Inked Talk

Anyone who has ever suffered from a contact allergy knows the agony that comes with touching a nasty allergen: imagine a bad case of poison ivy, or the chicken pox, or an ugly weeping rash. Contact allergies can come from all kinds of things - certain chemicals, metals and even types of plant matter. Contact allergy symptoms begin to slow once the allergen is no longer in contact with the skin. But what happens if the allergen cannot be removed from the skin? Is it possible to be allergic to a tattoo?

The good news is that the most common allergic reaction resulting from tattooing is not related at all to the tattoo ink. Latex allergies are a common allergy, and the latex gloves used by a tattoo artist can cause a reaction in those with latex-sensitive skin. If you have a latex allergy - even if your allergy is very slight - it is a good idea to let your tattoo artist know ahead of time so that an alternative can be found. You will already be taxing your skin by getting it inked, and there is no need to compound the irritation by coupling it with a latex reaction. The prevalence of latex allergies has made non-latex gloves easy to find an inexpensive.

Another less common tattoo-related allergy is an allergy to the lotions or creams used to promote healing of the finished tattoo. A&D Ointment is a favorite among many tattoo enthusiasts to promote healing of a new tattoo, but some A&D lotions contain cod liver oil as a main ingredient. Fish and fish oil related allergies are not uncommon, and placing A&D on already irritated skin can be a bad if not downright dangerous idea if you have a fish allergy. If you are unsure about a fish allergy, there are many, many alternatives to A&D and other cod liver oil based lotions. Ask your tattoo artist what he or she recommends.

As for the tattoo ink itself, red ink seems to be the most common cause of allergic reactions, although some accounts of allergic reactions to yellow inks have been reported.

Photos of red ink allergy, as presented by Nicholas White MRCS and Gulraiz Rauf FRCS in a letter to the British Journal of Plastic Surgery:

Sadly, the options for someone with a tattoo ink allergy are limited. The tattoo can be removed, or the sufferer can simply “put up with it” and treat the affected area with lotions and creams to ease the discomfort. If you have concerns about how ink will react to your skin, talk to your tattoo artist about the ingredients in the ink he or she uses. There are a lot of broad statements on the Internet about tattoo ink but the truth is that every person is different and different tattoo artists use different inks with different ingredients. No standard answer on the Internet will be appropriate for all cases, no matter what Yahoo Answers says.

Ask questions first, and go directly to the source - the person who will be doing your tattoo - for the answers. If you still don’t feel comfortable with the possibility of an allergic reaction, then don’t get the tattoo. Simple as that.

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The Book Stacks

Not quite ready for permanent ink? Henna tattoos seem like attractive alternatives: they are much less expensive, they can look very beautiful, and they wash out in a matter of weeks. So what’s not to like?

The henna plant, Lawsonia inermis, itself is a pretty benign substance. It produces a brownish red dye and for years it has been used for body art as well as leather and fabric dying. Few people experience allergic reactions to the plant material.

Unfortunately, in an effort to produce darker colors of dye, it is not entirely unusual to see “black henna” tattoos. This “black henna” is often not henna at all. It is made with black hair dye, a substance containing para-phenylenediamine (PPD). The result is a jet-black henna-style tattoo. However, PPD is not approved for use on the skin (although for some reason it is approved for use in hair dye), and in a good percentage of the population, PPD produces a severe allergic reaction, including blistering, scarring, itching, and a permanent sensitivity to PPD and other related chemicals. Depending on the placement of the “black henna” tattoo, this kind of damage can be extremely severe and permanent. Once a sensitivity is obtained, something as simple as dying one’s hair can become life-threatening.

Permanent damage from a “black henna” tattoo:

These so-called “black henna” tattoos are found most commonly in tourist areas, and because the allergic reaction often does not show up for a few days, the “tattoo artists” using this black henna rarely see the damage that they have done to their customers.

If you are still interested in getting a henna tattoo, educate yourself first. How do you know that your artist is using pure, unadulterated henna?

* Ask. Good henna artists will be very aware of the dangers of PPD and will discuss them with you. If you don’t feel the artist is being fully honest with you, go with your gut feeling and proceed accordingly.

* Black henna will be jet black, and it will stain the skin quickly. Regular henna is more brownish and must be left on the skin for hours, or even overnight. Ask the artist how long the “henna” should be left on the skin.

* Ask how long the henna tattoo will last and what color it will be. Regular henna will last for a few weeks, but it will be brown. A PPD-adulterated substance will be jet black for longer than a week. There are some safe black “body paints,” but they only last a few days. If your artist tells you that the tattoo will be jet black and last longer than a week, you are probably dealing with a substance containing PPD.

The bottom line is: be careful. Henna tattoos can be a beautiful, temporary alternative to traditional ink, but a lifetime of medical problems and suffering aren’t worth it. Do your homework before you get a henna tattoo.

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Globally Green Living

I will be posting some fun tat facts every Friday that are interesting and that may spark some good discussion. So with no further wait, here is our first Friday Fun Facts entry:

Among Americans with tattoos, 34% said having a tattoo has made them feel sexier. Interestingly, more tattooed females (42%) feel this way than males (25%).

Additionally, those with tattoos said that having a tattoo has made them feel more rebellious (29%) while others said a tattoo makes them feel more attractive (26%). But tattoos apparently won’t do much for your intelligence or your physique, as few Americans reported that tattoos make them feel more intelligent (5%), more healthy (4%), or more athletic (3%).

Well, let’s ask the panel. How do you feel about having a tattoo? How does being tattooed empower you? Think they make you more attractive or intelligent? Think they make the opposite sex more attractive or intelligent? I’m curious so drop by and comment about what you think.

Until next time, send brownies! ( no nuts )

Tattoos, Inked, sexy, attractive, intelligent