Decals frequently used by children can disrupt the skin's protective barrier function
This type of tattooing should be used with caution, says a study by ibs.GRANADA and the University of Granada, especially in patients who already have some damage to their skin, such as those affected by psoriasis or atopic dermatitis.
Temporary stickers, popular especially with children, can damage the skin barrier that protects the skin. This is stated by a study published in Journal of Clinical Medicine developed by the researchers of the group of clinical and translational dermatology of the ibs.GRANADA Agustín Buendía and Salvador Arias; and UGR researchers José Pablo Serrano and Trinidad Montero.
The research has analyzed the dermatological effects of permanent tattoos, made with needles in the skin, and temporary adhesive tattoos. The latter, says researcher José Pablo Serrano, are the most damaging: “The results show how skin with adhesive tattoos, compared to non-tattooed skin controls, had lower temperature, lower stratum corneum hydration and worse antioxidant capacity. total".
The levels of transepidermal water loss were higher in adhesive tattoos compared to non-tattooed skin, which may indicate that there is a certain degree of damage to the epidermal barrier of the skin, that is, in the one that functions as a defense of the organ .
Adhesive tattoos should be used with caution, say specialists, especially in patients who already have some damage to their skin, such as those affected by psoriasis or atopic dermatitis.
The study adds a new component to the scientific literature, since most of the adverse reactions related to tattoos that have been described are associated with permanent ones and are usually due to problems of an infectious, granulomatous or allergic nature, in relation to pigments. used or the tattooing process. In addition, other temporary tattoos such as henna, which are not analyzed in this study, have been associated with a large number of allergic-type adverse reactions.
Impact of permanent tattoos
What effects do permanent tattoos cause then? The researcher José Pablo Serrano points to the "traumatic process of tattooing", capable of causing "adverse skin reactions".
However, permanently tattooed skin does not differ significantly from non-tattooed skin, according to the research. "We concluded in the work that permanent tattoos do not seem to significantly affect the epidermal barrier function, something that adhesives do", explains Serrano.
Dermatologist Recommendations
Given that in general the tattooing process is "traumatic and not without complications", as the specialists explain, the recommendation is to exercise caution before getting a tattoo.
Information about the possible infectious or allergic risks that the tattooed person can produce is essential, as well as the preference to go to salons that offer quality and hygiene standards that minimize these risks.
“It would be convenient to know the type of pigments that are going to be used for their tattoos and the allergenic potential that these may have”, underlines José Pablo Serrano.
Experts conclude that if the person who is going to get a tattoo wants advice on the possible effect of it on their skin, always consult a dermatologist.
Bibliographic reference:
Serrano-Serra, J.-P .; Montero-Vilchez, T .; Buendia-Eisman, A .; Arias-Santiago, S. Epidermal Barrier Function and Skin Homeostasis in Skin with Permanent and Adhesive Tattoos: A Cross-Sectional Study. J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10, 888. https://doi.org/10.3390/