Healthier Alternatives The good news is there are more natural, less permanent alternatives for young adults to adorn and express themselves, including custom-made temporary tattoos, plus magnetic and clip-on jewelry that are indistinguishable from a permanent piercing. Temporary tattoos work to try out the look before possibly committing.


Henna tattoos, an import from India, are another popular alternative, although Hall has seen many patients develop allergic reactions to this plant- based ink, so it’s always best to test on a small spot fi rst. Permanent organic inks fade more


over time, a downside for someone that keeps a tattoo for life, but “come off beautifully” in a removal process compared to the standard heavy metal inks, reports Hall. Also, “We just don’t know yet what impact the heavy metals may have on people’s immune systems down the road,” he says. “Organic inks are much safer.”


Helpful Facts State laws vary regarding age criteria, some allowing tattoos at any age with parental consent. Hall’s tattoo website has a downloadable contract to encourage kids to talk with their parents before making a decision, regardless of the need for consent. Name tattoos, even those of loved ones, are among the tattoos most likely to be removed later in life. Hall saw this with a young man that had the names of the grandparents that raised him tattooed on his hands. He said, “I still love them, but I’m tired of looking at them and I have got to get them off me.” A Harris Interactive poll revealed that a third of company managers would think twice about promoting someone with tattoos or piercings—a more critical factor than how tidy their workspace is kept or the appropriateness of their attire.


Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, of Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.


The Toxic Truth About Tattoos by Anya Vien


T


he spike in popularity of tattooing that began a couple of decades ago


in America and Europe continues to spread worldwide. Those considering getting one will do well to carefully review the options and the health dangers related to traditional tattoos. Tattoo inks contain heavy metals, and red inks often contain mercury. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any tattoo pigments for injection into the skin. Tattoo parlors are regulated by states and municipalities, but the FDA doesn’t require manufacturers to release ink ingredients. The lack of regulation is unsettling, as some 45 million Americans have been inked. Many tattoo ink pigments are industrial-grade colors suitable for printer ink or automobile paint, and the FDA warns that it may possibly cause infections, allergic reactions, keloids (fi brous scar tissue), granulomas (response to infl ammation, infection or a foreign substance) and potential


complications connected with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The carrier solution used in tattoo inks also contains harmful substances such as denatured alcohol, methanol, antifreeze, detergents, formaldehyde and other toxic aldehydes. A study in the journal Medicine by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, in Dallas, links commercial tattoos to the spread of hepatitis C. Dr. Robert Haley, a preventative medicine specialist and former U.S. Centers for Disease Control infection control offi cial, comments, “We found that commercially-acquired tattoos accounted for more than twice as many hepatitis C infections as injection-drug use. This means it may have been the largest single contributor to the nationwide epidemic of this form of hepatitis.”


Anya Vien is the owner of Living Traditionally.com, focusing on naturally healthy and sustainable living.


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