.png)
A Nepalese man shows off his tattoos at the first national tattoo convention in Kathmandu on August 7. A new study shows that multiple tattoos increase the chance of contracting hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases. (Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images)
Along with the exploding popularity of tattoos comes a growing risk—the possibility of contracting hepatitis C.
People with multiple tattoos covering large parts of their bodies are more likely to contract hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases than those with no tattoos, according to a new study by University of British Columbia researchers.
The risk is also high among youth—the population most likely to get tattoos—and prison inmates, who face a higher prevalence of hepatitis C.
“Since tattoo instruments come in contact with blood and bodily fluids, infections may be transmitted if instruments are used on more than one person without being sterilized or without proper hygiene techniques,” lead author Dr. Siavash Jafari at the UBC School of Population and Public Health, said in a press release.
Upon reviewing and analyzing 124 studies from 30 countries, including Canada, Iran, Italy, and the United States, the researchers found the incidence of hepatitis C after tattooing is directly linked with the number of tattoos a person receives.
The tattoo dyes can include chemical ingredients from house paint, ink from computer printers, and industrial carbon.
Other risks include allergic reactions, HIV, hepatitis B, bacterial or fungal infections, and problems associated with tattoo removal.
Tattoos have become immensely popular around the world in recent years. In Canada, approximately eight percent of high school students have at least one tattoo, and 21 per cent of those who don’t have one want one. In the United States, an estimated 36 percent of people under 30 have tattoos.
During tattooing, the skin is punctured 80 to 150 times per second in order to inject colour pigments.
Tattoo dyes can include chemical ingredients from house paint, ink from computer printers, and industrial carbon. The toxic contents of some of the inks may enter the kidney, lungs, and lymph nodes via the cardiovascular system, say the researchers.
“Furthermore, tattoo dyes are not kept in sterile containers and may play a carrier role in transmitting infections,” said Jafari. “Clients and the general public need to be educated on the risks associated with tattooing, and tattoo artists need to discuss harms with clients.”
A 2003 study by the European Commission found that most chemicals used in tattoos are industrial pigments originally produced for other purposes such as car paints or writing inks.
The UBC study also revealed a new trend among youth to get tattooed with glow-in-the-dark ink, the risks of which are not yet known.
The researchers are calling for infection-control guidelines for both tattoo artists and customers, and enforcement of those guidelines through inspections. They also recommend prevention programs that focus on youth and prisoners to lower the spread of the virus.
“Because tattooing is more common among the youth and young adults and hepatitis C is very common in the imprisoned population, prevention programs must focus on youngsters and prisoners to lower the spread of hepatitis infection,” read the research paper.
