Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

T–U
tattoos A form of body art in which decorative
inks injected into the dermis permanently stain
the SKIN. Though the needles are solid, they create
puncture wounds that then fill with ink. The cells
and intracellular spaces of the dermis absorb the
ink. The health implications of tattoos are twofold:
potential complications at the time of tattooing
and the challenges of tattoo removal.
Commercial tattoo artists use mechanical needles
that rapidly inject inks. The needles and the
ink packets are sterile and for one-time use.
Though inks are generally of natural origins, some
people have adverse reactions to them that can
cause swelling, INFLAMMATION, and scarring.
Though many tattoo artists follow appropriate
antiseptic procedures, many others do not. Most
US states do not have regulations or procedures to
establish health standards or confirm their practice.
The most common risk arising from improper
skin and equipment cleansing is bacterial INFECTION
of the tattooed site, which may require treatment
with ANTIBIOTIC MEDICATIONS. A less common
though far more serious infection risk is that of
HEPATITIS and HIV/AIDS, both of which are bloodborne
viral infections. Reusing needles and inks
passes any VIRUS present to subsequent clients.
Improperly cleaning the tattooing equipment also
allows viruses to linger, with the potential of passing
them on.
Tattoo removal is far less certain than tattooing.
Most methods cause significant scarring. A form of
laser therapy called Q-switched laser offers the
least destructive means for removing tattoos.
Lasers can destroy the structure of some inks
without damaging the surrounding cells. The
body’s normal processes then remove the ink fragments
as cellular debris. However, this process is
most effective with black and blue inks, and least
effective with yellow, red, and orange. Different
wavelengths of laser are necessary for the various
colors, so tattoo removal may involve several sessions.
Seldom can the laser remove all color,
though it often can remove enough color for the
tattoo to appear only as a slight discoloration of
the skin. It is possible for the pigment to darken in
the skin surface surrounding the tattoo, in
response to the laser. Scarring and infection also
remain slight risks. Other methods of tattoo
removal, such as DERMABRASION and excision, may
more successfully remove the full tattoo though
leave considerable scarring. With these methods,
skin grafts are sometimes necessary.
See also BACTERIA; PIERCINGS; PLASTIC SURGERY;
SCAR.
telangiectasis A weblike network of BLOOD vessels
that becomes visible just below the surface of
the SKIN, commonly called spider veins. Sometimes
telangiectasis is present from birth or early
childhood as a BIRTHMARK, though more commonly
develops later in life as a manifestation of chronic
sun exposure. Telangiectasis generally has no
adverse health effects, though many people find
the lesions cosmetically unacceptable. For telangiectasis
on the face, dermatologists use laser therapy
or fine cautery. For spider veins on the legs,
the most common treatment is sclerotherapy in
which the dermatologist injects the telangiectasis
with a chemical that irritates the blood vessels,
causing them to SCAR. Over time the discoloration
fades. Laser therapy may be a therapeutic option
for some telangiectasis lesions.
See also LESION; VARICOSE VEINS; VEIN.
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