Tattoos: risks and preventive measures

Tattoos: risks and preventive measures
To become a tattoo is a as valid decorative option as any other, but it is important to have precaution, to choose the establishment and the professional well and to know clearly that it is for all the life, because to eliminate it can be complicated and expensive.

1. Risks
2. Preventive measures
2.1. Black Henna: advised against by the allergic reactions
3. Precautions after the tattoo
4. Contraindications of the tattoo
5. Elimination with laser

1. Risks

Allergies. The tattoos are responsible for numerous allergic reactions.

The tattoo is a corporal decorative reason or face, of permanent character, more and more it frequents between the young people and it must take control of precaution to avoid disagreeable surprises.

What can mean a fashionable sign, from esthetic identity or can be relatively dangerous if the risks are not valued nor are followed the preventive measures and of hygienic security that the specialists have settled down.

The most frequent risks are the cutaneous infections, viral infections, allergies and, even, the transmission of diseases by hematógenas routes:

- Local cutaneous Infections. They are those that take place when the microorganism penetrates through the skin. They can be bacterial and microbacterial. The bacterial ones are most common and they take place as much for want of personal hygiene as of the professional who realize the tattoo, as well as of the used material or the later hygiene. Besides avoiding them, if they happen, they must treat correctly to prevent that they extend to other zones of the body.

- Viral Infections. Example of this type of infections is the viral warts or the simple herpes.

- Transmission of diseases by hematógena route. When the microorganism penetrates through the blood, wounded? they take place this type of infections. The diseases most common in these cases are the tuberculosis, tetanus, syphilis, hepatitis B, C and D, and of much more sporadic form the infection by HIV. In order to prevent this situation, we must make sure that the center and the personnel they fulfill the regulation.

- The tattoos are responsible for numerous allergic reactions. The red color is the conflicting one because it contains iron oxides and sandalwood organic wood pigments that when introducing itself in the dermis, bring about a reaction that gradually affects the zone of the tattoo.

The red red is most problematic but not unique it. The rest also has allergens: blue and the black ones, with Chinese red and coal contain parafenilendiamina; the green ones, potassium dichromate and the brown ferric hydrate. The yellow even can cause in some usuary fotodermatitis, when the pigment is exhibited to the solar light.

Due to the resulting incidences of the pigmentation of the skin, most recommendable it is than the professional who realizes the tattoo practices a test of allergy of those components that she will use in the tattoo.

She is one tries simple that consists of the application of a patch in the back with the allergen that will use. It is let act during 48 hours and the tattoo will be only made in case any reaction does not arise.

The red allergies not only occur in the permanent tattoos. Also they can appear in the semi-permanent ones, in that the vegetal pigment use as henna has been reason for contact dermatitis.

This type of tattoos consists of the application of natural pigments on the most superficial layer of the skin without needing needles reason why, in principle, it does not seem aggressive.

The problem arises when parafenilendiamina is added to him, coloring pertaining to the chemical group azodye, very used as it tints capillary, that is mixed with henna so that behind schedule less in impregnating itself in the skin.

This substance brings about an inflammatory reaction that gets to leave a scar or what is called inverted tattoo, that is to say, clarifies the zone where the tattoo with henna became. The specialists warn more and more of the indirect effect of this type of tattoos.

2. Preventive measures

At the moment, the practice of tattoos is regulated by the Ministry of Health and the Independent Communities. The norm (of year 2003) picks up the sanitary conditions hygienic that must respect the dedicated centers to realize tattoos, piercing and micropigmentation, in a matter of utensils and substances that are used for this technique.

- Local

It must meet all the hygienic conditions regulated by each independent community, between which are the ventilation, cleaning and daily disinfection, prohibition of animal entrance, equipment with medicine kit?

- Personal

It is essential that the personnel of these establishments is trained and preparation to inform to the person interested in becoming a tattoo on the later contraindications and hygienic measures.

Before tattooing, it must realize an exploration to make sure that the client is not in any of the situations by which the tattoo is contraindicated. In addition, he is advisable that tests of allergy to discard possible skin reactions.

The norm demands the professional to be vaccinated against hepatitis B and tetanus to avoid contagions to the clients.

- Utensils

They must be made up of inert and nontoxic ingredients to prevent the allergic irritation or reactions. He is preferable that is disposable. In his defect, they must be correctly sterilized.

- Election of the zones for the tattoo

At the time of deciding where hacerte the tattoo, ten in account that the most problematic zones are the part superior of arms and back because they are more susceptible of formation of queloideas scars, in which the skin grows towards outside. Both are zones that present/display major complication, as much in the accomplishment of the tattoo like in their elimination by laser.

2.1. Black Henna: advised against by the allergic reactions

The Spanish Agency of Medecines and Productos Sanitarios (AEMPS), employee of the Ministry of Health and Consumption, has advised to avoid the use of tattoos of henna black before the allergic reactions brought about by this coloring substance.

Thus, henna black, unlike the natural one, incorporates coloring like the p-fenilendiamina or PPD, that can produce diverse allergic reactions – like picores, reddening, spots, blisters and, even, permanent bleaching of the skin and scars in the decorated zone, and whose direct use on the skin “is prohibited”, according to the AEMPS in an official notice remembers.

In addition, the people who use these tattoos can be “permanently sensitized” and to develop “a picture of allergic dermatitis by contact”, since eccemas produced in these cases can require urgent medical attention and until hospitalization.

The AEMPS also warns on the risks that it involves not to go to specialized centers since he is habitual his application in beaches, fairs and other events outdoors.

By all these reasons, this organism sends a series of recommendations to differentiate henna black from the natural one: they own different colors – brown greenish against intense black and duration – henna natural lasts between three or four days whereas the black more than one week. Also, with respect to the necessary time of application, henna natural needs to be on the skin several hours to fix the tattoo whereas henna black pays attention to one hour.

3. Precautions after the tattoo

Picor. If the person noticed some reaction by the tattoo like picor, costritas or some rare symptom, she must go immediately to the dermatologist.

The hygienic measures once fact the tattoo are very simple but they must be made to avoid infections well. The zone will be washed with water and soap and will be dried with a gauze. Immediately later the antibiotic cream is applied.

At least during one week, he is preferable that does not set out the zone to the sun, especially if have been used yellow pigments.

If the person noticed some reaction by the tattoo like picor, costritas or some rare symptom, she must go immediately to the dermatologist because she can be being developed to a eczema of contact or an infection.

The patients must request a report where they appear the different used pigments. In this way, to facilitate the work of the dermatologists in case of allergic reaction.

The tattoos in hidden zones suppose a risk in case of accident. If the person has an emergency incident or situation in which there is to take part, he is recommendable that the doctors know this detail because certain utensils exist, like the electrical bistoury, which they can produce burns in contact sites.

4. Contraindications of the tattoo

- Minor. The juniors must go accompanied of an adult responsible for them. A written authorization is needed the father or tutor.

- Pregnancy.

- Dermatosis infectious active: viral warts, bacterial herpes, infections because it is possible to be extended.

- Cutaneous Dermatosis with isomorphism, like the psoriasis, lichen?

- History of queloideas scars.

- When one is with anticoagulating treatment or the person has some upheaval of the coagulation since she can bleed much.

- If they are taking themselves or they have taken themselves retinoides oral, very used against the acne. The person whom there is been with this treatment will have to hope 6 months or a year to be able to become a tattoo, because she can undergo a cutaneous reaction.

5. Elimination with laser

Until it does few years, did not exist no effective technique that could clear the tattoo. The unique solution was operations that left scar enough.

At the moment with the exclusive laser to clear tattoos, the practice has been simplified but it has been still a complex and expensive process. The laser crosses the superficial zone of the skin and is absorbed by the pigment of the tattoo.

The initial luminous energy trasforma in acoustic slings that break them pigment fragments and them. These resulting fragments are absorbed by the organism doing to disappear the color without leaving scar. Six or eight sessions like minimum are needed, separated in intervals of month, month and a half.

The majority of laser for tattoos only absorbs black and blue the colors. In order to eliminate the other colors, a more sophisticated laser is needed.

The interested ones must be conscious that a tattoo is for all the life because to clear them is expensive and not always the result is the awaited one. There are cases in which it remains a shade with something of pigment.