Is tattoos safe from health point of view?

Answer 1

If you're thinking about getting a tattoo, there is one very important thing you have to keep in mind — getting it done safely. Although it might look a whole lot cooler than a big scab, a new tattoo is also a wound. Like any other slice, scrape, puncture, cut, or penetration to your skin, a tattoo is at risk for infections and disease.

First, make sure you're up to date with your immunizations (especially hepatitis and tetanus shots) and plan where you'll get medical care if your tattoo becomes infected (signs of infection include excessive redness or tenderness around the tattoo, prolonged bleeding, pus, or changes in your skin color around the tattoo).

If you have a medical problem such as heart disease, allergies, diabetes, skin disorders, a condition that affects your immune system, or infections — or if you are pregnant — ask your doctor if there are any special concerns you should have or precautions you should take beforehand. Also, if you're prone to getting keloids (an overgrowth of scar tissue in the area of the wound), it's probably best to avoid getting a tattoo altogether.

It's very important to make sure the tattoo studio is clean and safe, and that all equipment used is disposable (in the case of needles, gloves, masks, etc.) and sterilized (everything else). Some states, cities, and communities set up standards for tattoo studios, but others don't. You can call your state, county, or local health department to find out about the laws in your community, ask for recommendations on licensed tattoo shops, or check for any complaints about a particular studio.

Professional studios usually take pride in their cleanliness. Here are some things to check for:

* Make sure the tattoo studio has an autoclave (a device that uses steam, pressure, and heat for sterilization). You should be allowed to watch as equipment is sterilized in the autoclave.
* Check that the tattoo artist is a licensed practitioner. If so, the tattoo artist should be able to provide you with references.
* Be sure that the tattoo studio follows the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Universal Precautions. These are regulations that outline procedures to be followed when dealing with bodily fluids (in this case, blood).

If the studio looks unclean, if anything looks out of the ordinary, or if you feel in any way uncomfortable, find a better place to get your tattoo.


What Are the Risks?

If you decide to get a tattoo, chances are everything will go as planned. But if disinfection and sterilization steps aren't followed, there are some things you need to be aware of that can go wrong. If you don't go to a tattoo studio or the tattoo studio doesn't follow precautions like using sterilized equipment or if it shares ink between customers, you're putting yourself at risk for getting viral infections such as hepatitis, bacterial skin infections, or dermatitis (severe skin irritation).

Also, some people have allergic reactions to the tattoo ink. And if you already have a skin condition such as eczema, you may have flare-ups as a result of the tattoo.

Serious complications can result if you attempt to do a tattoo yourself, have a friend do it for you, or have it done in any unclean environment. Because tattooing involves injections under the skin, viruses such as HIV and hepatitis B and C can be transferred into your body if proper precautions aren't followed. For this reason, the American Red Cross and some other blood banks require people to wait 12 months after getting a tattoo before they can donate blood.

Answer 2

Tattoos are generally safe. It's more a matter of choosing a safe and reputable tattooist than just getting a tattoo. The FDA does not regulate tattooing, it's a state/local matter so there is always the chance of a reaction to the pigmints in the ink. Unsterile equipment can give you a disease or infection.

Answer 3

If you go to a reputable shop in good standing with the health department, there should be no issues. The artist should cover health issues that you may have, to see if you have any problems that would make a tattoo inadvisable. Most shops pride themselves on being clean and safe.

Answer 4

Tattoos are very safe if the artist knows what they are doing, has the proper training, and is skilled at what they do. Sure there are risks, but there are risks with everything you do, eat, etc. There are many minconceptions about tattoos and safety out there and a lot of urban myths that go along with them too.

Answer 5

They are safe as long as you go to a tattoo artist who knows what he is doing. ask around. talk to other people have had tattoos and ask who did their work. definatly research! make sure when you are getting a tattoo that he/she uses a new needle and gloves. remember also once you get one tattoo you will want many more LoL

Answer 6

Yes, tattoos are safe. The ink is surgical grade plastic and if done properly in a clean shop all should be fine.
Do your homework though...some shops don't play by all the blood born pathogen rules.

Answer 7

as long as you are safe and your tattoo artist is safe. whenever you go to get a tattoo your artist should remove everything from a package that is sealed and sterile. they should wear gloves and clean your skin before they start tattooing.

after that it is your job to keep yourself healthy. you have to put whatever they tell you to put on it and you have to avoid things, like standing water. you can't go diving off into a lake two days after you get a tattoo. i would almost gurantee that you would get an infectoin of some sort.

having said all of that, i have a lot of friends who have a lot of tattoos and none of them have ever gotten sick or infected from a tattoo.

Answer 8

They are only as safe as the tattooist - and how clean the shop is. You must check out the shop - needles should be taken out of unopened packages etc.. gloves should be warn etc...

Answer 9

technically there are risk ink poisening but besides health picture your 80 year old grandfather with a faded tatoo of a halfnaked women both views have there ups and downs

Answer 10

I wouldn't go for them...am scared of needles and the infections they cause, time to heal etc...