Tattoo-Taboo

GSimms, December 15, 2008
FYI-Health and Wellness

At the risk of being tagged as an old, crotchety, completely uncool and out-of-touch has been, I'm willing to stand on top of my box and say unequivocally that those who cherish their good health should avoid the idea of earning cool points with a tattoo.

Before presenting the facts about the negative effects of body art, I personally find it disturbing to turn on my television to watch an NBA Basketball game and see a menagerie of skilled and finely conditioned athletes who look more like bad works of art running up and down the court--and all of this for the sake of what they consider as cool. Even more disturbing to me as a Black man in this country, body markings in America (albeit branding) was a form of identification and proof of ownership, yet today, countless of our young folks volunteer to identify themselves as not being given to rational decision making.

How's that for ownership and fraternal inclusion.

So, here is the skinny on tats.

The word Tattoo comes from the Tahitian word "Tatu", which is an indelible mark or design fixed upon the body by the insertion of pigment under the skin.

Today, the process is done using a Rapid-Injection-Electrical device that rapidly punctures the dermal layer of skin to produce designs while applying indelible coloring.

This article has nothing to do with my personal philosophies (already stated); however, the intent is really to approach this from the health and wellness perspective.

One's decision to do this should be accompanied with the responsible willingness to assure that the artist follows the standard precautions that protect general health. Those precautions would include utilization of an autoclave or medical sterilization machine. Needles should be individually packaged, sealed and dated.

Now this is where things get a little sticky--no pun intended.

Tattoo inks are made of dyes that are composed of a range of metals--most of which are toxic (poisonous) and have horrid effects to the body and health. In the tattooing process, these substances are introduced to the body via a direct pathway to and through the blood system.

The red dyes contain cinnabar--the principal ore of mercury, a highly toxic metallic element. One of the more immediate impacts is that it can cause bodily hypersensitivity. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), high or concentrated exposures can cause skin rashes, dermatitis, mood swings, memory loss, mental disturbances and muscle weakness.

The yellow dyes contain cadmium--another highly toxic metallic element. Resembling tin, it is used to make other metallic substances. The cadmium introduced to the body through the application of yellow pigment or dye accumulates in the kidneys. Because it takes an inordinate period of time for this accumulation to leave the body, it can cause kidney damage. Additionally, it can cause diarrhea, stomach problems, bone fracture, reproductive problems, damage to the immune and central nervous systems, psychological disorders and possibly cancer development.

The darker pigments or dyes provide no escape from possible peril. In addition to making it more difficult to detect melanoma or even skin cancer, there is a range of infections associated with tattooing.

High fevers, puss leakage from the healing area and red streaks that extend from the tattoo are minor. The more dangerous and life altering infections include the relatively high incidence (according to some of the research available) of Hepatitis C.

Well, is it worth walking down this wild-side road?

Those who do will provide an assortment of justifications in an attempt to dispel or allay the fears of those considering walking that path. Others will say, "yada, yada, yada" and so forth and so on about personal choice and of course, the proverbial, "it's all about fun."

But seriously, our environment puts us at risk enough for life altering experiences. Does it really make sense to choose to walk a pathway that is proven to create risk factors that while personal are debilitating and avoidable?