whether you are preserving a memory or finding artistic ways to express yourself one thing
is for sure tattoos are painful and despite that you'll feel like going back for more
in today's video we'll be discussing what happens to your body when you get tattooed
why do they start fading over time what happens if you go sunbathing can it affect your mri
scan we're discussing all this and more number one how tattoos evolved minimalistic to incredibly
detailed tattoos are in vogue i'm sure you must have at least one person in your circle
with a tattoo 29 of americans had at least one tattoo by the year 2015.
do you think tattoos are a fad we're not so sure this art form dates back thousands of
years there is speculation that it began in the neolithic age later used for healing purposes
and religious worshiping the oldest tattooed mummy of an ice man was found in the mountains
of the alps in italy and was almost 5 300 years old archaeologists and researchers believe
that almost 61 tattoos are homemade on his body using soot and bonfire ash what a crude
way of getting inked traditionally sailors soldiers and pirates also had tattoos it symbolized
strength and endurance they even symbolized men and women belonging to particular tribes
complete body tattooing is also popular in different parts of the globe they can have
a cosmetic influence on beauty where eyebrows and lips are permanently inked although it
has become trendy among young people it was not long ago that this fashionable practice
was taboo in most cultures worldwide number two what happens to your skin when you get
inked if you were to have a closer look at your skin structure under a microscope the
cross section would show three layers the visible layer that holds your body together
is called the epidermis the next layer is the dermis which has hair follicles sweat
glands blood vessels and nerves embedded in it and at the base you'd find a layer of subcutaneous
connective tissue and fat so whenever the tattoo artist starts working a bunch of tiny
needles puncture your skin at a speed of 50 to 30 000 times per minute they're aiming
for the second layer of skin but the needles will first have to cross the epidermis before
entering the dermis the surprising thing about the top layer of your skin is that it's replaced
completely in two to three weeks you shed millions of tiny skin cells every day so if
that part of the skin was tattooed it would disappear in just three weeks hardly worth
the pain this process creates micro injuries in your skin and activates your immune system
the body considers the color pigments as foreign material and sends macrophages to tackle it
you can call macrophages the scavengers of your blood they are your body's anti-inflammatory
agents and form whenever they sense irritation the repeated trauma and ink pigments stimulate
the release of more and more macrophages most of them eat up the color pigment and stay
put in the matrix of the skin the matrix is the extra space present between the cells
and fibers that is filled with colorless and odorless gel like material larger color particles
are also taken up by other cells called fibroblasts that make your tattoo permanent a few macrophages
engulf these particles and start moving to the liver following the natural metabolism
this is also the reason why your tattoo may appear a little lighter after a week or so
number three why do new tattoos hurt people who get multiple tattoos don't have supernatural
powers they totally experience pain let's face it the procedure is painful and this
might not be completely related to your pain threshold so it's all right to get a little
jumpy when you're sitting on that chair believe it your tattoo artist has seen it all the
dermis has a rich blood supply and plexus of nerve endings so with every poking needle
the nerves will receive the stimulus of pain a few people believe that getting a tattoo
on thin skin over bone can cause more pain because there's no fatty tissue to cushion
the blow but there's no scientific evidence for this whatsoever the most painful areas
for tattooing remain to be your armpit ankles shins elbows breasts ribs sternum fingers
feet and delicate skin on your face however nail tattoos are painless but don't think
of popping an aspirin to get rid of the pain right before getting a tattoo these pain relievers
have a blood thinning effect that would also up your risk of increased blood loss during
the tattoo this makes the artist's job 100 times more difficult and might affect the
quality of the artwork number four do tattoos fade with time sadly even if it's permanent
the most dark and colored tattoos will fade over time you have to consider the aging of
your skin the old fibroblasts are replaced by new ones and slowly you'll keep losing
color
number five should you go sunbathing after getting a tattoo planning to get a tattoo
on your beach vacation isn't the best idea after all too much exposure to the sun can
give you a bad sunburn when the ink is still fresh you do not want the top layer to be
peeling like snake skin no amount of lathering up in sunscreen will help you need to give
it time to rest and get completely absorbed by your skin this is seen particularly in
black and gray colored tattoos as they attract more sunlight ultraviolet rays can destroy
the pigment not just the sun but taking hot showers or dropping hot beverages on your
tattoo can dilute it heat is a major destructor of all pigment and treating your flesh wound
with something that is hot is just gonna cause more problems number six how long does it
take to fully heal pain is relative for different people but after a couple of weeks you should
start feeling comfortable with your tattoo initially there will be scabbing and a crust
that will peel away be ready for some itching and clear liquid oozing from those cuts but
you need not worry that's just your body telling you that everything is under control however
tempted you feel try not to remove the crust or scratch the itch let your body get rid
of it on its own a few people also experience a little fever because of the over activation
of your immune system but that is natural number seven does the ink travel and turn
the tattoo cloudy everything under your skin is carried away by the blood when things are
moving pretty fast it'll transport the ink too a tattoo blowout can happen but it's rare
if you see that the ink has spread way beyond the design trying to smudge then your artist
might have injected the third layer of skin the subcutaneous fat getting another tattoo
over the hazy one perhaps in another tattoo parlor is one great cover-up idea number eight
what happens to your brain when you get tattooed people who love tattoos are never really happy
with one they're always planning to get more or already have a few on them this is because
your brain produces endorphins to diminish the pain it creates a sense of pleasure with
every tiny stab of the needle the brain also releases dopamine that gives a feeling of
satisfaction reward or self-relief the work of these hormones is to block pain but they
also end up giving a high to a few people researchers believe that people who are addicted
to tattoos might have similar feelings they tend to forget the discomfort and become elated
by the thought of another tattoo but we need concrete studies before we draw conclusions
number nine how safe is it to get a tattoo tattooing gone wrong can mean many things
some people can have an allergic tendency to the ink colors like red yellow blue and
green that might contain plastic the drilling process won't cause allergies skin infection
could arise from using non-sterile water with the ink before injecting it your skin may
become swollen and itchy within two weeks after injecting impure mixtures also make
sure that the needles are sterilized this can reduce the chances of hiv hepatitis and
other blood-borne diseases bigger tattoos can cover a larger surface of your skin a
few skin cancers can often go undetected if they are superimposed by a tattoo so be thoughtful
before making a choice also if you were to undergo an mri colored tattoos could be problematic
especially the red ink which could damage your skin mri works on the principles of magnets
the red color may contain iron particles and oxides that mess things up the magnetic conductor
heats the skin under the red color to a great extent this can even give second and third
degree burns to a few people
Whether you are preserving a memory or finding artistic ways to express yourself, one thing
is for sure.
Tattoos are painful!
And despite that, you’ll feel like going back for more.
In today's video, we’ll be discussing what happens to your body when you get tattooed.
Why do they start fading over time?
What happens if you go sunbathing?
Can it affect your MRI scan?
We’re discussing all this and more
How tattoos evolved
Minimalistic to incredibly detailed, tattoos are in vogue.
I'm sure you must have at least one person in your circle with a tattoo.
29% of Americans had at least 1 tattoo by the year 2015.
Do you think tattoos are a fad?
We’re not so sure, this art form dates back thousands of years.
There is speculation that it began in the Neolithic Age.
Later used for healing purposes and religious worshipping.
The oldest tattooed mummy of an Iceman was found in the mountains of the Alps in Italy
and was almost 5300 years old.
Archaeologists and researchers believe that almost 61 tattoos are homemade on his body
using soot and bonfire ash.
What a crude way of getting inked!
Traditionally, sailors, soldiers and pirates also had tattoos.
It symbolized strength and endurance.
They even symbolized men and women belonging to particular tribes.
Complete body tattooing is also popular in different parts of the globe.
They can have a cosmetic influence on beauty where eyebrows and lips are permanently inked.
Although it has become trendy among young people it was not long ago that this fashionable
practice was taboo in most cultures worldwide.
2.
What happens to your skin when you get inked?
If you were to have a closer look at your skin structure under a microscope, the cross-section
would show three layers.
The visible layer that holds your body together is called the epidermis.
The next layer is the dermis which has hair follicles, sweat glands, blood vessels, and
nerves embedded in it.
And at the base, you'd find a layer of subcutaneous connective tissue and fat.
So whenever the tattoo artist starts working, a bunch of tiny needles puncture your skin
at a speed of 50 to 30,000 times per minute.
They are aiming for the second layer of skin, but the needles will first have to cross the
epidermis before entering the dermis.
The surprising thing about the top layer of your skin is that it is replaced completely
in 2 to 3 weeks.
You shed millions of tiny skin cells every day.
So if that part of the skin was tattooed it would disappear in just 3 weeks.
Hardly worth the pain!
This process creates micro-injuries in your skin and activates your immune system.
The body considers the color pigments as foreign material and sends macrophages to tackle it.
You can call macrophages the scavengers of your blood.
They are your body's anti-inflammatory agents and form wherever they sense irritation.
The repeated trauma and ink pigments stimulate the release of more and more macrophages.
Most of them eat up the color pigment and stay put in the matrix of the skin.
The matrix is the extra space present between the cells and fibres that is filled with colourless
and odourless gel-like material.
Larger color particles are also taken up by other cells called fibroblasts that make your
tattoo permanent.
A few macrophages engulf these particles and start moving to the liver following the natural
metabolism.
This is also the reason why your tattoo may appear a little lighter after a week or so.
3.
Why do new tattoos hurt?
People who get multiple tattoos don’t have supernatural powers, they totally experience
pain.
Let's face it, the procedure is painful.
And this might not be completely related to your pain threshold.
So it's alright to get a little jumpy when you're sitting on that chair.
Believe it, your tattoo artist has seen it all.
The dermis has a rich blood supply and a plexus of nerve endings.
So with every poking needle, the nerves will receive the stimulus of pain.
A few people believe that getting a tattoo on thin skin over the bone can cause more
pain because there is no fatty tissue to cushion the blow.
But there is no scientific evidence for this whatsoever.
The most painful areas for tattooing remain to be your armpit, ankles, shins, elbows,
breasts, ribs, sternum, fingers, feet, and delicate skin on your face.
However, nail tattoos are painless.
But don't think of popping an aspirin to get rid of the pain right before getting a tattoo.
These pain relievers have a blood-thinning effect.
That would also up your risk of increased blood loss during the tattoo.
This makes the artist's job one hundred times more difficult and might affect the quality
of the artwork.
4.
Do tattoos fade with time?
Sadly, even if it’s permanent, the most dark and colored tattoos will fade over time.
You have to consider the aging of your skin.
The old fibroblasts are replaced by new ones and slowly you'll keep losing color.
5.
Should you go sunbathing after getting a tattoo?
Planning to get a tattoo on your beach vacation isn't the best idea after all.
Too much exposure to the sun can give you a bad sunburn.
When the ink is still fresh you do not want the top layer to be peeling like snakeskin.
No amount of lathering up in sunscreen will help.
You need to give it time to rest and get absorbed by your skin.
This is seen particularly in black and grey color tattoos as they attract more sunlight.
Ultraviolet rays can destroy the pigment.
Not just the sun but taking hot showers or dropping hot beverages on your tattoo can
dilute it.
Heat is a major destructor of all pigment and treating your fresh wound with something
hot is just going to cause more problems.
6.
How long does it take to fully heal?
Pain is relative for different people.
But after a couple of weeks you should start feeling comfortable with your tattoo.
Initially, there will be scabbing and a crust that will peel away.
Be ready for some itching and clear liquid oozing from those cuts.
But you need not worry, that is just your body telling you that everything is under
control.
However tempted you feel, do not try to remove the crust or scratch the itch.
Let your body get rid of it on its own.
A few people also experience a little fever because of the over-activation of your immune
system but that is natural.
7.
Does the ink travel and turn the tattoo cloudy?
Everything under your skin is carried away by the blood.
When things are moving pretty fast it will transport the ink too.
A tattoo blowout can happen but it’s rare.
But if you see that the ink has spread way beyond the design trying to smudge then your
artist might have injected the third layer of skin, the subcutaneous fat.
Getting another tattoo over the hazy one, perhaps in another tattoo parlor is one great
cover-up idea.
8.
What happens to your brain when you get tattooed?
People who love tattoos are never really happy with one.
They are always planning to get more or already have a few on them.
This is because your brain produces endorphins to diminish the pain.
It creates a sense of pleasure with every tiny stab of the needle.
The brain also releases dopamine that gives a feeling of satisfaction, reward, or self
relief.
The work of these hormones is to block pain but they end up giving a high to a few people.
Researchers believe that people who are addicted to tattoos might have similar feelings.
They tend to forget the discomfort and become elated by the thought of another tattoo.
But we need concrete studies before we draw conclusions.
9.
How safe is it to get a tattoo?
Tattooing gone wrong can mean many things.
Some people can have an allergic tendency to the ink colors like red, yellow, blue and
green that might contain plastic.
The drilling process won't cause allergies.
Skin infection could arise from using non sterile water with the ink before injecting
it.
Your skin may become swollen and itchy within two weeks after injecting impure mixtures.
Also, make sure that the needles are sterilized.
This can reduce the chances of HIV, hepatitis, and other blood-borne diseases.
Bigger tattoos can cover a larger surface of your skin.
A few skin cancers can often go undetected if they are superimposed by a tattoo.
So be thoughtful before making a choice.
Also, if you were to undergo an MRI colored tattoos could be problematic.
Especially the red ink, which could damage your skin.
MRI works on the principles of magnets.
The red color may contain iron particles and oxides to mess up things.
The magnetic conductor heats the skin under the red color to a great extent.
This can even give second and third-degree burns to a few people.
10.
How to get a tattoo removed?
Don't worry if your first love didn't last long.
You might have already gotten over it but the nasty permanent ink doesn't allow you
to forget it.
At this time you may frantically start looking out for options to get rid of the names of
ex-lovers or misspelled words.
Although there are creams that claim to erase tattoos they would not work exactly the way
you would imagine them to.
The external application would just act on the epidermis.
And you want something that would reach the dermis.
Skin doctors have the perfect solution for this.
Lasers in dermatology can be used to clear up the previous wound marks, spots, and birthmarks.
The Q switch laser is a machine that fires hot bursts of heat to blast the larger pigment
size into smaller particles.
Macrophages can now eat up these smaller particles and metabolize them quickly.
But here's the catch: all the vanishing does not happen in just one sitting.
It is not a magic wand.
It will likely take you a couple of sittings to get rid of your tattoo.
It would also depend on the colors used and the size.
Are you always picking the best products for your skin?
What about food?
Your diet can make or break your beauty game.
Let's keep the conversation going with a couple of more skin-related videos, shall we?
Watch 13 foods to avoid if you want younger looking skin or 17 foods that are bad for
your skin.
Go ahead, click one.
Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about how to get that flawless skin.
Are you tempted to get inked?
Or do you already belong to the tattoo-clan?
Let us know in the comments below!