Skin cancer and tattoos, are they related?
It is clear that they are in style! In Spain, between 15% and 20% of the population has at least one tattoo, with an average of half a million tattoos being performed each year in the country. According to psychology, people use tattoos as decoration on our body, as part of our aesthetics and, consequently, they make us look more attractive. However, how does the art of tattoos affect our skin?
Do tattoos create skin cancer ?
Yes, the fashion of tattoos entails an aggression suffered by our dermis . However, the tattooing technique has nothing to do with skin diseases , including skin cancer . This is due to two factors:
In the first place, because the black ink used in tattoos is mainly made up of carbon . It should be noted that as long as the skin in the area is properly cared for, the chances of infection are very low .
On the other hand, because their ink is housed in cells called macrophages . The function of these cells of the epidermis is precisely to absorb foreign material in the body (as well as ink ) and that they do not pose any risk to our skin health .
However, what we should keep in mind is that, although tattoos do not cause skin cancer , they can hide small dark-colored melanomas that would go unnoticed with the color of the ink . In this way, it would be more difficult to recognize the changes that our skin may be undergoing . That is why it is essential to check the area from time to time. (In addition to the fact that it is recommended not to get tattoos right on top of previously existing moles).
Thus, in the same way that they are hidden among the pigment of the tattoo , it should be noted that, when a person proceeds to remove one with a laser , they must first have the supervision of a dermatologist . This fact is due to the fact that, in addition to removing the pigment of the drawing , the laser can also discolor the melanoma , going unnoticed anyway. However, laser tattoo removal does not cause skin cancer.
Why are more and more people with tattoos suffering from skin cancer?
Of course, there are more and more patients suffering from skin cancer who have previously had a tattoo ! However, it is important to determine that there are more and more people with tattoos on their skin, so it is a mere statistical coincidence .
And you, are you from the tattoo team ? The truth is that they are true works of body art . (As long as you take care of them properly).
