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Causes of Allergy
Photo: Non-healing tattoo of a cartoon character. Allergic to green neon inkWhat can cause a tattoo allergy? First of all, it's paint.
Today, good quality salons do not use dyes with mercury and a high metal content: it is in this case that an allergy to tattoo ink is most likely. However, there are a huge number of almost underground organizations.
In addition, an allergy to tattoo pigment can occur if the master does not buy ready-made paint, but mixes the coloring powder and base on his own. The proportions may be off.
Oddly enough, the most common allergy on a red tattoo and on a yellow one. Perhaps this is due to the content of cinnabar and cadmium in them. An allergy to the red pigment of a tattoo is a matter not only of permanent tattoos, but also of pictures made with henna.
Composition of some pigment inks
Yellow cadmium sulfide tattoos increase the risk of an allergic reaction when exposed to sunlight. Swelling and redness develop around the tattoo site.
Also, a similar reaction can occur with a red tattoo - cadmium is added to the red pigment to make it brighter.
Although this substance is considered safe, henna tattoo and allergy are not incompatible concepts. An allergy to a henna tattoo in a child develops in 20% of cases.
The practice of applying such pictures is very common when relaxing at sea. But it should be remembered that the baby's body is already in a state of stress: flights and transfers, rapid climate change, unfamiliar surroundings, an abundance of loud sounds, unfamiliar food - all this hits the immune system. And the appearance of a strong foreign irritant in the form of paint that is absorbed into the skin can provoke an excessive immune response.
Photo: Allergy to a temporary tattoo In addition to henna, there is also such a type of drawing as aerotatu. There is no objective evidence that anyone has developed an allergy to this type of temporary tattoo, paints are considered hypoallergenic, do not penetrate deep into the skin, and are applied with a sprayer.
Another reason why adverse reactions can develop is the use of local anesthetics. And these funds are one of the most allergenic drugs.
Allergy to tattoo: photo gallery
Blisters - a reaction to a henna tattoo
Allergic reaction to red pigment
Allergy symptoms
Photo: Allergy to tattoo pigment Allergy to a tattoo has almost the same symptoms as any contact hypersensitivity. Develop:
- skin redness;
- peeling;
- the appearance of a rash (up to blisters and sores);
- swelling of the skin.
The two most common allergic reactions to tattoo pigments are contact dermatitis and photoallergic dermatitis.
The reaction usually looks like an inflamed red rash. In some cases, the skin may peel off.
There are quite a lot of photos that show an allergy to a tattoo on the Internet. Do not confuse immune phenomena with the usual irritation of the skin after damaging it with a needle.
Allergic reactions differ in intensity, the presence of severe, often unbearable itching, as well as the possibility of developing non-local phenomena:
Photo: Blisters as one of the symptoms of an allergic reaction - runny nose;
- lacrimation;
- itching in the eyes;
- swelling of mucous membranes;
- cough.
Generalized reactions when applying a tattoo can only develop if anesthesia is used.
It is also worth noting that the formation of an allergy is possible not immediately after the introduction of paint under the skin, but after a few days, weeks and even months. An allergy to a colored tattoo can appear even after a year! This is due to the fact that the coloring pigment is sensitive to temperature. And if the picture was applied in a cool summer, and the next year the average air temperature is - 28 ° C, then the paint can “react” and cause the reaction described above.
Allergy to a tattoo has various consequences.
Perhaps a complete cure and no aftereffect. But scars and scars can form, sometimes the skin becomes coarse, pigmentation appears, which violates the aesthetic appearance of the pattern.
Tattoo Allergy Treatment
First of all, it should be said that in the presence of allergic diseases, a history of anaphylactic shock, a general decrease or impaired immunity, high sensitivity to household chemicals and cosmetics, it is better to refuse to apply a tattoo.
However, if nothing foreshadowed trouble, but after applying the picture, a reaction developed, it must be eliminated.
Medical methods
Antihistamines remain the main treatment. There is usually no need for systemic remedies (tablets, syrups), however, if long-term symptoms appear (runny nose, etc.), you can use any of those on the market, carefully reading the instructions:
- "Suprastin",
- "Tavegil",
- Loratadin, etc.
This is especially necessary in relation to cocci (staphylococci, streptococci), which constantly live on the skin and, if it is damaged and local protective functions are reduced, can cause pustular diseases. Good drugs are:
- aerosol "Oxycort";
- ointment "Pimafukort";
- cream "Fucidin".
The latter, among other things, has activity against fungi and viruses.
Folk remedies
The most effective folk method is the use of chamomile decoction as a local antiseptic, wound healing and skin soothing remedy.
You will need:
- filter bags with chamomile or dry grass;
- boiled water.
2 filter bags (or 4-5 tablespoons of dry grass) brew in 1 liter of boiled or distilled water at a temperature of 90°-100°C. Let it brew under the lid for 30 minutes, cool to an acceptable temperature. Make lotions, compresses, wraps at night, preferably with sterile material.
You can also use decoctions of sage, mint, string.
Prevention
As already mentioned, the best prevention is the rejection of a tattoo. However, there are other methods on how to test for a tattoo allergy:
- Get to know beforehand. Visit the salon two days before the procedure. Talk to the person who will make the drawing, ask him to name the brand of paint and announce its composition. Remember if you were allergic to household chemicals, cosmetics or other products with similar ingredients.
- Test ink. A few days before the procedure, you can try the paint “on yourself”: ask to apply a little dye, but not with an injection, but simply on the skin. Observe the result: the slightest redness, itching or swelling is an alarm signal.
- Run the final test. It is necessary 24 hours before applying the drawing to ask the master to inject a drop of ink into the area where the tattoo will be. If there is no reaction for a day, then you can continue.
- Be careful with fluorescent inks. They look, of course, spectacular, but the risk of developing an allergy to such paint is high. It is important not to neglect the preliminary tests.
Answers to basic questions
Which tattoo inks do not cause allergies?
High-quality dyes with a low content of metals, chlorine, bromine, iodine. Not red and yellow. However, even this characteristic is not a guarantee of safety.
Allergy to hair dye - can I get a tattoo?
The probability of developing a reaction in this case is higher, but not 100%. It is necessary to conduct preliminary tests, and if they are not positive, then yes, you can.
Yes. Moreover, according to research by the University of Regensburg in Germany, black tattoos are the most dangerous. They cause not only allergic reactions, but are also carcinogenic.
Thus, tattooing is a walk on the edge of a knife. And each person must balance the benefits and risks and decide how much more important the beauty of the underwear is than their own health.
The red tattoo is not some special type of tattoo. This is the same image applied in the traditional way, only in red ink. And yet, the red tattoo stands out among the others, and therefore today I would like to talk about it separately.
the site always tries to find for you the most interesting and original ideas for underwear. Our today's object of discussion certainly is such.
red color tattoo
The meaning of the red tattoo
What does the red color of the tattoo actually mean? If you think globally, you can bring a lot of options. If we consider this issue more narrowly, then, as it seems to us, the red color, as a real "aggressor", several times enhances the meaning of the tattoo itself. Thus, you put more meaning and your feelings into the image.
If we interpret the red color according to the worldview of different cultures, then we get the following. In ancient Rome, he personified Mars, the god of war. The color red had the same meaning among the Greeks. Blood, hatred, courage - all that accompanied each warrior during the battle.
For Christians, the red color symbolizes Jesus Christ, that is, faith, redemption and suffering.
Various revolutions and riots have always taken place under red flags and slogans. The carnation, characteristic of those times, spoke of courage and courage in front of the Fatherland.
As can be seen from the above interpretations, red is a masculine color, but do not forget the Russian epithet for girls: “red girl”, which means “beautiful girl”. Thus, a red tattoo is suitable for both sexes. Moreover, it is the red tattoo that most advantageously conveys the beauty of a small flower or butterfly. And such images, as a rule, are most often chosen by the fair sex.
on hands
Red Tattoo Ideas
Since the red tattoo is not a separate type of body art, it can organically fit into many designs. However, some aggressiveness is still visible in some ideas, for example, a red skull or a red dragon. The last image is generally worth talking about separately. Here we will only once again remind you of the meaning of the red dragon. This drawing can be interpreted in two ways: on the one hand, it is anger, hatred and hostility; on the other - passion, love, desire. It is also important to take into account the direction of the dragon: if it flies up, then its owner has good thoughts; if the dragon is pointing down, then such a person should beware. You can read more about the dragon tattoo and see various design examples in the articles "" and "".
It is impossible not to note the red tattoo in the form of a heart, in our opinion, it is very symbolic. And if you have already decided to apply this particular image to yourself, then “your heart” should be exactly red.
A red tattoo looks great in combination with birds, in particular, a phoenix. As you know, the phoenix is a mythological creature that has the ability to burn itself and then reborn from the ashes. Very suitable for people who strive for their goal, no matter what. No obstacle can stop them on the way to what they want. In folklore painting, the phoenix is always depicted as red or orange in flames.
Red roses, lotuses and hibiscus also become much brighter than if these images were made with other inks. It is worth noting here that although flowers are considered female tattoos, the red rose is equally popular with both sexes and has a very rich meaning. You can read about it in the post "".
Features of red tattoos
Despite all its positive aspects, a red tattoo still requires a very careful approach. Everyone knows that tattoo inks contain substances that can lead to allergies, for example, red ink contains mercury, green - chromium, yellow - cadmium, blue - cobalt. But most often, allergic reactions are observed precisely on red tattoos. The difficulty lies in the fact that the allergy may not appear immediately, but after several visits to the tattoo artist. Perhaps you already have red tattoos on your body, but now you apply another one and you already have the maximum amount of the allergen in your body, which can lead to irritation and rashes, as well as swelling and difficulty breathing. Consider this question very carefully.
And so, there are no warnings and restrictions in the use of red ink for tattoos. This color enlivens the image, brings energy and emotions to the masterpiece you have created.
Tattoos have been made for hundreds of years, and until recently, the method of applying a tattoo has remained unchanged. But of course, the development of technology and progress has also affected the tattoo industry. Inks, machines, and healing techniques have improved greatly over the past few decades, making it possible to do more intricate and sophisticated work that is no longer as time-sensitive.
As with any field that is experiencing explosive growth (the tattoo industry is now worth several billion dollars, there are more than 200,000 tattoo studios in the US alone, unfortunately there are no data for Russia), there are those who are at the forefront, experimenting, and are in searches. In the world of tattoos, clients also stimulate the search for new forms. Because more and more people want to make their own unique work that is different from the rest.
Every day I post incredible tattoos and some of them are so beautiful that they make me wish I had five or six more arms.
Now that it's getting harder to stand out with your tattoo, and the tattoo itself is no more radical than a pierced ear, how do you stand out in a crowd? Of course, there is a way out - to make yourself an idiotic tattoo that everyone will point the finger at, and you will be considered at best a big "original", but it seems to me more correct to think about something unique.
Watercolor
Watercolor style tattoos have been around for years, but now more and more talented tattoo artists are trying their hand at this style. By the way, we are already talking about works in this style.Pros: Artistic and colorful work.
Minuses: Lots of color, little contour, no one knows how the tattoo will feel in 10-20 years.
red ink
Is it really a style? Well, it's not unique. Red ink tends to be the most likely to trigger allergies and fade the fastest. Also, red was considered one of the most difficult colors to laser tattoo removal. Now the quality of the ink has improved a lot, and all of the above is no longer considered a big problem. There is something in red that is bewitching, and a little infernal, which makes this style very interesting. Look at the work.Pros: Attract the eye
Minuses: What will happen to your tattoo if you tan in the sun?
photoshop
Let's talk about the most conceptual style. Well, let's. You like? Hate it? This style is so controversial that you can argue until you are blue in the face about its originality. (And I wouldn't do it - it would take all day). In a nutshell, the style uses a variety of elements - many taken from photographs and combined with literary texts, using typography.Pros: Damn fun to watch
Minuses: You will have to spend a lot of time arguing with bores. I warned you.
Trash Polka
This style was created by the Buena Vista Tattoo Club and they came up with the name. This style usually includes black and red colors, photos from movies, fashion magazines, typography, and large lines.Pros: By far the best of the new styles. Very bright and interesting work.
Minuses: You are on the front line, among the tattoo geeks. Get ready for momentary internet glory and torrents of dung from the proponents of the traditional tattoo. Yes, and you can be confused with another owner of a trash polka tattoo.
The ink used for tattoos could potentially be toxic and increase the risk of cancer, these are the first findings of another study. It is expected that the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the official EU body that controls the production and circulation of all chemicals in European countries, will soon publish a list of chemicals (including potentially hazardous ones) that are used in tattoo pigments. It is expected that the substances on the list will be banned in the territory of the EU countries.
An ECHA spokesman said “The results of many studies raise public health concerns arising from the composition of .
The most serious concerns are related to an allergic reaction to the components of the paint, as well as its possible carcinogenic and mutagenic properties.
(translation of the editorial site)
- rash;
- swelling of the tattoo area.
Researchers at the New York University Langone Medical Center concluded that approximately 6% of teenagers who got a tattoo subsequently experienced similar symptoms for 4 months and, in some cases, more than a year.
Another group of researchers representing the University of Bradford believe that paint nanoparticles can enter the circulatory system, which delivers them to vital organs such as the kidneys and spleen, which subsequently harms the body.
Editorial opinion website
Despite the fact that the major international publications wrote about this news, it is unlikely that such studies will cause a storm at the current stage. If you look, in fact, nothing fundamentally new was said. Individual intolerance to tattoo pigment has been known for a long time. Rather, the figures given in the reports are exclusive here - every twentieth or every fifteenth.
As far as we can tell, the situation, at least in Russia, is something like this. If you ask any more or less well-known tattoo artist, he will count on the fingers of one hand the cases when clients had skin problems after the sessions. In most cases, itching, itching and inflammation are the result of improper tattoo care.
P.S. By the way, personally, I really have one friend who really has a slight itching in the tattoo area for a year after healing, and according to her tattoo master, this is really an individual reaction to red paint.
As for the quality and composition of the pigment, there really are black spots here. It is possible that those who order paints from China are exposing customers to a greater risk of allergies and other unpleasant consequences. European consumables undergoing certification obviously inspire more confidence.
In any case, we will follow the development of history and report on the news. Want to be the first to know? Subscribe to our mailing list!
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Elena Flying Tattoos
Allergic reaction to red tattoo pigments. The topic is interesting, extensive and very useful. How did this topic come about? Recently there have been discussions of pigments on Facebook, but I wanted to bring up a narrow but generally very interesting topic.
In the last 4 years, people from all over the country have been contacting me about an allergic reaction to pigments. More often, there are care defects, but there are severe cases of allergies, and literally today I came across an interesting article, a medical article from a scientific journal, English-language, fresh, March 2016. This is a review of the last 5 - 7 years about allergic reactions to tattoo pigments.
Scientists analyzed and analyzed all cases, published clinical observations of allergic reactions to tattoos. And we formulated general theses, which I would like to present today. Each specific tattoo and permanent makeup artist rarely encounters this phenomenon in his life, but if you look at the country and the world as a whole, then this is a global problem that many do not know how to deal with.
I would like to tell you why it is to red pigments that an allergy develops, because this is the most common color, the most common pigment to which an allergic reaction develops.
There are almost never allergic reactions to black, these are isolated cases described in clinical practice. I did not come up with this, these are data from an article that has been analyzed over the past 10 years in the medical literature, in medical journals.
The yellow pigment rarely gives a true allergic reaction, it causes a maximum of a photoallergic reaction, photodermatitis, and that's it. Green and blue also rarely cause an allergic reaction.
My name is Vitaly Mikryukov, I am a candidate of medical sciences. I am engaged in laser removal and I communicate very closely with the tattoo industry and permanent. And I come across a lot of different cases, so I decided to make such a review.
The red pigment often contains mercury, mercury salts or various mercury minerals, such as cinnabar. In ancient times, cinnabar was called "dragon's blood" and mercury is not the mercury that we have in a thermometer, not liquid mercury, it is a mineral. Mercury salt is crystalline in nature. In particular, cinnabar contains up to 85% mercury atoms. It is a beautiful pink-red mineral that is crushed and used, among other things, to obtain tattoo pigments. And other mercury salts have a crystal lattice, so you don't think that pure mercury is added. Mercury, as an element, not as a substance contained in mercury salts, it is the mercury atom itself that is contained there. 
Green color - chromium, these are also salts of chromium metal.
Violet color - manganese, most often some of its compounds. But this is not pure chromium and manganese, but their salts.
Blue color - cobalt, i.e. also cobalt salts.
Yellow color - cadmium.
Ocher (red, red) - iron oxide.
These are the minerals that are part of the mineral pigments that are used in tattooing, tattooing.
It is clear that no one will write to you on a jar of tattoo pigment that it contains mercury salts. But in general they are used to obtain color.
There are also so-called organic pigments. And in this case, we are interested in the red pigment. Red is the most allergenic, even among organic pigments. Organic pigments contain extracts of organic substances, such as sandalwood - this is the main component.
What happens when we develop an allergic reaction?
- The artificial pigment that we introduce into the skin is implanted and begins to contact the surrounding tissues and surrounding cells.
- We have an immune system, immune cells that are responsible for protecting our body, and they begin to interact with the pigment.
- And the options for interaction can be simply implantation, when the pigment remains and it does not greatly affect the surrounding tissues and does not cause any reaction.
And another option may be, the pigment in the tissues - implantation, just engraftment, without reaction. This happens in 80-95% of all cases, i.e. most often. And it could be an allergic reaction. How does it manifest itself? There are several options. It manifests itself in four main points.
- The first is dermatitis..
Allergic dermatitis, the simplest, least problematic reaction. This is itching, redness that goes beyond the boundaries of the pigment itself. In general, it ends pretty quickly. Contact dermatitis due to the fact that there is contact with an artificial pigment. - Photodermatitis,
because most often in the form of dermatitis manifests itself after intense exposure to the sun, sunburn. That is, there was a tattoo, a man went to Turkey to sunbathe, lay there for two days in the sun, and his tattoo began to itch all over, blush, puff up a little, i.e. acquires a small volume. Up to 50% of people with a tattoo experience this. But it's all peaceful and ends well when the sun exposure stops, one or two days of antihistamines and it's over. In such cases, I recommend keeping the tattoo out of the sun and using protective creams and antihistamine support., - Lichenoid reaction
slightly more severe than dermatitis. It is expressed in the thinning of the epidermal layer in response to an allergic reaction. The skin pattern becomes more pronounced, the skin becomes more flabby. Sometimes it happens that the tattoo protrudes a little due to the fact that the epidermis becomes thinner. The lichenoid reaction can continue for a long time. - pseudolymphomatous reaction,
but it is complex and very rare, so we will not focus on it. Why pseudolymphomatous, because there is lymphomatosis, it is malignant, it is an oncological disease. And here is pseudo, it's benign. In appearance and in fabrics, it is very similar. - Granulomatous,
the most unpleasant and nasty reaction that can be in terms of allergies. This is a scar type formation.
Let me show you the pictures.
And that's how everything was resolved. This is a case that we have tracked for 3-4 years. As a result, a scar formed in place of the red color. This is scar tissue. In general, the allergy is over, the itching has stopped. Not only does it not look very good, but also itching and irritating effects in this area.
I'll show you more options.
Pay attention to these areas. And here's what happened to them. The brown color is swollen. I would recommend removing it after the first healing has taken place and the first signs have appeared, because they will be immediately.
It's not an infection. Infection is a defect in care. Here the question is the composition of the paint, its components. No filtration and process disruption. Some people may have allergic reactions to the components of the paint. Even if a person is allergic, there is no relationship with tattoo pigments. Tattoo pigments are no different, they also use different components, either organic or non-organic. These are universal natural components that give the colors we need.
When does an allergy appear? It can manifest itself both during the healing process of a tattoo, immediately after application and during the healing process. Many tattoo artists can confirm that red pigment is less likely to take root in the skin, even if there is no allergy.
It is almost impossible to warn, the test will not help much. An allergy to red pigment can take years to show up. I went to sunbathe and provoked an allergy to red pigment.
Twice in my practice, I experienced an allergy debut during laser removal, the patients had normal tattoos with red pigments, without any manifestations of allergies. And after exposure to the laser, we got an allergic reaction in these patients. But it is almost impossible to guess and predict.
A couple of days ago, a patient came to me with a ready-made allergy to red pigment, now we are working with him and removing red pigment from the skin with a neodymium laser.
What are the options for correcting an allergic reaction?
- First, glucocorticosteroids. Local, such ointments as Advantan, Celestodene. Apply topically to the area of the allergic reaction. This will reduce itching and local reactions.
- Second, antihistamines. Such as Tsetrin, Ksizal.
But this is all temporary relief of manifestations, i.e. this will quickly drown out the local reaction at the time of its appearance and activity.
As long as the pigment is in the skin and an allergy to it has already formed, then as soon as you stop using these histamine preparations, the reaction will intensify further.
Kenalog and diprospan are injected into the focus. But there is a danger in terms of skin dystrophy. These are very powerful drugs, they extinguish inflammation, but in this place there may be a hole in the skin.
All this should be prescribed only by a doctor.
Neodymium lasers - removal. Removal of red pigment with a wavelength of 532 nm. The removal of the ladybug tattoo that I showed you was achieved thanks to these methods, diprospan and laser removal. As a result, a scar remained, maybe some kind of skin atrophy, but in general, the development of an allergic reaction stopped.
And the last method, CO 2 laser, or surgical section, or electrocoagulation. These are any methods that mechanically destroy the skin and remove it along with the pigment. There will definitely be a scar, but if this continues for years and is not corrected in any way, this may be the way out.
How many sessions? Depends on the amount of pigments. By the way, the higher the concentration of red pigment in the skin, the denser it is clogged, the higher the likelihood of an allergic reaction.
In the case of a ladybug, three times with a laser and an injection of diprospan, in the end she got rid of the allergic reaction.
A message that under the influence of a laser, an increase in an allergic reaction is possible, up to anaphylactic shock. In the article I told you about, scientists wrote that not a single case of anaphylactic shock was described anywhere after laser removal and in the process of tattooing. The probability is extremely low.
The bottom line is that you don’t need to be afraid, but you need to know about the likelihood of developing an allergy to tattoo pigments.
