The needles of tattoo machines leave metallic particles under the skin of people. Why are they dangerous?

In our recent article about appearancewe were convinced of tattoos that wearable drawings practically do not lose their beauty even in old age. However, some people who want to get a tattoo on their own are worried that the pattern will negatively affect their health. This fear is justified, because tattooing implies the introduction of foreign substances under the skin - ink, which can provoke allergic reactions and other problems. A recent study showed that in addition to dyes, even dangerous metal particles remain under the skin of a person.

Allergic reactions may occur after tattooing.

People tattoo their bodies onfor millennia, but their effect on the body has been studied extremely superficially. A special breakthrough in the study of the effect of tattoos was made two years ago by scientists from Germany and France. They examined the bodies of tattooed people and found that their lymph nodes contained metal particles of iron, chromium and nickel. But how did they get there? Really with ink?

Why are tattoos dangerous?

Ink for tattoos could not becomesources of heavy particles, because there are practically no metals in their composition. In addition, ink particles are not so small as to move around the human body and accumulate in certain parts of it. That is why scientists almost immediately realized that the sources of metal particles are the needles of tattoo machines. They are several percent composed of iron, chromium and nickel found in the lymph nodes of the study participants.

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Tattoo machine work in slow motion

Having studied the needles under the microscope, the researchersfound out that some of them are very worn out. It turned out that light ink containing quite hard titanium dioxide literally grind needles, letting microscopic metal particles into the human body. According to scientists, the size of these particles ranges from 50 nanometers to 2 micrometers - it is not surprising that they reach the lymph nodes and accumulate in them.

Why are lymph nodes needed?

Lymph nodes are called specialorgans through which a clear fluid called lymph flows. It is necessary for the proteins, salts and fluids inside the human body to return from tissues to the blood. Many people think that the nodes are only on the neck of a person, but in fact they extend throughout the body, just like blood vessels. The lymphatic system plays a huge role in the functioning of the immune system.

Lymph nodes on the human body

Scientists do not yet know what exactly is happening withnodes when metals accumulate in them. To find out, they need to conduct a large-scale study in which they need to study the medical history of a huge number of tattooed people with metals in their lymph nodes. Metals like iron, chromium and nickel can at least cause allergic reactions, but it is possible that tattoos can cause cancer.

Mandatory reading: What tattoos can tell about your health?

However, this does not mean that tattoos are requiredcause irreparable harm to the body. It all depends on the salon in which the tattoo is applied, the experience of the master and the composition of the ink used. Now you know that if titanium dioxide is contained in the ink, then particles of worn needles of tattoo machines may well accumulate in your lymph nodes. If you want to know more about your body, subscribe to our Telegram channel.