Tattoos

A tattoo is a form of body modification in which a pattern is produced by injecting dyes, pigments, and ink, either temporary or permanent, into the skin's dermis coating to alter the color. Permanent tattoos are produced by injecting pigment into the skin's epidermal-dermal junction with a needle (DeMello, 2014). The immune system then destroys the pigment, allowing it to lodge in fibroblast cells and macrophages, resulting in the desired coloration. Tattoos are becoming more acceptable in today's world, and different people get tattoos for different reasons. By 2010, it was estimated that 40% of people aged 18 to 40 years old had tattoos (DeMello, 2014). The pigment is then attacked by the immune system making it settle in the fibroblast cells and macrophages hence producing the desired coloration. The existence of tattoos in the current world is becoming more acceptable and different people put tattoos for different reasons. By 2010, it was approximate that 40 percent of individuals between 18 and 40 years had tattoos (DeMello, 2014). The increasing popularity of body drawing is due to magazines, television shows, sports icons, and celebrities. Despite the amplified fame of tattoos, they have both medical and practical disadvantages.

Medical Disadvantages

Infection Risks

Tattoos amplify the chances of getting infections that can require several months or years of treatment while others such as HIV may not be cured. Infections during the process of tattooing can originate from varying sources such as the ink and the artist. In 2012, a small epidemic of skin disease happened in New York, and its source was from the grey ink that was contaminated by the mycobacterium (Serup & Bäumler, 2017). Even if bacterial diseases are common types of contamination linked with body drawing, one can get viral and fungal infections as well as warts. The reuse of the tattooing needle may cause severe ailments like hepatitis and HIV. When a person is inked, he or she remains in pain and the site can get infections due to the injuries caused to the tissue.

Skin Health

The tattoo areas can be infected even when the sterile needle is used because the pathogens might be with the artist or in ink. The skin health is affected leading to swelling, pain and red rashes (Serup, Kluger, & Bäumler, 2015). Body drawings increase the chances of suffering from the impacts of too much exposure to sunlight. The yellow ink leads to raised skin, redness and itching when exposed to sunlight due to the presence of cadmium. Besides, a bruise can appear if the blood vessel is damaged when tattooing hence interfering with the skin health. In some cases, a bump known as granuloma may form around the image ink as well as keloids which are raised regions due to the overgrowth of the scar (Serup et al., 2015). The dyes used to draw the image particularly color blue, yellow, green and red may cause an allergic reaction leading to the itchy rash at the site of tattoo even after years of insertion. People who had no allergic responses during the first tattoos can develop an allergy at the third or second drawings. Putting a tattoo when one is pregnant poses health risks for both the baby and mother. The tattooing process is stressful which is not suitable for the pregnant mother and the chemicals in ink can be moved to the child (Serup & Bäumler, 2017).

Hiding Evidence

Covering the skin with tattoos may suppress evidence for diagnosing health condition that can be managed during the early phases. Body drawings have shown to hinder early identification of skin tumors such as melanoma, squamous cell and basal cell carcinoma. According to the 2013 data, people who had melanoma were diagnosed after the removal of the tattoo since the cancerous growth was covered by the black pigment (Serup et al., 2015). Further, individuals with inserted inks on the skin may have issues if they require magnetic resonance imaging since the tattoo site can swell or cause burning. Also, the pigment conflicts with the quality of the picture needed hence interfering with the diagnosis.

Risk of Death

Persons who have severe medical conditions have a high risk of dying when tattooed. Some of the conditions that increase the chances of death when ink is inserted in the skin include epilepsy, heart diseases, allergies, hemophilia, and diabetes (Serup & Bäumler, 2017). Other conditions comprise of organ transplant, nursing mothers and people on blood thinners. The medication and health problems may impact the body’s capability to survive the tattooing procedure. Moreover, the ink used for drawing can cause fatal wellness complication by interfering with drugs. For instance, the medication used for acne cause hypersensitivity to the skin and even if it will not lead to death, it results in severe scarring (Serup et al., 2015).

Practical Disadvantages

Military Enlistment and Employment

Having a tattoo may decrease the chance of being employed for a profession or received in the armed forces. The noticeable tattoos oppose the character for trustworthiness and respectability in most corporations (Arp, 2012). Additionally, having a tattoo runs the chances discomfiting or offending potential colleagues at the workplace or in the forces. Moreover, individuals who have tattoos have high chances of being fired by the company when the process of downsizing is taking process since the drawings might be perceived to chase customers (Arp, 2012).

Stigma

Tattoos in several communities are thought to indicate dangerous and low character. People with body drawings have been known to be confused with gangs hence making them face harassment and law problems. Women can attract unlikable faction of unwanted suitors due to the tattoos since people have particular perceptions toward the permanent ink insertion in the skin (Arp, 2012). Tattooed people are considered as criminals, and violent hence the communities tend to isolate them which create stigma. According, to Christianity and Islam, tattoos are prohibited. In the Christian society, having a tattoo is seen as disrespect to God because the Bible states that one should not establish any cutting to the flesh nor print any mark (Stein & Stein, 2017). In Islam, tattoos are forbidden and can avert an individual from being at peace with Lord.

Permanence

Tattoos make the bad memories to remain in mind permanently. For instance, having a picture of the person you love makes one keep thinking about him or her even if you want to forget. Some tattoos that prove loyalty to particular gangs remain even at the late age even if you had changed or you do not want to be associated with that faction (DeMello, 2014). Tattoos embarrass the personal habits and make people think bad things about you.

Conclusion

Conclusively, tattoos are put by different people for specific reasons but have both medical and practical disadvantages. The permanent insertion of ink into the dermis has become popular in the modern world. The practical problems of tattoos include being rejected by the army and employment, stigma and permanence. The medical problems of tattoos are risks of death, allergic reactions, infections and interfering with the diagnosis of particular conditions. Before deciding if to have a permanent drawing on the skin, one must consider the chance of being disadvantaged in the society and getting medical issues.





References

Arp, R. (2012). Tattoos - Philosophy for Everyone: I Ink, Therefore I Am. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

DeMello, M. (2014). Inked: tattoos and body art around the world. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO.

Serup, J., & Bäumler, W. (2017). Diagnosis and Therapy of Tattoo Complications: With Atlas of Illustrative Cases. Basel: Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers.

Serup, J., Kluger, N., & Bäumler, W. (2015). Tattooed Skin and Health. Basel: Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers.

Stein, R., & Stein, P. L. (2017). The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis.