Many tattoo inks contain heavy metals that have been linked to a number of health problems including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Among the other metals found in tattoos are mercury, lead, antimony, beryllium, cadmium and arsenic.
Mercury is a neurotoxin, which means it has a negative effect on the nervous system.
It can damage the brain and lead to physical and emotional disorders.
Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many of the body's organs and tissues, including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, nervous system and reproductive system.
In severe cases, symptoms of lead poisoning, commonly lead, may include seizures, coma and death. Other symptoms commonly associated with lead exposure include abdominal pain, confusion, headache, anemia, and irritability.
Beryllium is listed as a first class EPA carcinogen.
Exposure to it can cause Chronic Beryllium Disease, a often fatal lung disease.
Cadmium is a heavy metal that poses serious risks to human health, including kidney, bone, and lung damage.
Arsenic is a known carcinogen, and new studies have also found that exposure to higher levels of arsenic leads to genetic damage.
Antimony, exposure to antimony, can cause eye, skin and lung irritation.
As exposure continues, more serious problems may occur, such as lung disease, heart problems, diarrhea, severe vomiting, and stomach ulcers.
Phthalates, hydrocarbons and other dangerous compounds in tattoo ink.
Many tattoo inks contain dangerous phthalates and hydrocarbons.
Phthalates, also found in many cosmetic products considered unsafe by the Environmental Working Group, have been shown to damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive system in animal studies.
Black tattoo inks are often made from products that contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Among the PAHs in inks is benzo (a) pyrene, a compound identified in the Environmental Protection Agency's toxicity report as "one of the most potent and well-documented skin carcinogens."
Tattoo Removal can cause a number of dangerous chemical reactions throughout the body.
As time goes on, many people who initially chose a tattoo decide that they want to remove it.
According to a 2006 study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 17 percent of people aged 18-50 who have tattoos have considered tattoo removal.
However, tattoo removal can be even more dangerous than getting a tattoo.
By far the most common method of tattoo removal today is laser tattoo removal - a technique where a laser is used in repetitive sessions to dissolve the tattoo.
Once the tattoo inks are dissolved, the substances they contain, including dangerous carcinogens, such as those described above - are absorbed by the body and the circulatory system.
Many may never be able to completely eliminate them from their body, but even if they do, by the time they are eliminated from the body, they will have managed to cause damage before being eliminated.
An estimated 45 million people in the United States have at least one tattoo, including at least 36 percent of adults in their late 30s.
Also the autoimmune disease of sarcoidosis can develop decades after the tattoo was done.
In addition, Professors Bob Haley and Paul Fisher of the University of Texas Southwestern found that the tattoo process is the number one source of hepatitis C transmission due to poor cleaning of machinery.
Bacterial infections are also common in tattoos, and syphilis and hepatitis B have been linked.
For those who already have tattoos, the best advice may be to keep it - if you do not want to, then use outdated tattoo removal techniques, such as surgery that leaves scars on the tattoo but is less dangerous.
If you do not already have a tattoo, the best advice is to do none.
Tattoos, tattoos, stigma, branding.
In ancient Egypt tattoos were worn by royal followers and idol priests to distinguish themselves.
The ancient Greeks knew the technique of tattooing since the Mycenaean era, however they did not stop considering it as a habit of the barbarians!
Characteristic of slavery, servitude and submission!
Plutarch reports that the Syracusans after the defeat of the Athenians in Syracuse, Sicily, put a horse in the form of a tattoo on the foreheads of the prisoners!
The Romans tattooed slaves and criminals and the letter D marked the deserters! Later, in 750 AD, the Chinese did the same to the criminals!
In New Guinea and Burma it was used as a tribal insignia while in New Zealand it was an emblem of honor!
The Thompson Indians controlled their courage, especially of the young, applying the most painful way of tattooing!
In Paraguay it was a symbol of adolescence while some tribes in India used it as a means of grooming and sexual arousal!
For a long time, tattoos were a "privilege" of sailors and criminals. In prison, tattoos - professional and amateur - indelibly imprinted on their bodies the desire these men had in their souls: autonomy and identity.
The supreme symbol for gang members was their gang tattoos: a permanent sign showing all the obligations to the gang.
These tattoos can reveal many things, such as: who you are, what your gang is, what your beliefs are (racist, etc.), what you have done, where you have been, how many years you have been in prison (also referred to as "Dead time"), and even things like how many you have killed.
Known symbols include tears under the eye and cobwebs on the elbows, symbolizing the people who were killed.
Although the composition of tattoo inks has changed in recent years as lead and aromatic hydrocarbons have been removed, research from the University of Washington in Seattle has shown that even newer generation inks contain organic dyes, such as azo dyes used. in industry, which are potentially dangerous and can cause allergies, itching and rashes.
For this reason, the researchers had emphasized that those suffering from psoriasis or eczema should be more careful, as tattoos can cause an exacerbation of the disease.
Some people think that temporary henna tattoos that they do in the summer up to the age of twelve are more innocent.
Temporary henna tattoos are not as innocent as we would like to believe, according to a statement from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Most of us have a laid back attitude when it comes to painting a picture about henna tattoos that last for 3 days to a few weeks.
Linda Katz, head of the FDA's Cosmetics department, says: "Just because a tattoo is not permanent does not mean it is safe."
Unlike other tattoos, henna is made on the surface of the skin and no needles are used.
However, there are serious allergic reactions on the skin that last much longer than the tattoo itself. Skin problems begin immediately after tattoo design or a few weeks later.
The most common skin problems from using henna are:
Blisters Redness Photoallergy Permanent marks Red pimples with pus. Henna is a plant product. The leaves are dried, turned into a powder which is mixed with a liquid and becomes a paste that can color the skin, hair and nails. The color it leaves is red-brown. This is the normal henna paste that has traditionally been used until today.
Black henna that leaves a bright black color - and not gray - and lasts more than 2 days is considered extremely dangerous.
So what is it about black henna that makes it so harmful to our health?
It contains the chemical P-Phenylenediamine, PPD, a very dangerous substance that can cause allergies and chronic allergic reactions and therefore should never come in contact with the skin.
The reason this chemical ingredient is used in paints is to give a more intense, dark color to tattoos and longer lasting.
Suspicious nanoparticles in colors
Even tattoos are blamed for the development of cancer in key organs of the human body.
The researchers point out that the nanoparticles from the ink can penetrate the circulatory system and then accumulate in the spleen and kidneys, thus blocking the ability of the organs to filter harmful substances.
Research by University of Copenhagen professor of dermatology Jürgen Scherep has shown that 13 of the 21 most popular tattoo inks used in Europe contain carcinogenic chemicals, which has been confirmed by previous research, which states that blue and white Green ink contains, for example, cobalt, red mercury and black benzopyrene, a substance that has been found to cause skin cancer in animals.
"Millions of Europeans are getting tattoos with chemicals of unknown origin," Serap said, calling for further studies on their potential dangers and written information about those who want to get tattoos.
"Our inks are certified, but there are some who choose Chinese."
Scientists have called for even stricter legislation and further research into the inks used in tattoos, concluding that tattoos may be responsible for cancer in key organs of the human body, according to tonwtiko.
Despite the fact that relevant scientific studies conducted in recent years have recorded few cases of cancer in the area of a tattoo, scientists are sounding the alarm and are asking the authorities to thoroughly investigate any possibility.
Source: medicalnews