Dear Dr. Fritz,
Good day to you. Tattoos with various designs are a fad nowadays. I would like to have one. But, I am quite scared, not just because of the pains that I am certain of – but, also of the other consequences.
Are there any health-related issues to this?
Thanks and I do hope to hear from you soon.
-Bitchy Bitch
Dear Bitchy Bitch,
Yes. Getting a tattoo is quite normal and a fad nowadays. You can see them a lot, too on celebrities. I can’t blame you if you want to have one.
Of course, there are health complications, aside from the pains and irritation – which could lead to infection. One is the risk of getting hepatitis and HIV, among others. However, you can’t get them if the needles that are used by your tattoo artist are new and disposable.
There’s also the risk of getting keloids. I had a patient before who had keloids because of a tattoo he marked on his shoulders. But, the scariest of them all – is this news about tattoos. In the first large study done in Swedish adults from 20 to 60 years old in the Swedish National Cancer Register between 2007 and 2017, tattoos were found to raise the risk for malignant lymphoma by about 20% compared with no tattoos. Tattoo ink often has carcinogens and, when they are applied to the skin, they could trigger an immunologic response.
As the study suggested that tattoo exposure was associated with an increased risk for malignant lymphoma, this could mean that more epidemiologic research is urgently needed to establish causality. But, as we wait for further studies, it is important at this time to give importance to the regulatory measures to control the chemical composition of tattoo ink.
Good luck!
-Dr. Fritz
(Dr. Fritz Legarde Espedilla is an aesthetic dermatologist, surgeon, and clinical sexologist. She is also trained in hypnotherapy and Medical Acupuncture. She has been in the broadcast media for more than a decade and has written a book based on her 15-year stint with her radio program, “Healthy is Sexy Secrets ni Dr. Fritz.”. For your questions, you may send them to Dear Dr. Fritz, c/o Sunstar-Davao Publishing Inc., Door 11, Ebro-Pelayo Building 1, Juan Luna St., Barangay 29-C, Davao City, or e-mail them to dokatlaw@gmail.com. If you don’t wish your letter to be published, we regret that we cannot answer them. Thank you for your understanding.)
