Tattooed health fanatics, listen: A recent study just discovered that most tattooed people who develop an acute reaction after a tattoo procedure also develop chronic health problems, such as swelling and infection.

In a survey of 300 tattooed people walking through New York’s Central Park, researchers found that only around 10% said they suffered noticeable reactions following the procedure. However, among those who did, six in 10 claimed they suffered severe health problems, some of which manifest themselves up to this day.

Dr. Marie Leger, a dermatologist at the New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City and co-author of the paper, says she decided to study the issue after seeing an increase in the number of patients consulting her because of problems with their tattoos.

Her paper, which was published in the journal Contact Dermatitis, claims that one in 10 people who get tattoos experience itching, swelling, redness or infection as a result of the procedure. These adverse effects even last for months or years, in most cases, though many decide to just live with these effects and avoid seeing a doctor. Regarding the study, Natural News reported:

Claiming that she actually likes tattoos, Dr. Leger still warns that people need to be aware of the risks involved, which are probably more severe than the average person assumes. Injecting any kind of unnatural substance below the skin obviously isn’t risk-free, and since getting a tattoo is largely permanent (aside from getting it professionally removed), people need to carefully consider what they’re doing to their bodies.

“Of 300 participants, 31 (10.3%) reported experiencing an adverse tattoo reaction, 13 (4.3%) reported acute reactions, and 18 (6.0%) suffered from a chronic reaction involving a specific colour lasting for >4 months,” warns the study. “This study shows that tattoo reactions are relatively common, and that further investigation into the underlying causes is merited.”

Tattoo ink may contain toxic mercury

Tattoo ink, according to Dr. Leger, is very loosely regulated in the U.S.; thus, it is susceptible to all kinds of hidden toxins that, once injected, can never be fully removed. Tattoos are actually quite similar to vaccines, as in both cases, recipients are typically unaware of what’s being injected into their bodies.

As confirmed by the Natural News Forensic Food Lab, some tattoo ink contains upwards of 6,000 parts per billion (ppb) of mercury. Other studies have also shown that tattoo ink often contains heavy metals, such as titanium, copper, chromium and iron. A 2009 study identified cadmium, cobalt, chromium and nickel in all of 13 separate ink samples from a single supplier.

“Very few countries have any regulations controlling the composition of tattoo inks,” explains the Science or not? blog.

“Most have regulations covering colourings used in foods and cosmetics. These do not apply to tattoos, but some tattoo ink suppliers make reference to such regulations to imply that their products are safe. The wide variety of pigments used and lack of regulation means there is potential for harmful consequences.”

Learn more about the components of your favorite food and products by visiting the Natural News Forensic Food Lab website:
Labs.NaturalNews.com.

Sources used:

NaturalNews.com

ScienceOrNot.net

Science.NaturalNews.com