This is a guest post contributed to Uplifting Families.
Do DIY Tattoo Kits Pose a Serious Danger?
One of the most popular trends these days are the at-home DIY tattoo kits. These are often referred to as tattoos that are meant to be “stick and poke” style. However, the FDA has started warning the public about the dangers of these kits. Custom temporary tattoos, like those offered at Temporarytattoos.com, can be a good alternative. But if you’re intent on trying a DIY tattoo, you should really know beforehand if they really pose a serious danger.
This unique type of body art is made on your skin with a needle that has tattoo ink on it. You then “poke and stick” your body to make sure that you get the design in place. Due to their availability through a variety of retailers at budget-friendly prices starting at around $40, this is set to be one of the most popular crazes. After all, tattoos are back in style and all the cool people have at least one on their body.
The retailers that sell these kits are encouraging the public to try out this new trend, but this is getting a lot of opposition in the long run, claiming that these tattoos are dangerous- and even ridiculous. Many people are saying that those who are inexperienced- and not in a sterile shop- should not be encouraged to tattoo themselves. After all, a tattoo is something that is a lifelong commitment- it’s not something you can simply erase when something new comes along.
According to the FDA, anyone that wants to try these stick and poke tattoo kits should know about the potential risks of this issue.
The most common problem involved microbiological contaminants that can be introduced into the ink bottles during packaging or manufacturing- or even when the inks are being prepared for the tattoo process.
Injecting contaminants into the skin- whether by using contaminated ink or needles or not properly preparing the site- can cause you to have serious infections at the tattoo site. These infections can spread through your body in your blood. This condition is referred to as sepsis.
Sepsis is an infection that can be severe. It often requires treatment with antibiotics or even hospitalization. In the really severe cases, surgery is often required. Symptoms of a potential infection after a tattoo include itching, swelling, blemishes in the tattoo, pain in the tattoo that does not clear up, and/or redness. Even after the infection has healed up, the area may still have permanent scars.
Some of the other possible risks of these “stick and poke” tattoos include an increase in sunlight sensitivity, as well as being exposed to the toxic elements that are in some of the inks.
The FDA has actually recalled many of these kits, after it was found that they contained unclean needles and toxic inks.
Of course, this process is even worse if the individual is not aware of how to choose the best quality equipment and inks. If you do choose to use one of these at-home kits, you should get rid of the tattoo inks and kits that are on the recall list.
You must understand how to prepare your skin for tattooing and properly apply the ink to your skin. In addition, you must understand correct hygiene before and after the tattooing process as well as properly caring for your tattoo in order to prevent any complications.