What are the health risks of getting a tattoo?
2 min read
“Tattooing exposes people not only to the ink in the tattoo but also the risks associated with needle use.
There is a risk that hepatitis C can be passed on via tattooing needles that are not properly sterilized, and links have been made between hepatitis C and increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphomaTrusted Source.
Insofar as blood cancer risk is concerned, Nielsen told MNT that a few viruses were a possible cause of lymphoma but, she opined, ”Swedish tattooists are very well educated in terms of safety and hygiene, so I don’t think that can explain our results.”
No need to worry, best to be aware of tattooing risks
The study authors were keen to point out that tattoo popularity had increased in the early 2000s. In fact, Nielsen has even publicly stated that most of her research team has tattoos.
This increased popularity meant that about 20% of Europeans had tattoos and up to 30% of Americans had tattoos. The fact that many people got tattoos at a young age meant that people were exposed to the ink in them over a lifetime. However, the impact they could have on health had not been adequately scrutinized.Nielsen said:
“It is important to keep in mind that lymphoma is a very rare disease, and that the 21% increase relates to a baseline risk that is very low. However, I would like to highlight that tattooed individuals should be aware that tattoos might have adverse health effects, and that you should seek medical care if you experience any symptoms that you think may be tattoo-related. “
“We have done parallel studies on two types of skin cancers (malignant melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma) that will be published shortly. We are also about to start new studies to investigate if tattoos also increase the risk of other diseases of the immune system, such as thyroid disease and rheumatoid arthritis,” Nielsen also told us.”
NOTE: Umuaka Times is not the owner of this story.
