Health Risks of Tattoos

Tattoos regularly go in and out of fashion, and if you are tempted to have one it is important to remember that once pigment has been put into the skin it will stay there for ever: tattoos are permanent. It is also important to remember that if the artist doing the tattooing doesn't sterilize his needles very carefully there is a real risk of hepatitis - a dangerous, disabling and sometimes lethal disease.

When tattoos are unwanted the simplest way to deal with them is by the use of a camouflage cream, available either from a pharmacy or through a general practitioner. Over the years a number of methods for removing tattoos have been tried. Surgical removal, followed by skin grafting, and dermabrasion are just two such techniques. More recently surgeons have started to remove tattoos with the aid of carbon dioxide lasers and this technique seems useful and effective, but it still is not clear how the technique works and there is usually some scarring.