Complications of tattoo

I also want to have tattoos on my body just like my friends. Kindly advise me on the likely complications of the procedure

Bruce (by SMS)

A tattoo is a permanent mark or design made on the skin with tattoo ink. Usually, a tattoo artist uses a handheld machine that acts much like a sewing machine. The machine has needles that pierce the skin many times. With every puncture, the needles insert tiny drops of ink into the top layer of the skin. Tattooing causes a small amount of bleeding and some pain. As they create tattoos, tattoos artists usually don’t use medicine to ease pain, called anesthetic.

The process of getting a tattoo breaks the skin. That means skin infections and other health problems can develop afterward. The risks include: Allergic reactions, Skin infections, Keloids as well as other diseases that can spread through blood.

If equipment used to create a tattoo has infected blood on it, you can get diseases that are spread through blood. Examples include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. To lower your risk, get vaccinated for hepatitis B before you get a tattoo.

Before you get a tattoo, think carefully about it. If you›re not sure about getting a tattoo or you›re worried that you might regret it, you may want to wait. Don›t let other people pressure you into getting a tattoo. And don›t get a tattoo if you›ve been drinking alcohol or using drugs.

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