Tattoos Could Increase Your Risk Of Cancer, As Ink Particles Can Migrate To Lymph Nodes
Before getting a tattoo, people usually put a lot of thought into its placement and what they want it to look like. But what most fail to consider is the long-term health impacts of a tattoo.
A new study has shown that people with tattoos may be at a higher risk of skin and blood cancers than those who don’t have any.
Previous research has revealed that tattoo ink does not just stay in the area where it was injected. The ink particles can migrate to the lymph nodes and accumulate there.
The lymph nodes are an important part of the immune system. They help fight off infections and filter harmful substances from the body. When tattoo ink is injected into the skin, some of it travels to the lymph nodes.
A team of researchers from the University of Southern Denmark and the University of Helsinki have investigated the consequences this could have on human health.
They are concerned that the tattoo ink can trigger chronic inflammation in the lymph nodes. Over time, this could lead to abnormal cell growth and an increased risk of cancer.
“We can see that ink particles accumulate in the lymph nodes, and we suspect that the body perceives them as foreign substances,” said Henrik Frederiksen, a clinical professor from the University of Southern Denmark.
“This may mean that the immune system is constantly trying to respond to the ink, and we do not yet know whether this persistent strain could weaken the function of the lymph nodes or have other health consequences.”
For the study, they analyzed data from the Danish Twin Tattoo Cohort, which contains the health information of more than 5,900 twins in the country.
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They discovered that tattooed individuals were diagnosed with skin and lymphoma cancers more frequently than those without tattoos.
Additionally, large tattoos, bigger than the size of a palm, may elevate health risks. The risk of lymphomas is about three times higher for people with large tattoos.
The findings suggest that the bigger the tattoo and the longer it has been there, the more the ink builds up in the lymph nodes.
Another study from the Danish Twin Tattoo Cohort demonstrates how tattoos are becoming increasingly common. It is estimated that four in 10 women and three in 10 men will have tattoos by the age of 25.
In the study, there was not a clear link between specific ink colors and cancer, but prior research has indicated that certain pigments in tattoo ink cause more problems than others. For instance, red ink tends to cause more allergic reactions.
The researchers plan to further investigate the impact of tattoo ink on the function of lymph nodes and the immune system to better understand the biological mechanisms at play.
The study was published in the journal BMC Public Health.
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