By May 3, 2024

why are tattoos a bad idea

Although FDA could regulate tattoo inks, it hasn’t done so yet. So no ink is currently approved for use in human skin, Alster notes. The inks used for tattoos can be either inorganic or organic, notes Tina Alster. She’s a dermatologist, or skin specialist, at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. She also directs the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery.

“Tattoo Addiction”

why are tattoos a bad idea

If you are still sure and set on getting a hand tattoo after reading about all the possible risks and complications involved, know that there are some steps you can take to ensure they last for as long as possible. why are tattoos a bad idea If the itching is getting to the point that it’s intolerable, then treatments and products are available to help alleviate that. It’s essential to keep the itching at bay to avoid the urge to scratch.

Science News Explores

why are tattoos a bad idea

All of them participated in the study on a voluntary basis and had their anonymity preserved. Participants were informed that their participation was voluntary and that they could withdraw at any time, according to the ethical standards of the Helsinki Declaration of 1983. The study was approved by the Internal Ethics Review Board of the Department of Educational Sciences, Section of Psychology, University of Catania. After the allotted time passes and you take the dressing off of your fresh hand tattoo, you should wear gloves to protect them for the next week. Latex or polyurethane gloves are recommended for this purpose.

Choose a Reddit account to continue

Results indicated differences with a probability of less than or equal to 0.05 and were accepted as significant. For statistical analysis, we used the statistical program (SPSS v. 25, Chicago, IL, USA). However, the pain of a hand tattoo could last even after the actual tattooing session if you are not careful. Like all tattoos, the aftercare of a hand tattoo is essential for it to heal properly. Each person must have a serious and honest conversation with themselves about their reasons for wanting a hand tattoo and what its effects will be. This conversation may include input from others but ultimately you must do what is right for YOURSELF regardless of what others think.

  • If you have a special mantra for life, or belief, or saying that helps you get through the day, it’s perfectly ok to have it jotted down in a nice little book somewhere, not scrawled all over your forearm.
  • “I designed the entire thing over a few years,” she says of the three-quarter sleeve that now adorns her right arm.
  • “The hardest part is coming up with a design that is meaningful,” Lynn says.

why are tattoos a bad idea

This makes it even more important to seriously weigh the pros and cons before heading to the tattoo parlor. Despite the improved safety of tattoos, it’s important to work with an experienced tattoo artist at a reputable shop to reduce your risk of side effects. Proper aftercare on your part is also important to reduce scarring and other risks.

Now, there is a reason why it is so essential for you to recognize and treat the swelling and itching of your hand tattoo. Moreover, the ink doesn’t fix in the skin as easily on the hands, so fading is a greater risk. This might mean the artist will apply some extra work to the area or that you will need to get touch ups in the future. Hand tattoos are listed by many to be among the more painful tattooing experiences. Hands have a very high number of nerve endings and are vital parts of your body’s interaction with the world. Again, this explanation has nothing to do with addiction and everything to do with self-identity and passion.

  • Magnetic resonance imaging     (MRI) An imaging technique to visualize soft, internal organs, like the brain, muscles, heart and cancerous tumors.
  • Whether it’s because you haven’t had a chance to think it through or don’t know your tattoo artist, take your time and ask yourself if you’re in a season of life when a tattoo isn’t the best idea.
  • Distort     (n. distortion) To change the shape or image of something in a way that makes it hard to recognize, or to change the perception or characterization of something (as to mislead).

If you haven’t researched your tattoo artist or studio, you’ve made a mistake

And these reactions aren’t the only problems that can arise from a tattoo. Those created with metal inks can interfere with an MRI scan. Short for magnetic resonance imaging, doctors use these scans to look inside the body.

Pros and Cons of Hand Tattoos

Carbon     The chemical element having the atomic number 6. It is an important part of coal, limestone and petroleum, and is capable of self-bonding, chemically, to form an enormous number of chemically, biologically and commercially important molecules. “We use a laser with two different wavelengths [of light],” says Heather Swenson. She is the co-owner of Revitalift Aesthetic Center in Lincoln, Neb. Different wavelengths work better at destroying different colors of ink, she explains. Annabelle Townsend of Maple Grove, Minn. celebrated her eighteenth birthday with a trip to the tattoo shop.

More Must-Reads from TIME

The strong magnet in the MRI machine can heat the metal in the tattoo ink. Although it’s not usually a problem, such heating can sometimes cause burns. Tattoos also can distort the image created by the machine. That’s not to say people with tattoos should avoid MRIs if their doctors say they need them. But they do need to tell their doctors about any tattoos. The tattoo has to do with the inner world of the still incomplete subject, which in drug addicts is even more fragmentary, ending with the offer of the illusory belief of self-efficacy of a solid internal LOC.

  • All of them participated in the study on a voluntary basis and had their anonymity preserved.
  • You wouldn’t undergo surgery with a surgeon you’d never met, so don’t do the same with your tattoo artist.
  • She’s been working in the industry since 2012 and has become known for her line work and black-ink designs.
  • Breaking into the skin and causing this inflammation could lead to “malignant transformation.” Dr. Joyce believes that while tattoos do not cause skin cancer, they could put those already at risk in danger.

why are tattoos a bad idea

Tattoos are a form of a very old tradition and in today’s date, it is more popular and socially acceptable than ever. A proof that prehistoric people knew and practised tattooing are tools that were discovered in France, Portugal, and Scandinavia, and are at least 12,000 years old. I can see why the idea of addiction would appeal to someone feeling ambivalent about adding another tattoo, since addiction could mean there’s a strong, even irresistible psychophysiological force at work. That could help to rationalize a positive decision that you really wanted to make anyway. Or alternatively, the idea of addiction might reinforce a negative choice by giving you a significant challenge to resist. Elisheba Mrozik is a tattoo artist at Queen Bee Ink in Nashville.