It seems to be the newest craze among millennials. And why not?

Tattoos are fun, and cool, and give the body an extra oomph of character. However, for people with tattoos, or people hoping to get inked soon, the side effects of the cool crusade might be a resourceful ponder.

Almost half of the people between 18 and 35 have tattoos, and almost one in four regrets it, according to a 2016 Harris Poll. Based on an estimate of about 60 million people in that age group, that would mean that about 7.5 million people have tattoo regret.

Between one and five per cent of tattooed people suffer a bacterial infection, and some people can have allergic reactions to the ink, according to the research.

As a primary care skin doctor, I also noticed that many of my young patients have regrets about their tattoos. When I ask about them, many say that they got them when they were young, and at the time put little or no research into the decision.

How Tattoos Are Done?

A tattoo is a permanent mark or design made on your skin with pigments inserted through pricks into the skin’s top layer. Typically, the tattoo artist uses a hand-held machine that acts much like a sewing machine, with one or more needles piercing the skin repeatedly. With every puncture, the needles insert tiny ink droplets. The process, which is done without any anaesthetic (deadening of the skin) does cause a small amount of bleeding and slight to potentially significant pain, depending on the pain threshold of the receiving person, and their level of mental preparation for the procedure.

Tattoo Risks and Side Effects

Most of the risks and side effects of tattoos occur when the tattoo is still fresh. At this point, your skin is still healing, so proper aftercare is necessary to prevent complications. People with ultra-sensitive skin need to stay extra cautious as their skin might react.

Allergic Reactions.

For people who have never got inked before, it might be a good idea to find out if they are allergic to ink. Negative reaction to tattoos is common. This is most common with lighter colours such as yellows or greens, which may reach unfavourably once exposed to sunlight. Tattoo dyes – particularly red, green, yellow and blue dyes – can cause allergic skin reactions, such as an itchy rash at the tattoo site. This can occur even years after you get the tattoo.

Skin Infections

A skin infection is possible after tattooing. The manifestations of an infection, such as redness, swelling, pain and pus-like drainage can occur after tattooing. These can usually be treated with medication and will fade over time. Areas around a tattoo can even be infected with a sterile needle, and it might take some time for the negative effects to show.

Beware of HIV and Hepatitis

If the needles that work on your body are being reused, this may be cause for some concern. Reused needles may cause severe diseases such as HIV or hepatitis. Thus, for the mavericks getting inked, going to a top-notch tattoo parlour might be in their best interest. However, where long term health and precautions are concerned, you should splurge a little on your ink (and needles) to get just your money’s worth, and not the unnecessary trouble that shady places might bring with them.

MRI Complications. 

Rarely, tattoos or permanent makeup might cause swelling or burning in the affected areas during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams. In some cases, tattoo pigments can interfere with the quality of the image.

Nobody Likes Cancer

Though a regulated tattoo parlour usually does away with HIV or hepatitis complications, people should also be aware that cancer is a hazardous side effect of tattoos. The most common complication is skin cancer, which doesn’t raise its ugly head until it is too late.

The tattoo ink may cause toxins to enter the bloodstream, which may lead to cancerous results. Though it isn’t a proved medical result, experts do believe this to be a dangerous side effect.

Be Ready

Before you get a tattoo, be sure you truly want to invest in permanent body art. Unsure or worried that you might regret it someday? Give yourself more time to think about it. Don’t be pressured, and don’t get a tattoo under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

More recently, the Food and Drug Administration has become more involved with tattoo inks, stating, “Many pigments used in tattoo inks are industrial-grade colours suitable for printers’ ink or automobile paint.” Like the studies started overseas, the agency is now examining the chemical composition of inks and pigments and how they break down in the body, as well as their short- and long-term safety.