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If you have a tattoo, you should have no qualms about getting the COVID vaccine. Walk with me on a journey...
1/ A 2015 Harris poll & 2016 McCrindle poll showed that 29% of Americans & 19% of Australians have at least one tattoo, respectively.
For purposes of this thread, tattoos include body art, permanent makeup, scar camouflage, nipple recreation, hairline restoration, etc
For purposes of this thread, tattoos include body art, permanent makeup, scar camouflage, nipple recreation, hairline restoration, etc
2/ Tattoos are created by injecting ink into the dermis using needles penetrating the skin at 50-3,000Hz.
Three months after ink deposition, granulation tissue initially created through the traumatic process is replaced by ink-enveloping fibroblasts causing permanence.
Pigments
Three months after ink deposition, granulation tissue initially created through the traumatic process is replaced by ink-enveloping fibroblasts causing permanence.
Pigments
3/ that go deeper than the skin can be phagocytosed & removed via the lymphatics.
In the USA, there are *NO* FDA approved inks for injection into the skin for cosmetic purposes.
Ingredients are not required on the label.
The USA is the world's largest supplier of tattoo inks.
In the USA, there are *NO* FDA approved inks for injection into the skin for cosmetic purposes.
Ingredients are not required on the label.
The USA is the world's largest supplier of tattoo inks.
4/ Most inks were originally developed for industrial purposes like textiles, printers, & auto paint & can be made from black carbon (aka soot), titanium dioxide, metal salts, & azo pigments.
Tattoo inks get their color from pigments suspended in solution.
Studies using TEM to
Tattoo inks get their color from pigments suspended in solution.
Studies using TEM to
5/ measure particle size in tattoo inks have shown sizes from 10-5,000nm.
In a survey of 58 tattoo inks covering 6 colors from 5 countries, >99% were less than 100nm in at least 1 dimension qualifying as nanoparticles.
White pigments, made of titanium dioxide, were consistently
In a survey of 58 tattoo inks covering 6 colors from 5 countries, >99% were less than 100nm in at least 1 dimension qualifying as nanoparticles.
White pigments, made of titanium dioxide, were consistently
6/ the largest at >200nm
Black pigments were consistently the smallest at <100nm.
Various colored inks (red, green, blue, & yellow) were in between.
Modern inks are largely organic compounds while inks produced 20-30 yrs ago were primarily metals like cadmium, mercury, & iron.
Black pigments were consistently the smallest at <100nm.
Various colored inks (red, green, blue, & yellow) were in between.
Modern inks are largely organic compounds while inks produced 20-30 yrs ago were primarily metals like cadmium, mercury, & iron.
7/ Tattoo removal relies on your body to remove these compounds.
High energy beams are used to break apart the pigments of the ink into smaller particles that can be consumed by macrophages.
Removal is dependent more on the structure than the size of the pigment. Blues & reds
High energy beams are used to break apart the pigments of the ink into smaller particles that can be consumed by macrophages.
Removal is dependent more on the structure than the size of the pigment. Blues & reds
8/ are typically harder to break apart without using energies that can burn your skin & are therefore more difficult for your body to remove than black ink.
(Sidebar this is why avoiding UV exposure while your fibroblasts are enveloping your ink is *crucial* to tattoo longevity)
(Sidebar this is why avoiding UV exposure while your fibroblasts are enveloping your ink is *crucial* to tattoo longevity)
9/ It's important to note that if your needles are penetrating too deep, the pigments will get engulfed by phagocytes then travel via lymphatics in your body's attempt to remove them.
Again there are *NO* FDA approved inks for cosmetic body art & ink production is not regulated.
Again there are *NO* FDA approved inks for cosmetic body art & ink production is not regulated.
10/ Reactive lymphadenitis is no joke & can mimic lymphoma, metastatic skin or breast cancer.
(Sidebar no 2 this is why you pay hella $$$$ for experienced & SAFE tattoo artists. If you think the price someone asks is exorbitant, you probably can't afford what you're asking for)
(Sidebar no 2 this is why you pay hella $$$$ for experienced & SAFE tattoo artists. If you think the price someone asks is exorbitant, you probably can't afford what you're asking for)
11/ In fact this whole thread is brought to you by a case report I wrote in med school that went unpublished because of a journal's pixel requirements 
Lymph nodes removed during surgery were pigmented from a patient's new sleeve tattoo but thankfully non-cancerous.
Anyway, I
Lymph nodes removed during surgery were pigmented from a patient's new sleeve tattoo but thankfully non-cancerous.
Anyway, I
12/ don't know what's in the COVID vaccine.
I do know I'll be rolling up my sleeve to get it.
Now speaking of sleeves...
I do know I'll be rolling up my sleeve to get it.
Now speaking of sleeves...
