One of the oldest creative expressions of a person that arose almost from the moment of its existence was the practice of decorating your body - a tattoo. In various periods of civilization, these signs were considered a symbol of belonging to a clan, a certain circle of the elect, served as decoration, endowed with magical power and were associated with initiation rites. Today, tattoos are popular all over the world, they are much simpler and do not always have any meaning. Most often these are interesting and beautiful pictures decorating the body.
Many people have at least one tattoo on their body, especially on its parts hidden by clothing. But are such drawings so safe as it seems at first glance? If you do not take into account the risk of infection with various infections if sterility is not observed during application, one more important point remains - an allergy to a tattoo.
Causes of occurrence
Could there be an allergy to tattoos? The cause of this condition is often the process of tattooing itself. The skin of people has a varying degree of sensitivity. One person after this event remains slightly noticeable redness, which disappears after a few hours. Another may have a severe inflammatory process that can last for several weeks.
Of course, the main reason is an allergy to tattoo inks. They often provoke the occurrence of an allergic reaction. This happens for the following reasons:
- Expired dyes are used.
- Compounds containing chemical compounds such as mercury, cobalt, cadmium and chromium are used.
- As a working composition, natural dyes, for example, henna, were used. Tattoo allergy to this substance is most often manifested in young girls and adolescents.
How to determine?
Signs of an allergic reaction of the body:
- Local type - redness and peeling of the skin, itching of various degrees, rash (up to sores and blisters), swelling, pain at the place of tattooing.
- The general type is itching in the eyes, lacrimation, cough, runny nose, swelling of the mucous membranes, fever, diarrhea, Quincke's edema.
Symptoms of an allergy arising from dyes may not appear immediately, but only a month or even a year after the tattoo is applied. This is due to the sensitivity of the coloring pigment to high temperatures. A photo of an allergy to a tattoo clearly shows the body's ability to respond to foreign substances.
Who should not get tattoos?
Contraindications for tattooing:
- Permanent - diabetes mellitus, poor blood coagulation, oncological diseases, neoplasms, growing scarring, an increase in the number of moles, HIV and hepatitis virus infections, persistent allergic reactions, a history of anaphylactic shock, and increased sensitivity to cosmetics and household chemicals.
- Temporary - a cold, fever, exacerbation of chronic diseases, various skin diseases, temporary allergic reactions, intoxication, menstruation, pregnancy, breastfeeding, a general decrease or violation of immunity.
Immediately before a tattoo session, you should not take alcohol, coffee, energy. It is not recommended to attend a tattoo session hungry or not enough sleep.
Drug treatment for an allergic reaction
If you are allergic to tattoos, you must always consult a dermatologist to prescribe the appropriate treatment. The main method of therapy is the use of antihistamines (Suprastin, Tavegil, Claritin, Diazolin, Loratadin).
In more severe cases, symptoms resort to hormonal treatment. It should be borne in mind that such therapy can only be prescribed by a doctor.
Usually, it is not necessary to use systemic agents such as syrups and drops. But if the general symptoms are manifested quite strongly, you can use any drugs that are widely represented on the pharmaceutical market, before that, carefully reading the instructions for use.
Fresh Tattoo Care
If the place where the tattoo is applied peels and itches, the optimal treatment will be ointments, which include glucocorticoids and antibiotics (Pimafukort, Futsidin), as well as wound healing creams (Bepanten). They will help quickly relieve itching and irritation.
They can also be used to prevent secondary infection of wounds that remain after the introduction of paint under the skin. This is a very relevant point, because the causative agents of many infectious diseases - streptococci and staphylococci - constantly live on human skin, which is a natural barrier to infection. And in case of violation of the integrity of the skin during tattooing, they can easily penetrate the body and cause abscess inflammation. Some of these ointments are also active against viruses and fungi.
Tattoo removal
In rare cases, to increase the effectiveness of treatment and termination of the action of the allergen, it is necessary to completely remove the tattoo. This is much more painful than applying it.
Various methods are used to remove the tattoo:
- Excision of the skin. In this case, the tattoo is removed immediately, but scars remain.
- Cryosurgery - removal with liquid nitrogen. A rather painful method when a tattooed area of the skin is frozen. In two or three days he will fall away.
- Electrocoagulation - cauterization by electrodes using high-frequency current. The scab formed at the burn site disappears after seven to ten days.
- Dermabrasion or skin resurfacing - the layers of the epidermis with coloring pigment are gradually scraped off with a diamond cutter. This procedure has to be carried out several times, while the integrity of the skin is violated, which is an additional risk factor for the infection to enter the body.
- Laser removal is the most effective and modern method that allows you to erase a tattoo even from deep layers of the skin without affecting unpainted areas.
Allergy to a tattoo. How to treat folk methods?
You can deal with allergies to tattoos and folk remedies. The most effective is the use of chamomile, sage, mint and a string. Decoctions and infusions of these herbs have antiseptic, wound healing and soothing properties.
Kalanchoe juice and cabbage leaf will help with skin irritation. A bath with Ledum infusion contributes to its healing as soon as possible. Dill juice removes redness and relieves itching.
How to avoid allergies to tattoos?
Rejecting the intention to get a tattoo is the best prevention of an allergic reaction. But there are other methods that will help minimize the risk of an allergy to tattoos:
- Meet in advance. For two or three days, go to a consultation in a tattoo parlor, talk with the master, who will apply the drawing. Clarify his composition of the paint used for filling, its brand and manufacturer. Recall whether there has recently been an allergic reaction to household chemicals, cosmetics, and other similar products.
- Test the ink. For 72 hours, you can try the paint on yourself by applying a small amount of the dye to the skin, the use of which is planned.
- It is better to apply in the place where the tattoo will subsequently be located. It is important to carefully monitor the skin reaction. An alarming signal to cancel the procedure should be the slightest redness, irritation or swelling.
- The final test. 24 hours before the procedure, you need to ask the master to inject one drop of paint under the skin and control its reaction to the foreign composition.
- Take a blood test for immunoglobulins.
- Use caution with fluorescent and red inks. The tattoo they made looks very impressive, but it is the fluorescent ink that causes allergic manifestations much more often. An allergy to red tattoo is caused by a specific reaction to this dye, which is identified by the body as an infection. Preliminary skin tests are highly recommended.
Conclusion
To make a tattoo or not is everyone’s decision exclusively for himself, because such a body decoration will remain forever. And, if the decision is made positive, it is necessary to observe several simple rules so that the tattoo does not cause problems:
- Make a tattoo only in a specialized salon with a good reputation, a trusted master, whose professionalism there is no doubt.
- Choose a paint with the most natural pigment composition.
- Before applying a tattoo, conduct trial tests.
- After application, do not sunbathe and avoid getting sea water on the tattoo.