Tattoos have been around for thousands of years. They were used for identification and to inspire fear in ones enemies. There has been much speculation about where they originated. Regardless of the answer it is clear that tattooing has become an obsession. It is reported that 1 in 7 Americans has a tattoo. That is an astounding number and it is on the rise.
People have many reasons for getting a tattoo. Perhaps it is to memorialize a loved one or to express emotions for a current love. Some get tattoos as a way make a personal statement about themselves. No matter they are everywhere.
Perhaps you have tattoo or are considering getting one. What I find interesting is that people seem to give little thought to the potential risks of tattoos. Risks? Well of course. The modern method of applying tattoos was based on a machine called the autographic printer, or an engraving machine.. The inventor was none other than Thomas Edison in 1876. I remember people having crude adaptations of these devices when I was kid. The machine was later adapted to apply inks under the skin. The ink reservoirs came later.
Most people are probably not aware that the large majority of tattoo inks are based on metals. For instance red and black come from iron oxides. Yellow comes from cadmium. Green comes from chromium and so on.
I do not know if I am ready to make a pronouncement that tattoos are unsafe but it is a well known fact that the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has begun to take close look at tattoo inks given the rising popularity of this obsessive ritual.
The mere fact that the many of the inks are based on metals is a cause for alarm since high metal content in the human body has been linked to many diseases. Additionally, there are other inks that are based on plastics that are reported to change the texture of the skin in a way that cannot be reversed even if the tattoo is removed. The most disconcerting tidbit I stumbled upon was the knowledge that many tattoo artist mix their own inks. There is no oversight no way to know if someone is qualified to do such a thing.
The skin is the largest organ on the human body. Many people seem to forget that. Essentially whatever is applied to the skin is absorbed through the body. This is true of soaps, lotions, perfumes, colognes, and of course tattoo inks. We know this is the case because tattoos will fade a bit over time, but not because the ink is washing off, it is being absorbed by the body internally. So the question is, if a person were to ingest the same ink that makes up their tattoo, what would happen? My guess is that they would become very ill, very quickly. So perhaps the effect is the same just a bit slower as the skin drinks in the inks.
I guess the more I think about it the more I am alarmed at the number of people who get tattoos and more importantly the people who have them covering nearly their entire body.
Finally there are two other considerations. The person who gets a really bad tattoo and the person who gets a tattoo and decides they no longer want it. Then what?
The business of removing tattoos seems to be growing in stride with the business of getting tattoo as people increasing are feeling remorse over their decision to permanently get inked.
But tattoo removal is no walk in the park. The methods most commonly sought are dermabrasion, laser removal, and do-it-our-self creams.
Dermabrasion essentially is a process where the skin is filed down similar to sanding a piece of wood. This is expensive and can leave permanent scars. Not to mention, sanding down certain areas of the body has got to be painful.
Laser treatments can fade tattoos but several visits may be required and the costs can skyrocket very quickly. There is also the risk of hypopigmentation which is where the skin become lighter as a result of the laser exposure. Laser can also cause some tattoo inks to change in color rather than fade in a desirable way.
There are several creams on the market that claim to fade tattoos. Some work better than others. The challenge for any of these methods is keeping up with the rapidly changing inks used in tattoo parlors.
Wrecking Balm makes that claim and also uses a device that is FDA approved for application.
For many the cost of tattoo removal is many times more expensive than the original tattoo application. While I personally do not have any tattoos I know many who do and a few who wish they didn’t. Given the cost I would say try the creams first. It is cheaper and if it works you can avoid some pain and potential scarring. If all else fails and you just want the tattoo gone then I guess laser tattoo removal or dermabrasion are the next options.
