Summary
Piercings and tattoos are body decorations that go back to ancient times. Body piercing involves making a hole in the skin so that you can insert jewelry. This is often in the earlobe, but can be in other parts of the body. Tattoos are designs on the skin made with needles and colored ink. A permanent tattoo is meant to last forever. Permanent makeup is a type of tattoo.
The health risks of piercings and tattoos include:
- Allergic reactions
- Keloids, a type of scar that forms during healing
- Infections, such as hepatitis
To reduce the risks, make sure that the facility is clean, safe and has a good reputation. Proper sterilization of the equipment is important. Be sure to follow the instructions on caring for your skin.
Holes from piercing usually close up if you no longer wear the jewelry. It is possible to remove tattoos, but it's painful and can cause scarring.
Learn More
- Body Piercing (For Teens) (Boston Children's Hospital)
-
Caring for New Piercings
(American Academy of Dermatology)
-
Caring for Tattooed Skin
(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Piercings: How to Prevent Complications (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Tattoo Removal: Options and Results (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
- Tattoos (Boston Children's Hospital)
- Tattoos and Permanent Makeup: Fact Sheet (Food and Drug Administration)
-
Tattoos: 7 Unexpected Skin Reactions and What to Do about Them
(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Tattoos: Understand Risks and Precautions (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Temporary Tattoos, Henna/Mehndi, and "Black Henna" (Food and Drug Administration)
- Think Before You Ink: Tattoo Safety (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Tattooing
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Short-term efficacy and safety of 5MHz fractional microneedle radiofrequency for facial...
- Article: Facial rejuvenation with autologous exosomes released from preconditioned platelet-rich plasma using...
- Article: Facial contour modulation and skin tightening using 40.68-MHz unipolar radiofrequency.
- Piercing and Tattoos -- see more articles