https://www.yahoo.com/health
Inks of certain colors are the most problematic. (Photo: Getty Images)
Whether it’s a skull, cross, rose, or mom’s name in a thorn bush wrapped around the bicep, about one quarter
of American adults have a tattoo. But a new study says about one out of
every 10 inkers does not anticipate something that can come along with
them: a severe, ongoing skin reaction.
In the just-published NYU Langone Medical Center
research that studied tattoo-clad New Yorkers, those who reacted to
tattoos experienced a rash, itching or swelling that lasted anywhere
from four months to several years, with the longest-lasting
complications stemming from ink shades of red and black.
“While
we know infections are a risk of tattoos and can be dependent on tattoo
parlor practices, a lot of the complications in our study — and that I
have seen in my patients — do not have to do with the tattoo artist or
parlor practices, but rather the qualities of ink and how the body’s
immune system responds to it,” Marie C. Leger, MD, PhD, study lead and Assistant Professor at the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, tells Yahoo Health.
(Photo: Getty Images)
The
300 respondents ranged in age from 18 to 69, with most having no more
than five tattoos — and 67 percent of studied tattoos were on the arms.
“We were rather alarmed at the high rate of reported chronic
complications tied to getting a tattoo. Given the growing popularity of
tattoos, physicians, public health officials and consumers need to be
aware of the risks involved,” added Leger.
While
less than a third of the affected study participants saw a doctor for
the reaction, the majority returned to the tattoo parlor to complain or
ask for guidance. “Tattoo artists are ‘first responders’ when people
have problems,” says Leger, who adds that a planned follow-up study will
examine what kind of reactions artists see most frequently, and how
clients are directed, in an effort to get people to the right place for
help.
Experts
are not surprised by the news. “While tattoos are popular among
Americans, there is still little to no regulation of what exactly is
being injected into the skin,” says Jeremy A. Brauer,
MD, dermatologist and Director of Clinical Research at Laser & Skin
Surgery Center of New York, where he has seen patients with tattoo
reactions — most often to red ink. The majority of patients have
allergic contact dermatitis, which is marked by redness, swelling and
itching in the area of the tattoo.
Treatment
of tattoo reactions “can be challenging” says Brauer, who uses oral
antihistamines combined with oral or injectable steroids to quell the
inflammation. Blistering sometimes occurs and requires wound care and
dressings, while evidence of infection is treated with antibiotics. More
recently, there have been reports of successful laser treatment with
both ablative and non-ablative fractional lasers, adds Bauer.
For
some, the discomfort never completely goes away, and they are even
driven to remove the tattoo altogether. While nanosecond (“Q-switched”)
lasers have been the tattoo removal standard, the newer PicoSure
laser is now clearing tattoos in “far fewer treatments than before,”
says Bauer. The laser also addresses and improves scarring that can be
an accompanying issue with tattoos.
And
when it comes to tattoo removal, there’s one design that stands out as
the one most people want to get rid of: 52 percent of RealSelf.com
doctors say tribal tattoos are the style they most frequently are asked
to remove, for any number of reasons – from discomfort to regret.
Looking
ahead, Leger also has plans for a bigger survey to determine what
tattoo dye components are most closely tied to adverse reactions. She
hopes her investigation might also reveal other factors that put some
people at higher risk of suffering chronic complications.
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