Tattoo Risks

A tattoo is a permanent, in most cases, mark that is made on the skin with pigments that have been inserted through pricks made by an automated needle into the skin’s top layer. While the tattoo is being applied, the needle, which is connected to a small machine with tubes containing dye, looks like a sewing machine’s needle. With every puncture that is made in the skin, the needle injects or inserts tiny ink droplets into the skin.

Because the body’s main defense against infection, the skin, is being pierced by the needle repeatedly in an action that causes bleeding, there are a number of specific risks of tattoos. The biggest risk is of blood-borne diseases. While most tattoo parlors are very careful about not using contaminated needles or inks, some are not quite as scrupulous. If the needle is contaminated with the blood of an infected person, any number of blood-borne diseases can be contracted. Some common ones include hepatitis C, hepatitis B, tetanus, tuberculosis, and HIV.

After the tattoo, the body may form bumps around the “inked” area. These tiny bumps are called granulomas and particularly common around tattoos containing red ink. In addition, it is possible for the tattoo process to cause areas of raised, excessive scarring called keloids.

Blood-borne diseases are bad enough but, from unsterile equipment, a person can also get a localized bacterial infection. The CDC has traced a number of antibiotic-resistant skin infections to a variety of unlicensed tattoo artists who are known not to follow proper infection-control procedures. Some of these infections can lead to pneumonia, blood infections, and even necrotizing fasciitis.

Contact a Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have endured endless pain and suffering because of poor sterilization techniques at a tattoo parlor, contact the Chicago personal injury lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake at 312-466-8200.