by Rachel Mcclain

Created on: January 22, 2008

Aside from the woozy feeling you may wake up with in the morning, and the regret you may feel twenty years later when you look down at your arm and realize that no, you do not actually still love "Todd Forever," tattooing is actually fairly safe when it is done in a regulated and hygienic shop. Still, there is a small risk of your being one of the marginally small number of people who has an allergic reaction to one of the dyes used in the tattoos or to one of the materials used in the shop.

DYES
Tattooing is done by inserting pigment into the skin with dye. Dyes and pigments can be made from a wide range of organic and inorganic materials, including titanium and iron oxides, carbon black, azo dyes, acridine, quinoline, phthalocyanine and naphtol derivates and dyes made from ash.

It is uncommon for people to be allergic to the pigmentation in the dyes of the tattoos. There is a small population of people who can be allergic to certain brands of red and green dye. For those who are fearful of this, tattooists can perform a small patch test.
Recognizing a reaction to a dye allergy is fairly straightforward. Your tattoo will itch and swell far more than normal healing and will begin oozing a clear fluid called sebum.

LATEX
The most common allergen in any shop is latex. People who are allergic to latex can be as minimally sensitive as to sniffle a bit when exposed to gloves or as highly sensitive as to go into anaphylaxis when exposed to the dust from a pair of gloves already discarded. The range of symptoms varies, as does the window for symptoms to present themselves. A person having a reaction may continue to have symptoms, like a rash for up to 48 hours after exposure. If you are known to be allergic to latex, a tattoo artist should have no problem using non-latex gloves to perform your tattoo.

Recognizing an allergic reaction to latex can be varied. If you are sniffling and sneezing when your artist snaps on the gloves, it might be a sign that they should switch to different gloves. Other signs of a latex allergy include itching and hives, nausea, and in the most severe cases, difficulty breathing.

OTHER IRRITANTS
Most tattoo shops of any clout will post their standards or health board certifications prominently. This means that they have biohazard contamination bins to dispose of sharps and other things that have been contaminated with bodily fluids. These things can cause not only disease but adverse reactions when they are left to be exposed to other patrons. What can seem an allergic reaction to a tattoo can really be a reaction or infection from someone else's bodily fluid contaminant in a shop that is not properly sanitized.

Getting a tattoo is a serious decision, but if you are riding the fence on it because you are thinking you may have an allergic reaction, there may be more at work in your subconscious. You may be trying to dodge the bullet for some other reason and looking for an excuse. Tattooing is generally safe and well tolerated by the average population, if not always looked back on fondly when the average population is sixty.

References:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/la tex-allergy/DS00621/DSECTION=2
http://en.wikipedia.or g/wiki/Tattoo

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