Tattoos, once identified as cultural or spiritual marks, have become a fad, especially among youths. Ruth Choji writes.
Vivian, a young girl in her early 20s tatooed her boyfriend’s name on her left shoulder and displays it freely, without a care. Speaking to LEADERSHIP Sunday on what informed her action, she said, “most of my favourite musicians have tattoos on their bodies. I don’t see any harm in having my body tattooed. Besides, mine is not permanent; it is a temporary one.”
Similarly, another youngster, Jeffrey, who has two tattoos on his body said, “my tattoos are not the permanent type. In fact, my friends and I did it at home because we couldn’t afford the expensive ones at the tatoo salons. We just want to belong; there is nothing to it.”
Speaking further, Jeffrey said, “everybody is doing it and you will be surprised to know where some people have their tattoos. Some young girls have it inscribed on their private parts, on the navel and other sensitive areas. For the guys, it’s either at the back, hands and shoulders. Some go as far as having it drawn on their legs.”
Explaining the tatoo concept, a dermatologist, Khadijat Adeboyega said, tattooing has been practised for centuries in many cultures all over the world, and is used to identify or express something.
“The process involves inserting ink into the dermis layer of the skin to create a change. In my saloon, I have flash sheet that I show costumers that will allow them pick ready made images,” she stated.
She pointed out that there are different types of tatoos, among them, amateur tattoos, traumatic which is done when the person has an accident, pencil tattoo, cosmetic tattoo and medical tattoos, adding that some people get tattooed because of love, pledge, sexual acts, decoration, bravery, protection and other reasons.
“I know some people that get tattooed for occultic purposes,” she added.
Speaking further on how the tatoos are inscribed, Adeboyega said, “we use the machine which inserts ink into the skin with a needle or some needles, they are attached to oscillating units and the unit rapidly and repeatedly drives the needles in and out of the skin, usually 80 to 150 times a second. These needles are disposable after each use for medical reasons. First of all, we wash the body part that will be tattooed. We also wear gloves at all times and the wound must be wiped frequently with a wet towel. We also sterilise the equipment so that they remain clean.”
Speaking in the same vein, Peter Aluko, a therapist said, “people are tattooed for different reasons. In the past, tattoos were used to identify people as was done during the Hitler era when the Jews were sent to a concentration camp; their numbers were tattooed on their arms. Roman soldiers were required by law to have indentifying tattoos on their hands in order to make it difficult to hide if they deserted. Gladiators and slaves were likewise tattooed.
“Tattoo is becoming popular now because of the new process of doing it. Getting a tattoo can be a wonderful and intense experience for the youths, but the pain of having it has been a powerful deterrent for many people, especially the first timers. If you are thinking about getting a tattoo with less pain, then do it on the least painful parts of your body. The tattooist uses dyes, acridine, quinoline phthalocyani, napthol,carbon black, azo dyes, pigments and other chemicals which are then mixed to do the tattoo.”
LEADERSHIP Sunday findings revealed that professional tattooists depend mainly on pigments found in cosmetics because using drawing ink could lead to infection or sickness and that in a good environment or society, the tattooist is expected to have all the latest standard equipment.
Tattooing has lots of health risks which include infection and allergic reactions, which explains why it is important for the tattooist to use single-use items and sterilise their equipment after each use.
Aluko said further, “we have had cases of allergic reactions to tattoo inks. This is because there are times that the blood vessel gets mistakenly punctured in the process of tattooing. Another hazard in tattooing is when the person wants to remove it. We normally use laser which is called dermabrasion. There is another process which involves using salt on the skin called salabrasion, cryosurgery and excision. The use of needles for tattooing can cause severe diseases like HIV and hepatitis. One should avoid getting tattoos done from illegal tattoo parlours as the chance of infectious disease is highest at these places.”
Reaction to tattoo inks, whether it is a temporary tattoo or a permanent one is common. If someone is allergic to ink, they may not know that until the tattoo is done. Studies indicate that red and yellow inks are most likely to cause allergic reactions to the skin whereas black, purple, and green pigments have been found to be less allergic. These reactions are generally triggered by exposure to sunlight. Tattoos may lead to scar tissue because as the body attempts to remove the foreign substance (ink), bumps or small knots may form around the tattoo. Some skin conditions can also worsen due to tattoos. Tattoo sites can become infected even with a sterile needle, this can happen if ink is contaminated by bacteria. Symptoms of an infection are, red rashes, swelling, and pains and it can take about three weeks for an infection to appear. It can also cause swelling or in some cases, burning sensation can occur in tattooed areas during magnetic resonance imaging. Designs containing large areas of black ink can be problematic because black ink contains iron oxide, the iron is heated by MRI scanner either by inducing an electrical current or hysteresis. Newer inks are safer.
Report indicated that the part of the skin where tattoo is done is discoloured permanently. Even though over a period of time this discolouration fades away, it is never healed completely. So, one should keep this in mind before opting for a tattoo. One may not be allowed to donate blood because of the risk of infection from someone who had a tattoo, the process of tattooing can be affected by a regiment of blood thinners because of excessive bleeding, a bruise may appear if a blood vessel is punctured during the tattooing procedure and inflammation may occur if larger particles accumulate in the lymph nodes. However, if the particles are smaller, they are carried away and do not accumulate”.
Pastor Ayuba, a clergy who has been vocal against the use of tattoos said, “the Bible forbids the use of tattoo. Christians are commanded not to put anything on their bodies because it is the temple of the Lord.”
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