Tattoo And Health Risks

A tattoo is a form of body modification, made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. The first written reference to the word, "tattoo" (or Samoan "Tatau") appears in the journal of Joseph Banks, the naturalist aboard Captain Cook's ship the HMS Endeavour: "I shall now mention the way they mark themselves indelibly, each of them is so marked by their humor or disposition".


Whole back tattoo, USA 2007


A trompe-l'œil spider tattoo
Tattooing has been practiced for centuries in many cultures spread throughout the world, particularly those found in Asia. The Ainu, an indigenous people of Japan, traditionally had facial tattoos. Today, one can find Berbers of Tamazgha (North Africa), Māori of New Zealand, Hausa people of Northern Nigeria, Kurdish people in East-Turkey and Atayal of Taiwan with facial tattoos. Tattooing was widespread among Polynesians and among certain tribal groups in Taiwan, Philippines, Borneo, Mentawai Islands, Africa, North America, South America, Mesoamerica, Europe, Japan, Cambodia, New Zealand and Micronesia. Indeed, the island of Great Britain takes its name from tattooing, with Britons translating as 'people of the designs' and the Picts, who originally inhabited the northern part of Britain, which literally means 'the painted people'.Despite some taboos surrounding tattooing, the art continues to be popular in many parts of the world.


Health risks

Modern tattoo artist's nitrile gloves and sterilized equipment
Because it requires breaking the skin barrier, tattooing may carry health risks, including infection and allergic reactions. Modern tattooists reduce such risks by following universal precautions, working with single-use items, and sterilizing their equipment after each use. Many jurisdictions require that tattooists have blood-borne pathogen training, such as is provided through the Red Cross and OSHA.
In amateur tattoos, such as those applied in prisons, however, there is an elevated risk of infection. Infections that can theoretically be transmitted by the use of unsterilized tattoo equipment or contaminated ink include surface infections of the skin, herpes simplex virus, tetanus, staph, fungal infections, some forms of hepatitis, tuberculosis, and HIV.In the United States there have been no reported cases of HIV contracted via commercially applied tattooing process.
Tattoo inks have been described as "remarkably nonreactive histologically". However, cases of allergic reactions to tattoo inks, particularly certain colours, have been medically documented. This is sometimes due to nickel in an ink pigment, which is a common metal allergy. Occasionally, when a blood vessel is punctured during the tattooing procedure a bruise/hematoma may appear.