Tattoos and piercings - what you should know
The Chinese character for «I love you» on the upper arm, a dragon on the shoulder blade, a floral pattern on the ankle - the desire to adorn one's own body with a tattoo is particularly strong among young people. This is not least due to role models such as Rihanna, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, who says he has already had more than 50 tattoos. Almost one in four 16 to 29-year-olds already has a tattoo, and almost half of all 16 to 29-year-olds like this form of body jewellery, according to a survey conducted by IfD Allensbach in 2014. Laurence Imhof, a senior physician at the dermatology clinic and head of laser medicine at Zurich University Hospital, sees that the trend continues unabated in Switzerland too.
«We don't know what the colour does to the body because there are no major studies on it.»
Felix Bross, Senior Physician at the Department of Dermatology and Venereology at the German University Medical Centre Freiburg
The popularity of tattoos is reflected in the increasing demand for the removal of these body images. «However, this is very time-consuming, painful and very expensive,» says Imhof. Tattoos are by no means harmless. A number of complications can arise when a motif is engraved. «You shouldn't forget: Every procedure is a risk.» The risk in tattooing starts with the needle. Here, the studio must place the highest value on hygiene to ensure that the customer does not become infected with hepatitis or the AIDS virus. Even if such serious transmissions do not occur, there is always a residual risk of bacteria entering the superficial but open wound and causing it to become infected. Tattoos can also cause skin diseases. «Especially if there are already diseases in the family, the mechanical stimulus of the tattoo can be a trigger and, for example, produce a new focal point of psoriasis,» explains Laurence Imhof.
Allergic reactions are common
It is not uncommon for allergic reactions to the tattoo colour to occur. It is never possible to say exactly how high the risk is beforehand. The reason: many ink manufacturers do not adhere to the legal regulations. Since 1 January 2008, regulations have been in force in Switzerland regarding the chemical and microbiological requirements as well as the declaration of the ingredients of inks used for tattoos and permanent make-up. However, as manufacturers are not required to undergo an approval procedure, there are still colours in circulation that are potentially harmful to health. The Federal Office of Public Health therefore advises choosing a tattoo parlour extremely carefully. «We don't know what the colour does to the body,» says Felix Bross, senior physician at the Department of Dermatology and Venereology at the University Hospital of Freiburg in Germany. As there have been no major studies on the subject, doctors are still unable to say what effect a tattoo has on health. Experts are debating whether there is a connection with skin cancer. One thing is clear: the colour, which is usually applied to the dermis - the middle of the three layers of skin - does not stay there. Around a third of the total amount of colour ends up in the body via the lymphatic system. «We have removed lymph nodes from tattooed people that were completely dark with colour,» says Bross. A sure sign that the colour is spreading.
Around a third of the tattooed colour ends up in the body via the lymphatic system.
According to Bross, this is particularly worrying because chemical laboratory tests on the colour composition have found carcinogenic substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), highly toxic aromatic amines and potent allergens such as nickel and cadmium. If such toxic components of the colours are carried in the lymph, they can theoretically trigger all kinds of diseases, for example in the liver or bladder; however, there are no studies on this. An often underestimated risk when deciding for or against a tattoo is personal taste. Young people cannot imagine that in three or four years' time they will find different things beautiful than they do today or that they will no longer be with the partner whose name they now want to engrave on their forearm. Not to mention the world of life and work in several decades' time. Parents should therefore always gently point out in conversations that fashion, taste and love are changeable things. «We see a lot of disappointed people here,» says Felix Bross. «Everyone should really think three or four times about whether they want to get a tattoo and, above all, realise that it's not a temporary thing that can easily be removed again if they don't like it.»
Complete removal of tattoos is usually not possible
Indeed, removing a tattoo is a major challenge for dermatologists. The theory is simple: a laser is used to shoot the colour through the skin. This is shattered into individual pigments, which the body gradually removes via the lymph and the skin. This takes several weeks. In practice, each colour requires a different wavelength and therefore a different laser. «We often don't know how the individual colours react to laser treatment. As there are so many different colour manufacturers, we have to try again and again, especially when it comes to mixed colours,» explains Bross. For this reason, a small trial treatment is carried out on each patient first. Because the doctor can never be sure exactly what the colour contains, nobody can predict how the patient will react to the laser treatment. Sometimes the laser treatment causes a colour change, i.e. the colour changes - for example from blue to black or from red to brown. The chemical composition of the colour can also change in such a way that the tattooed person suddenly has an allergic reaction. What's more, the tattoos created by professionals in the recommended reputable tattoo studios are very deep and densely engraved and often contain colour mixtures - which makes removal much more difficult. Complete removal of the tattoo is usually not possible, leaving a faded or scarred area on the skin.
Help from experts only
Nevertheless, if you want to have your tattoo removed, you should definitely seek the help of experts. Many non-medical institutions also offer to remove the jewellery they have applied. To do this, they inject highly concentrated lactic acid into the painted skin to remove the colour pigments. Laurence Imhof from Zurich University Hospital strongly advises against this method: «It often results in extensive scarring, so even we can't save anything.» Dermabrasion, i.e. abrading the skin with special instruments, or the surgical removal of tattoos should also only be used in exceptional cases. By far the safest and most effective method is the laser.
Piercing - body protection with side effects
The piercing of body parts is just as popular as tattoos: Small metal pins are pierced through the walls of the nose, lower lips, tongue, eyebrows or nipples. But here too, experts advise caution. When piercing the hole through which the piercing is later pulled, serious nerve injuries can occur. Piercing the tongue can lead to vascular injuries, the floor of the mouth and tongue often swell in the first few days after the procedure and breathing can be impaired. «People who themselves or their family members are prone to bulging scars should be particularly careful,» says Laurence Imhof. The irritation can cause the skin to grow and form bulges. Piercings that contain cobalt or nickel often trigger allergies. Therefore, care should be taken to use high-quality material.
Removing a tattoo rarely works without faded or scarred skin.
Piercings in the mouth can damage teeth. If they bump against the teeth when talking and chewing, they attack the enamel. Small pieces can break off. Lip piercings in particular damage the gums and cause them to recede, leaving the necks of the teeth exposed. While the wearer of a simple, single-colour tattoo at least still has the chance to get rid of it completely, a piercing leaves its mark. This is because, as with an earring hole, the body closes the inner walls along the canal. If you no longer want to wear your piercing one day, you have to live with the hole. Removing it is often only possible by means of an operation: the hole is punched out, for example, and the freshly created wound edges are stitched up. A scar then remains instead of the hole. «How well this heals depends on the structure in which the piercing is located; nasal cartilage reacts differently to an upper lip,» says Freiburg dermatologist Felix Bross. Whether it's a tattoo, piercing or another form of body jewellery, anyone who wants to beautify the vital organ of the skin must be aware of this: It will be a lifelong companion.
What is body modification?
Body modification refers to the voluntary alteration of the human body through body jewellery:
- Die bekannteste Form der Body Modification ist die Tätowierung, bei der Tinte oder andere Farbmittel in die Lederhaut eingebracht werden. Sie sind dauerhaft.
- Anders verhält es sich bei Mehndi, der Körperbemalung mit Henna. Hier gelangt die Farbe lediglich in die obere Hautschicht, nach zwei bis drei Wochen verblasst das Tattoo. Wichtig: Viele Henna-Anbieter mischen der Farbe das Haarfärbemittel PPD bei. Das ist billig und verkürzt die normalerweise sechs bis acht Stunden dauernde Einwirkzeit des Hennas erheblich. Aber PPD kann schwere allergische Reaktionen auslösen und zu irreparablen Haut- und Leberschäden führen.
- Beim Piercing wird stäbchen- oder ringförmiger Schmuck durch ein gestochenes Loch durch die Haut und das darunterliegende Gewebe angebracht.
- Von Scarification oder Skarifizierung spricht man, wenn der Haut künstliche Narben zur Zierde zugefügt werden.
- Geschieht das mittels Schnittwunden, nennt man das Cutting, werden Brandmale erzeugt, nennt man das Branding.
- Eine weitere Möglichkeit sind kleine Metallplatten mit Gewinde, die unter die Haut implantiert werden. Das Gewinde bleibt an der Oberfläche sichtbar, hier können verschiedene Schmuckaufsätze angebracht werden. Diese Variation heisst Transdermals, kleine und daher schneller verheilende Implantate nennt man Microdermals.
Three tips for parents
- Wollen sich Minderjährige tätowieren oder piercen lassen, brauchen sie die Zustimmung beider Eltern. Das heisst auch: Eltern haben ein Vetorecht.
- Bevor Sie davon Gebrauch machen, sollten Sie sich mit dem Wunsch Ihres Kindes auseinandersetzen und erklären, was gegen ein Tattoo spricht. Wichtiges Argument: Der Körper wächst und formt sich noch, so dass sich das Tattoo noch verändern kann und später nicht mehr aussieht wie angedacht.
- Steht die Entscheidung für ein Tattoo, konsultieren Sie einen Hautarzt und informieren sich über das Risiko einer allergischen Reaktion Ihres Kindes. Wählen Sie gemeinsam ein Tätowierstudio aus. Weitere Informationen Das Bundesamt für Lebensmittelsicherheit und Veterinärwesen hat wichtige Tipps zu Tattoos und Piercings zusammengestellt.
How can I recognise a good tattoo studio?
- High hygiene standards.
- Friendly staff who take the time to explain things and are fine with you going home without a tattoo after your first visit so that you can think about it again in peace.
- The rooms should be bright, tidy and smoke-free, and the cleanliness should be reminiscent of a doctor's surgery.
- Working with gloves and disposable needles is a matter of course.
- The tattooist should provide information about possible risks and allergies without being asked, preferably in writing, and provide information about the origin and composition of their colours.
- Minors are only tattooed with the written authorisation of both parents.
- A reputable studio will provide detailed information on how to care for the new body jewellery in the first few weeks.
