo, it may show up within the tattoo.
The bottom line, according to the AAD, is to think long and hard about getting a tattoo, especially considering the natural aging process. The permanent makeup that once looked flattering may later on seem dated. As the body’s skin tones and facial or body contours change, the permanent makeup can become distorted and not easily changed or altered. It’s important, say the experts, to know it’s something you can live with. For a study of the long-term fate of the ink particles in your tattoo over time, visit http://phys.org/news/2011-04-math-tattoo-age.html.
Joyce Davis is a freelance writer who lives in Longmont. She can be reached at jaymdavisvitality@yahoo.com.
