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HealthSmart
Quarterly Health Newsletter Vol. 14, No. 2, Summer 2005
Tattoo Safety
By Janet Yagoda Shagam, PhD
nce only associated with gang Ink safety
O activity, military service and crim-
inals, tattooing is now a
The pigments that color tattoo
inks are subject to Food and
main-stream form of self- Drug Administration
expression. Research (FDA) regulations as cos-
reveals that tattooing is metics and color additives. To lower your chances of getting an infection make
While safe for inclusion in sure the tattoo artist uses sterilized needles and
the sixth fastest growing pours inks into individual ink cups.
retail business in the Unit- lipstick and other cosmetics,
ed States and that middle- the FDA has not approved clinicians believe that sunlight
class suburban women are the these substances for injection into chemically changes tattoo dyes into
most important source of new cus- the skin. There is no scientific evi- allergy-causing substances.
tomers. dence supporting the safety of using Injected inks can also stimulate
College-aged students are anoth- these pigments to color tattoos. To the body to make scar-like tissue.
er enthusiastic body art consumer date, the FDA has not attempted to Small tissue nodules form around the
group. The results of many small- regulate the manufacture and use of colors that the body perceives as
scale research projects reveal that tattoo inks and leaves such matters to “foreign.” People who respond this
approximately 1 out of every 5 col- local authorities. way may discover bumpy areas in the
lege students reports having at least Ink reactions red, green, blue or yellow portions of
one tattoo. Red inks that contain mercuric their tattoo.
What are the risks? sulfide and ferric hydrate are a com- Infections
When done under safe condi- mon cause of allergic reactions. The tattoo needle, in the process
tions, getting a tattoo usually does However, for some people even the of making the design, produces thou-
not cause serious or long-term health red pigments isolated from plants sands of tiny holes in the skin. Each
problems. However, tattooing — can cause allergies. of these holes is a possible entryway
even under safe conditions — is not People who have this allergy, for bacteria and other microbes into
risk-free. Problems range from skin also called the red reaction, experi- your body. Sometimes these microbes
irritation and allergy to life-threaten- ence swelling, inflammation and enter the blood and cause infections
ing infections. itching in the red pigmented areas. that can spread throughout the body.
The red reaction may occur many To lower your chances of getting
years after getting the tattoo. Some an infection make sure that the tat-
too artist uses sterilized needles.
❥ Practice good personal health habits.
Before starting to work, tattoo artists
❥ Do not get a “home” or “garage ”tattoo.
should wash their hands. They also
❥ Take the hepatitis B vaccination series to prevent hepatitis B infection.
must wear gloves.
❥ Avoid getting tattoos from people who are intravenous drug
users to lower risk of getting hepatitis C. Often artists will use a deodorant
❥ Avoid getting tattoos from people who are HIV positive or stick to transfer the image from the
who indulge in behaviors that put them at risk for HIV. drawing paper to your skin. Howev-
❥ Choose a clean and established body art studio. er, the artist should not rub the
❥ Choose a body artist who has participated in a professional deodorant stick directly on you.
apprentice program.
Instead, they should first wipe it on a
❥ Closely follow after-care instructions to prevent infection.
– Continued on page 2
Continued from page 1 about any special
precautions they
piece of soft paper and then use the need to take before
paper to spread the deodorant on getting a tattoo.
your skin. This is an especially
important step. If they do not How should I take
always do this, there is a chance of care of my new
tattoo?
transferring disease-causing
Right after com-
microbes between clients.
pleting your tattoo,
Some people are at added risk for
the artist will gently
skin infections after getting a tattoo.
wipe it with an
Slow healing and decreased ability to
antibacterial oint-
fight infections means people who
ment and then cover
have diabetes or HIV/AIDS or who
the tattoo with a
have organ transplants need to be Tattoo artists should always wear gloves while working on clients.
gauze bandage. Be
especially careful.
sure to tell your artist
When people share inks and • Apply a thin layer of A and D
if you are allergic or have bad reac-
needles at tattoo parties, HIV and ointment to prevent drying and
tions to the antibiotics contained in
the viruses that cause hepatitis B irritation.
these over-the-counter preparations.
and hepatitis C are other potential • Do not re-bandage the tattoo.
However, once you leave the
dangers.
studio, keeping your tattoo clean is • Repeat this procedure 4 to 7
Hepatitis caused by the hepati-
your responsibility. Following a few times a day for the next several
tis C virus is of particular concern.
instructions will lower your risk for days.
Similar to HIV/AIDS, there is no
infection. Always wash your hands
protective vaccine and doctors While your tattoo is healing you
with an antibacterial soap before
manage — not cure — this disease should never:
you touch an unhealed tattoo.
with medication. This virus can • Pick or scratch your tattoo.
Remove the gauze bandage about an
cause liver failure and liver cancer.
hour after leaving the studio. If nec- • Let it dry out.
Because the immune system is
essary, loosen the gauze by wetting it
not able to do its job, AIDS • Expose your tattoo to direct
with water. Then you need to:
patients are at increased risk for sunlight.
microbial infections. People who • Gently wash your tattoo with
• Soak in a sauna, bath tub,
have AIDS should ask their doctor cool water and a mild antibac-
swimming pool or any other
terial soap.
kind of recreational water.
In addition to increasing your
✔ Is it clean and well lit? risk for infection and skin irritation,
✔ Does it provide client privacy? exposure to chlorine and salt water
✔ Are there receptacles for medical waste? can bleach unhealed tattoos
✔ Do they have and use an autoclave to sterilize reusable tools, equipment and After the initial healing period,
body jewelry? you still need to give your tattoo
✔ Do artists have access to a sink or waterless handwashing supplies? special care. For the next 3 to 4
✔ Do artists use gloves while working on clients? weeks keep the tattoo moist by
✔ Do artists have infection control training? applying skin lotion to it several
✔ Do artist have CPR training and certification?
times a day. Avoid perfumed lotions
and lotions that contain alcohol
✔ Can artists provide documentation of having hepatitis B vaccinations?
✔ Do tattoo artists dispense inks in small disposable cups? How do I find a safe tattoo studio?
✔ Do body artists use needles rather than piercing guns? Although the décor will be dif-
✔ Do body artists use disposable needles?
ferent, a safe studio will look
remarkably similar to a medical
✔ Does the studio provide after-care information?
office. A well-run body art studio
has a receiving area where clients
How do I know if my tattoo is infected?
check-in, wait for their appoint-
ment and get their procedure infor- ✗ Increased pain, swelling, redness or heat.
mation and after-care instructions. ✗ Increased tenderness around the tattoo site.
Work areas are organized and ✗ Red streaks running up your leg or arm.
clean. Nonabsorbent materials such ✗ Greenish-yellow pus coming from the tattoo.
as stainless steel and plastic cover ✗ Bad smell coming from the wound.
procedure tables, chairs and
✗ Rash at or around the tattoo site.
counter tops. Each studio room has
✗ Swollen or tender places on your neck, arm pits or groin.
medical waste containers for used
✗ Fever greater than 100° Fahrenheit.
needles, gloves and other disposable
supplies.
Ask to see the autoclave and ask cializes in tattoo removals.
In safe body art studios, artists
how they monitor sterilization For small tattoos, surgical
have easy access to a sink, soap and
effectiveness. removal might be a good option.
water or to waterless handwashing
New Mexico requires that body Using a local anesthetic, the doctor
solutions. In addition to washing
artists have a license to practice cuts away the tattoo and then
their hands, body artists always
and that studios undergo an annual stitches the edges together. Some-
wear gloves while working on
inspection. When you visit a body times skin grafts are necessary when
clients.
art studio you should see these the tattoo is large.
New Mexico now requires that
licenses posted in a conspicuous Dermabrasion, where the doctor
body artists receive hepatitis B vac-
place. You can call your local Better freezes a small portion of your tattoo
cinations to prevent getting and
Business Bureau and city or county and then “sands” it with a small
spreading this type of hepatitis
health departments to get informa- rotary tool, is another tattoo
infection. You can ask to see docu-
tion concerning consumer com- removal method This causes skin
mentation of the artist’s completion
plaints and health inspection peeling, and with it, removal of the
of this vaccination series.
violations. dye underneath. This method works
Safe body art studios have an
What about tattoo removal? best for new or superficial tattoos.
autoclave to sterilize reusable
Lyle Tuttle, an internationally Today, laser therapy is the most
equipment, tools and other sup-
known body artist once said, “Tat- popular tattoo removal method.
plies. More than likely the auto-
toos are external decorations for High energy light pulses break the
clave will be in a separate room.
internal feelings — the problem is ink droplets into fragments small
that we tend to change our mind.” enough that your body can naturally
In support of Tuttle’s statement, a remove them. It can take many laser
University of North Carolina study treatment sessions to erase a tattoo.
reveals that nearly half of all people No matter which removal
who get a tattoo eventually want to method you choose to use, the
have it removed. treated area will look different than
There are many tattoo removal the surrounding skin. The tattoo
options that range from “disappear- might still be partially visible and
ing creams” to surgery and laser most methods, including laser treat-
treatments. Some factors you need ment, cause scarring. Tattoo
to take into consideration include removal is expensive and because it
the size, location and age of your is a cosmetic procedure, most
tattoo. The tattoo application health insurance policies do not
method and your tendency to make provide coverage.
heavy scar tissue are also important.
By most accounts, tattoo Janet Yagoda Shagam, PhD is a freelance
removal creams do not work. For a medical and science writer and a Lecturer in the
Professional Writing Program at the University of
better outcome, you need to see a
New Mexico.
After completing the line work, the artist uses surgeon or dermatologist who spe-
colored inks to fill in the design.
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
2211 Lomas Blvd. NE ALBUQUERQUE, NM
Albuquerque, NM 87106 PERMIT NO. 608
(OR CURRENT RESIDENT)
88 Keys for Kids…
On Monday evening, September 26, 2005,
HealthSmart
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information or to purchase tickets, please call Colleen Harris, 505-277-5682 at
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UNM Children’s Hospital Development Office, or Evie Offord, Washburn Piano
— 884-5605. Tickets range from $35 (student) to $250. Janet L. Poole, PhD, OTR/L
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