(Image credit: Illustrated/Getty Images)
By Devika Rao, The Week US
published
Aside from their long-lasting imagery, what effect do tattoos have on the body, or, more specifically, the immune system?
Why are tattoos permanent?
When a person gets tattooed, the ink is deposited via tiny punctures under the top layer of the skin, explained anthropologist Christopher Lynn. As a result, the body views a tattoo as a wound and sends out macrophages, or white blood cells, to heal the area.
But tattoo ink is especially difficult for the cell enzymes to break down. "The reason pigment stays there is because the pigment particles are too big to be eaten by the white cells," Dr. Anne Laumann, a dermatology professor at Northwestern University, told Popular Science. Instead of breaking down, the ink is passed from macrophage to macrophage, which is why the tattoo becomes fuzzier over time, especially as the skin itself ages and warps. "So not only does it bleed a bit because the pigment moves gradually over time and so those will tend to become sort of smoky edges, but also the whole line might become a little distorted over the years," Laumann said. Basically, adds ZME Science, "your tattoo and your body's immune system are locked in a tug that never stops."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
How do tattoos affect your body?
Because the body is constantly fighting with the ink, tattoos may actually impact your larger immune system ... though how, exactly, is still up for debate. "What if you are forcing [white blood cells] to take care of these foreign clumps of pigment instead of doing immune surveillance?" posited virologist Juliet Morrison, speaking with The Atlantic's Katherine J. Wu.
The immune system may actually be slightly weakened following a new tattoo, potentially putting the body "at a disadvantage if a new tattoo ends up inflamed, infected, or triggering allergies," Wu writes. But in the long term, "small bits of damage to the skin — administered by a professional using sterile, hypoallergenic equipment and materials — could even keep nearby immune cells spry," Wu says. Indeed, some studies have found that tattoo ink creates a sort of "priming effect" for your immune system, whereby the body, on high alert from the pesky tattoo ink, is supposedly better able to detect other infections, noted Lynn, the anthropologist. Separately, he told Wu that "frequent tattooing gives the immune system a regular, low-intensity workout — and keeps certain bits of our defensive armamentarium more fit."
"If your body tolerates a tattoo at all," added María Daniela Hermida, a dermatologist based in Buenos Aires, "it means that the immune system adapted."
Are tattoos ultimately good or bad for you?
The answer to that might depend on how many tattoos one person has. A study conducted by Lynn, for instance, "revealed that those with no pre-existing tattoos experienced a greater strain on their immune system ... possibly due to greater feelings of stress," while "those on their second, third (or twelfth) tattoo instead experienced a surge in [antibodies that fight infection] immediately following their inking session," summarizes Scientific American. Still, though, that immune boost is not necessarily very large — "I don't think it's going to cure colds," Lynn told Wu.
On the flip side, tattoos do have the potential to cause infections, especially when administered in unsanitary conditions. Plus, the tattoo ink itself may have ingredients that can trigger an allergic reaction or prove harmful to one's health. "Different colors are created with variations in pigment and dilution, while some contain materials that may be considered carcinogenic," writes Healthline.
But as far as the broader medical field goes, the art of tattooing seemingly has its upsides — in one instance, it prompted some researchers to reconsider how vaccines are administered. Currently, vaccines are injected into muscles that "aren't well stocked with immune cells," Wu writes in The Atlantic. But the skin is "a formidable place to administer vaccines" instead, Gary Kobinger, an immunologist at the Galveston National Laboratory. explained. "The cells are already on site, and there is an immediate reaction." So while, of course, tattoos might not be without their cons, they aren't without their pros, either.
Explore More
BriefingHealth NewsHealth And Science
To continue reading this article...
Create a free account
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
register for free
Already have an account? Sign in
Subscribe to The Week
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Subscribe & Save
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Unlimited website access is included with Digital and Print + Digital subscriptions.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao, The Week US
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
The Young Woman and the Sea: Daisy Ridley stars as 'tenacious' heroineThe Week RecommendsThe film explores the story of Trudy Ederle, the first woman to swim across the ChannelBy The Week UKPublished 6 June 24 9 looming climate tipping points that imperil our planetThe ExplainerNew reports detail the thresholds we may be close to crossingBy Devika Rao, The Week USPublished 6 June 24 'Diplomacy and symbolism matter tremendously'Instant OpinionOpinion, comment and editorials of the dayBy Justin Klawans, The Week USPublished 6 June 24
FDA panel rejects ecstasy to treat PTSDSpeed ReadIt cited flawed study data and the potential for abuseBy Peter Weber, The Week USPublished 5 June 24 Cannabis tops alcohol in daily US consumptionSpeed ReadFor the first time in U.S. history, daily cannabis users have outpaced daily drinkersBy Rafi Schwartz, The Week USPublished 23 May 24 Pig kidney transplant recipient diesSpeed ReadRichard Slayman has passed away two months after undergoing the historic procedureBy Peter Weber, The Week USPublished 13 May 24 What reclassifying cannabis could changeThe ExplainerThe Biden administration's move to change marijuana from a Schedule I narcotic to Schedule III could reshape the pot landscape even if it doesn't mean full federal legalizationBy Rafi Schwartz, The Week USPublished 9 May 24 In what countries is assisted dying legal or under review?In the spotlightMore countries are granting more people the right to dieBy Devika Rao, The Week USPublished 8 May 24 The complicated problem of banning menthol cigarettesThe ExplainerBanning menthol smokes will save lives, public health officials say. But this is an election year.By Harold Maass, The Week USPublished 7 May 24 The bird flu fight is falteringTalking PointsAre pandemic lessons going unheeded?By Joel Mathis, The Week USPublished 2 May 24 Immunotherapy and hay feverThe ExplainerResearch shows that the treatment could provide significant relief from symptoms for many hay fever sufferersBy Richard Windsor, The Week UKPublished 26 April 24
