As the popularity and acceptance of tattoos rise, the frequency in which a chemical sensitivity associated to the ink increases as well. Professional sports athletes have been decorating their bodies in tattoos for years now. Of the thousands of athletes who use their bodies as a canvas, have there been any to experience a sensitivity to chemicals in the ink before?
In a recent ESPN.com article by Tom Haberstroh, an unnamed player in the NBA's Western Conference was said to have an allergy to tatto ink. This playerEUR(TM)s chemical allergy was discovered by a blood test, which looks for sensitivities to various foods and chemicals. Those who have a sensitivity to chemicals used in tattoo ink should know of the six potential skin reactions associated with tattoo ink.
Acute Inflammatory Reactions: This form of reaction is an expected side effect of having a tattoo done. Generally this type of reaction only lasts for two to three weeks. It is caused by the physical tissue injury the epidermis encounters when being pierced by dye-laced needles.
Eczematous Hypersensitivity Reactions: There are two hypersensitivity reactions to tattoo pigments which are quite common. Allergic contact dermatitis and photoallergic dermatitis both generally appear in the form of an inflamed red rash. On some occasions this red rash may be scaly and flaky, this type of reaction is known as exfoliative dermatitis. Red tattoo inks made from mercury sulfide or cinnabar, are known to cause majority of these reactions when compared to other color inks.
Photo-Aggravated Reactions: When exposed to sunlight, yellow tattoos are at risk for having a hypersensitive reaction. The cause? Cadmium sulfide. Most popular for creating yellow tattoo inks, it is used to brighten up red tattoo inks as well. Cadmium sulfide is a light-sensitive material used in photoelectric cells, therefore the reaction is deemed phototoxic.
Red, mercury based inks are most closely associated with granulomatous reactions. Tattoos which have cobalt (blue), chromium (green) and manganese (purple) pigments are also known to cause granulomatous reactions, albeit, much less frequently than red pigments. A granulomatous reaction is distinguishable by raised red bumps at the site of the tattoo. These red bumps caused by a foreign body reaction are made up of epithelioid cells, lymphocytes, and even some giant cells.
Lichenoid Reactions: Most responsible for lichenoid tattoo reactions is once again that pesky red ink made from mercury. This type of reaction is much less common than a eczematous hypersensitivity reactions. Generally speaking, a lichenoid reaction is restricted to only the red areas of the tattoo.
Pseudolymphomatous Reactions: A delayed hypersensitivity to a tattoo pigment may trigger a pseudolymphomatous reaction. Once again, red tattoo pigment is the main cause for a reaction such as this with very few reactions being caused by green or blue pigments. Characterized by plum or plum-red nodules or plaques, a pseudolymphomatous reaction should be clinically diagnosed.
The point of this article is not to discourage someone from going and getting tattooed. Spreading awareness of chemical sensitivities that someone may have to various pigments used in the creation of certain color inks is the goal. Looking to add a permanent piece of art to the epidermis? Consider getting a food and chemical sensitivity test before hand, there may be underlying chemical sensitivities to the colors that would be selected.
In a recent ESPN.com article by Tom Haberstroh, an unnamed player in the NBA's Western Conference was said to have an allergy to tatto ink. This playerEUR(TM)s chemical allergy was discovered by a blood test, which looks for sensitivities to various foods and chemicals. Those who have a sensitivity to chemicals used in tattoo ink should know of the six potential skin reactions associated with tattoo ink.
Acute Inflammatory Reactions: This form of reaction is an expected side effect of having a tattoo done. Generally this type of reaction only lasts for two to three weeks. It is caused by the physical tissue injury the epidermis encounters when being pierced by dye-laced needles.
Eczematous Hypersensitivity Reactions: There are two hypersensitivity reactions to tattoo pigments which are quite common. Allergic contact dermatitis and photoallergic dermatitis both generally appear in the form of an inflamed red rash. On some occasions this red rash may be scaly and flaky, this type of reaction is known as exfoliative dermatitis. Red tattoo inks made from mercury sulfide or cinnabar, are known to cause majority of these reactions when compared to other color inks.
Photo-Aggravated Reactions: When exposed to sunlight, yellow tattoos are at risk for having a hypersensitive reaction. The cause? Cadmium sulfide. Most popular for creating yellow tattoo inks, it is used to brighten up red tattoo inks as well. Cadmium sulfide is a light-sensitive material used in photoelectric cells, therefore the reaction is deemed phototoxic.
Red, mercury based inks are most closely associated with granulomatous reactions. Tattoos which have cobalt (blue), chromium (green) and manganese (purple) pigments are also known to cause granulomatous reactions, albeit, much less frequently than red pigments. A granulomatous reaction is distinguishable by raised red bumps at the site of the tattoo. These red bumps caused by a foreign body reaction are made up of epithelioid cells, lymphocytes, and even some giant cells.
Lichenoid Reactions: Most responsible for lichenoid tattoo reactions is once again that pesky red ink made from mercury. This type of reaction is much less common than a eczematous hypersensitivity reactions. Generally speaking, a lichenoid reaction is restricted to only the red areas of the tattoo.
Pseudolymphomatous Reactions: A delayed hypersensitivity to a tattoo pigment may trigger a pseudolymphomatous reaction. Once again, red tattoo pigment is the main cause for a reaction such as this with very few reactions being caused by green or blue pigments. Characterized by plum or plum-red nodules or plaques, a pseudolymphomatous reaction should be clinically diagnosed.
The point of this article is not to discourage someone from going and getting tattooed. Spreading awareness of chemical sensitivities that someone may have to various pigments used in the creation of certain color inks is the goal. Looking to add a permanent piece of art to the epidermis? Consider getting a food and chemical sensitivity test before hand, there may be underlying chemical sensitivities to the colors that would be selected.
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