The dark side of tattoos and your health
紋身的壞處和你的健康
Body art has become a form of self-expression. When visible, they tell the world something about you and what you like, about what you believe and value. Tattoos also pay homage to loved ones, permanently enshrining the names of lovers, precious children or dates of special significance.
身體藝術(shù)已經(jīng)成為一種自我表達(dá)的形式。當(dāng)他們顯現(xiàn)時,他們會告訴外界一些關(guān)于你的事情,你喜歡什么,你相信什么,你重視什么。紋身還表達(dá)了對親人的敬意,永久地記載著戀人、珍貴的孩子或具有特殊意義的日期。
But are they safe?
但它們安全嗎?
While the popularity of tattoos has grown, regulation of the industry has not. Tattoo ink is not regulated by the federal government. And oversight of tattoo parlors and artists on the state and local level is spotty.
雖然紋身越來越受歡迎,但對該行業(yè)的監(jiān)管卻沒有改變。紋身用墨不受聯(lián)邦政府的管制。在州和地方一級,對紋身店和紋身師的監(jiān)管也參差不齊。
Many states and some cities have ordinances restricting tattoos on minors, but not all require cosmetic artists to be certified or tattoos shops to be licensed. Even when they are, inspectors are scarce, and shops may not be monitored to assure they always use clean, fresh needles.
許多州和一些城市都有限制未成年人紋身的法令,但并不是所有的州都要求紋身師獲得認(rèn)證或紋身店獲得執(zhí)照。即使有,檢查人員也很少,而且商店可能沒有受到監(jiān)督,以確保他們一直使用干凈、新鮮的針頭。
And even in the best of circumstances, there are real dangers in both the inking process and the self-care of the wounds.
即使在最好的情況下,在紋墨的過程和傷口的自我修復(fù)中也存在著真正的危險(xiǎn)。
"We see people come into our clinic with some bad tattoo reactions," said Dr. Crystal Aguh, an assistant professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
“我們看到人們來到我們的診所,他們的紋身有不良的反應(yīng),”約翰霍普金斯大學(xué)醫(yī)學(xué)院皮膚病學(xué)助理教授克里斯托阿格博士說。
"You're introducing a foreign body via the skin and there are risks," said Dr. Shawn Kwatra, also an assistant professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins. "Sometimes your body can react in many ways you may have never thought about."
“你是通過皮膚引入異物,這是有風(fēng)險(xiǎn)的,”約翰霍普金斯大學(xué)皮膚病學(xué)助理教授肖恩·克瓦特拉博士說。“有時你的身體可能會以你從未想過的方式做出反應(yīng)。”
Allergic reactions
過敏反映
Tattoos can trigger allergic reactions, the most common is to ink. The reaction can be to any color, but the most typical are yellow and red.
紋身會引發(fā)過敏反應(yīng),最常見的是紋墨。任何顏色都會起反應(yīng),但最典型的是黃色和紅色。
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the allergic response can occur immediately, weeks later, and surprisingly, even years and decades later.
根據(jù)美國皮膚病學(xué)會的說法,過敏反應(yīng)可以在短時間內(nèi)發(fā)生,幾周后,甚至是幾年或幾十年后。
Yellow ink is associated with sun sensitivity, which can be irritating because you have to cover up your tat to protect it. But the photosensitivity typically fades after a few years, Aguh said.
黃色的紋墨對陽光有敏感性,這可能會讓人很惱火,因?yàn)槟惚仨毎涯愕募y身蓋起來才能保護(hù)它。阿格說,但是光敏性通常在幾年之后就會減弱。
A reaction to red ink, however, is most common. For many, the response is mild: a bit of redness, swelling or an itch that can be treated with a steroid cream.
紅色紋墨引起的反應(yīng)是最常見的。對許多人來說,反應(yīng)是溫和的:有一點(diǎn)發(fā)紅、腫脹或發(fā)癢,可以用類固醇霜治療。
For some, red ink can spark a potentially serious allergic reaction, turning the tattoo experience into a nightmare.
對一些人來說,紅色紋墨可能會引發(fā)潛在的嚴(yán)重的過敏反應(yīng),把紋身經(jīng)歷變成一場噩夢。
If those signs are paired with troubled breathing, or you experience a racing heart, dizziness, stomachache, serious pain, flushing or hives, seek medical care immediately.
如果這些癥狀伴隨著呼吸困難,或者你感到心跳加速,頭暈,胃痛,嚴(yán)重疼痛,臉紅或蕁麻疹,請立即就醫(yī)。
In rare cases, people can get neurodermatitis.
在罕見的情況下,人們可以得到神經(jīng)性皮炎。
"It's a persistent, almost chronic-like inflammation, which causes your whole tattoo to bubble up where the pigment is and become like thick, leathery skin," Aguh said.
阿格說:“這是一種持續(xù)的、幾乎是慢性的炎癥,會導(dǎo)致你整個紋身的著色區(qū)鼓起來,變得像厚皮一樣。”
Treatment is usually effective, she said. But for some it fails and leads to disfigurement.
她說,治療通常是有效的。但對一些人來說,它會失敗并導(dǎo)致毀容。
How do you know if you'll have an allergic reaction or how serious it might be? Unfortunately you won't, which is why dermatologists recommend first getting a tiny test tattoo in a spot that isn't visible.
你怎么知道你是否會有過敏反應(yīng)或者有多嚴(yán)重?不幸的是你不知道,這就是為什么皮膚科醫(yī)生建議先在皮膚不外露的地方做一個紋身小測試。
"You may be completely normal, completely healthy, but there could be something about the red pigment that your body just does not like," Aguh said.
阿格說:“你可能完全正常、完全健康,但你的身體可能對紅色色素產(chǎn)生抗性。”