Tattoos are not new to this world...Decades ago, the older geenrations had tattoos too, but they were traditionally made with natural materials. Tattoos these days are made using heavy metals, harmful inks etc. Noone cares about the ingredients of a tattoo ink. The U.S. Food and Drug Administratin doesnot require tattoo companies to print their ingredients on the ink containers and so we are unaware of how they are made. A study links commercial tattoos to the spread of Hepatitis C. It was found that more cases of hepatitis C infections were recorded among people who had tattoos than any other person. Tattoo markers may have been the largest single contributor to this increase in the infection among people.

Many tattoo ink pigments are industrial-grade colors used for inkjets-printers, automobile paints. Though the FDA doesnot ask the tattoo makers to print their ingredients, it warns that tattoo inks may possibly cause allergic reactions, infections, tissue scars, skin inflammation and potential complications with MRI scans. The carriers solution that tattoo makers use contains harmful substances such as methanol, detergents, formaldehyde, other roxic aldehydes, denatured alcohol. These names shout of notorious items harmful to health.

Good news that people who had tattoos for long are now considering to get them removed and hence, we see more sign boards advertising of stores offering tattoo removal solutions. It may be due to changing fashion, changing relationships, boredom to see the same design on hands or elsewhere on the body, everyday...sometimes, the job environment that doesnot encourage an informal appearance. An interactive poll revealed that one-third of Employing Managers would think twice about promoting someone with tattoos and piercings and may not consider hiring atall. Due to changing likes and dislikes, demands from the world, Healthier alternatives are springing up with more natural and less permanent solutions, custom made temporary tattoos, henna tattoos, permanent organic tattoo made of inks that fade off faster over time and such. Overall, it saves so much money to not get a tattoo atall !!

--Pratyusha