ZF-Whats the skinny on tattoos - Article & Q\'s PDF

Preview

Summary

just an assingnment we did in class....

Description

Anatomy & Physiology: Read the article and answer the questions. What's the skinny on tattoos? Learn how tattoos affect skin cells. To create a tattoo, a tattoo artist uses an electric device that contains tubes with ink attached to sterilized needles. By working a foot pedal, the artist injects the ink into your skin, moving the needles in and out to do so. So a tattoo is basically a series of puncture wounds. Why Tattoos Last You may have heard that your skin cells are constantly being replenished. So why do tattoos last? Your skin is made up of a number of different layers of cells, including the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis. When first injected into the skin, tattoo ink spreads from the puncture site to both the epidermis and the dermis. The upper layer of skin, the epidermis, contains keratin-producing cells, cells important for immune responses, and cells producing pigment. It's the epidermis that's regularly sloughed off and replenishes. And as your tattoo heals, this layer of skin does its job. Immune cells or phagocytes engulf the ink and epidermal cells flake off, carrying ink away. It's how your dermis reacts that makes your tattoo more or less permanent. The dermis is the skin layer beneath the epidermis where you find collagen- and elastin-producing cells, hair follicles, oil glands, and yes, pain and touch receptors. The dermis also contains cells involved in immune responses and that recognize the tattoo ink as foreign. However, the dermis doesn't turn over its cells the way the epidermis does. Tattoo ink is trapped in the dermis in a meshwork of fibroblast cells and collagen that form granulation tissue. If a tattoo is done properly, tattoo ink won't reach the bottom layer, the hypodermis, which provides a layer of fatty tissue and more support for the dermis and epidermis. As you get much older, the tattoo pigment may migrate deeper into the dermis (that's why your tattoo may fade a bit over time), but for the most part, it remains at the upper portion of the dermis, closer to the epidermis. Health Concerns Because the punctures made in your skin to create a tattoo create a temporary open wound, there's a risk of infection. You should be immunized for hepatitis and tetanus before you get a tattoo. Though professional tattoo artists use sterile equipment, it's best to be safe. If you have certain medical conditions, you're better off not getting a tattoo. For example, any condition that makes your immune system vulnerable makes a tattoo a bad choice. So if you have heart disease (which can be worsened by infection), diabetes, or allergies, you should probably avoid getting a tattoo. Allergies to Tattoo Inks You also may be allergic to ingredients found in tattoo inks. The catch is that different color dyes will include different ingredients. Some inks include metals, others carbon or even plastic polymers. The FDA does not regulate the tattoo industry or the inks used for tattooing and so you accept a certain amount of risk when you get a tattoo. In addition to the basic ingredients that give tattoo ink its color, tattoo ink is often thinned before use with solutions like alcohol, purified water, witch hazel, and even Listerine. Also, if you're allergic to latex watch out, because your tattoo artist will likely be wearing latex gloves. You should let them know before they start what your health issues are.

Although allergic responses to tattoo inks are rare, if you're concerned, find out the list of ink ingredients ahead of time and discuss these with your doctor. Consider having a few small pin pricks of color made to pre-test your sensitivity. An allergic reaction should be treated by seeking medical care. Typically, your physician will give you antihistamines and/or corticosteroids. Watch out for unusual swelling and redness. There's always some risk of a severe allergic reaction like anaphylactic shock. Anaphylactic shock requires an initial exposure to ingredients in the ink that sensitize your immune system. It's on subsequent exposure that you may experience a reaction that affects your whole body. Anaphylactic shock is very dangerous and can affect your breathing almost immediately. It can be treated with a shot of epinephrine, but because of its suddenness of onset can be life-threatening. This kind of response is very rare and unfortunately hard to predict. After You Get Your Tattoo There will be redness and tenderness around the tattoo, but changes in skin color around the tattooed area, excessive redness and tenderness and excessive bleeding can all be signs of infection. You may be susceptible to a viral infection (e.g., hepatitis), bacterial infection, or skin irritation (dermatitis). If you have eczema, a tattoo may also cause a reaction. While it's theoretically possible to get AIDS from an infected needle, there have been no reports of AIDS infections in the U.S. from tattoo needles. However, as discussed below, it's very important to use a studio that's clean and follows good health and safety practices.

QUESTIONS: Please answer the following questions. 1. What are the three layers of skin? Describe each layer briefly. The three layers of the skin are the epidermis, dermis, and the hypodermis layer. Epidermis layer: ● The thin outer skin layer. ● It contains the squamous cells in its stratum corneum (the layer that continuously sheds off), basal cells, and melanocytes(cells that give the skin its color). Both the melanocytes and basal cells are located at the epidermis base. Dermis layer: ● The skin middle layer. ● It contains; lymph vessels, sweat glands, nerves, fibroblasts, blood vessels, collagen bundles, hair follicles and sebaceous glands. ● It is responsible for the skin's strength, flexibility, reception of pain and touch. Hypodermis layer: ● Also called the subcutaneous fat layer. ● The deepest and innermost layer of the skin. ● Contain fat cells and an extensive network of collagen. ● Mainly act as the body's shock absorber providing protection against heat and trauma.

2. From a scientific perspective, how do tattoos become permanent? Tattoos become permanent because particles in some specific tattoo inks are normally too big to be engulfed by the white blood cells and as such they just remain there permanently. Macrophages that tend to clean up the ink also become locked permanently in these regions and the dye they absorb also forms part of the tattoo.

In other words, ink particles from tattoos are not engulfed by macrophages on the skin and remain permanently in the skin pores.

3. Why do you think Henna tattoos are not permanent? Henna tattoos stain the outermost layer of the skin called the superficial layer (epidermis) which is continually shed and replaced, therefore the tattoo is always temporary. This epidermal is made up of thin layers of continually shedding, dead keratinocytes. When the outer skin slough off the stain disappears and the tattoo is hence not permanent as a new epidermal layer replaces the shed layer.

4. What are some of the health risks in getting a tattoo? Provide at least 3-4. The following are the health risks that are associated with getting a tattoo: 1. Tattoo pigments can cause interference with the image quality when one gets an MRI. 2. Apart from poor image quality during MRI procedure, one might swell and burn in the tattoo site. 3. Being tattooed with unsterilized equipment can cause diseases like Hepatitis B, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), etc 4. Some people are allergic to the dye used in tattoos. This leads to rashes which are itchy. 5. Tattooing can cause skin conditions like a granuloma, keloids etc. 6. One can get a skin infection from a tattoo...