Tattoo Risk by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

A tattoo is a mark made by inserting pigment into the skin: in technical terms, tattooing is micro-pigment implantation. Tattoos may be made on human or animal skin. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, while tattoos on animals are most often used for identification.

Tattoo Risks

During the process of getting a tattoo, the skin is pierced. The skin is one of the body's most important barriers to germs. This means you can be more susceptible to skin infections and other skin reactions. Specific tattoo risks include:

Blood-borne diseases. If the equipment used to create your tattoo is contaminated with the blood of an infected person, you can contract a number of serious blood-borne diseases. These include hepatitis C, hepatitis B, tetanus, tuberculosis and HIV — the virus that causes AIDS. Make sure that the needles are clean and germ-free.

Skin disorders. Your body may form bumps and lumps called granulomas around tattoo ink, especially if your tattoo includes red ink. Tattooing can also cause areas of raised, excessive scarring (keloids), if you're prone to them.
 

Skin infections. Tattoos can lead to local bacterial infections. Typical signs and symptoms of an infection include redness, warmth, swelling and a pus-like drainage. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked clusters of potentially serious antibiotic-resistant skin infections to unlicensed tattoo artists who don't follow proper infection-control procedures. Some antibiotic-resistant skin infections can lead to pneumonia, bloodstream infections and a painful, flesh-destroying condition called necrotizing fasciitis.
 

Allergic reactions. Tattoo dyes, particularly red dye, can cause allergic skin reactions, resulting in an itchy rash at the tattoo site. This may occur even years after you get the tattoo. Allergies to tattoo dyes is not common, but does occur.

You may not like your tattoo even if it was done well. Not liking the tattoo is the most common reason people give for having one removed. If you decide you want to get rid of a tattoo, it usually takes many treatments and costs a lot of money. Scars may form when getting or removing a tattoo.