Permanent tattoos are generated from a multitude of needle pricks depositing ink into the dermis layer, an area rich with blood vessels and nerves. Macrophages are immune cells that form in response to an infection-- tattoos are a type of infection as the ink is a foreign thing invading the body-- removing the majority of the deposited ink outside of the fibroblasts or macrophages. The ink that is trapped inside the fibroblasts and macrophages are what provide the color we see on people. Unfortunately, the macrophages do not remove all of the ink deposited that is not trapped within the fibroblasts or macrophages, some of that ink travels through the blood vessels.
After noticing pigmentation in the lymph nodes of patients with tattoos during biopsies a group of researchers decided to analyze the lymph nodes of six cadavers, four having tattoos and the others not. The cadavers without tattoos acted as a type of control against those that did. The scientist noticed that when deposited ink is broken down into nanoparticles the particles are able to travel through to the lymph nodes, leaving them pigmented. The researcher noted that carbon black which is a common ingredient in tattoo ink is able to easily break down into the nano-particles that were found in the lymph node. One of the exceptions they found to the nanoparticle assumption was titanium dioxide which is found in white pigmented tattoo ink. Titanium dioxide does not readily break down to nano-particles but was still found in the lymph nodes of the cadavers among other heavy metals.
More tests have been done with tattooed mice which indicated that the pigmentation from tattoos can additionally travel to the liver. The researchers for these tests stated that the same effects will not necessarily accumulate in humans as the physiology of mice is different, namely the density of their skin. The researchers do question how the implementation of tattoo ink effects the body, with current research suggesting a correlation between enlarged lymph nodes and blood clotting. There have not yet been any long-term studies conducted that definitively state whether the traveling of tattoo ink is harmful.
https://www.livescience.com/60503-tattoo-ink-body.html
http://tophealthnews.net/this-is-what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-get-a-tattoo/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-11721-z
We live in a day and age where tattoos are become more popular and widely accepted. I had no idea that the ink could enter the blood stream and cause negative effects on the body, especially the lymph nodes and liver. Reading this post caused me too look into more unknown effects tattoos could have on the body. I found that one in four people who receive a tattoos will contract a bacterial infection at the site due to unsterile techniques and low regulation on the components in the ink (Lauz et al., 2015). This is concerning and more research must be done in order to better understand the effects tattoos are having on people. That being said, until more information is found, I don't believe people should stop getting tattoos, but there needs to be more education to people considering a tattoo.
ReplyDeleteLaux P, Tralau T, Tentschert J, Blume A, Dahouk SA, Bäumler W, Bernstein E, Bocca B, Alimonti A, Colebrook H, de Cuyper C. 2015. A Medical-Toxicological View of Tattooing. The Lanclet. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60215-X
As someone with tattoos I'm always interested in reading new scientific findings about tattoos. I'm curious if similar results have been found in vegan tattoo inks. Most tattoo inks contain bone char, glycerin from animal fat, gelatin from hooves, or shellac from beetles. In the U.S. the Food and Drug Administration has the authority to regulate inks, but is not currently doing so. It is vital to consider possible long-term side-effects, such as accumulation in organs and lymph nodes. The skin is integral in protecting the body from infection, thus, we need to better understand how ink can be seen as a foreign substance in our body.
ReplyDelete