A Peaceful Place

Think twice - about ink's price

July 21, 2006: - As you may know, I've written many times before about the rise of "superbugs" - antibiotic-resistant (or immune) bacterial infections that could become tomorrow's global killers.

Usually, I'm speaking about them in the context of how to avoid getting them from visits to the hospital or doctor's office, the place the average person is most likely to be at risk. Prisons are high-risk places, too, but I'd like to think the average Daily Dose reader isn't doing time...

However, there's a new source of these infections that may concern you. Well, perhaps not you directly, but more likely your children and grandchildren: It's the tattoo needle.

Perhaps you've noticed that for the past 10 years, tattoos (or "body art," as those who wear them prefer them to be called) have become quite the rage among the younger crowd. And I'm not just talking about military types and rebellious teens, either. A recent Harris poll found that a full 36% of American 25-29 year old are sporting some ink - much of it hidden from their parents, children, and employers under shirtsleeves or below the waistline. Another estimate pegs the number of tattooed Americans at 1 in 8, all age groups and demographics averaged. That's nearly 40 million of us!

Now, most of the 15,000 tattoo parlors in the U.S. are strictly licensed and regulated by the various states for sanitation and sterility. And indeed, many millions of tattoos are applied without infection or complications (except regret - the same Harris poll found that fully 50% of recipients wish they hadn't gotten their tattoos). However, as body art has increased in popularity, so have those who "ink" on the black market, cut-rate style.

These are the kinds of folks who attract the very youngest customers - because they're cheaper and because they often don't care if their "canvases" are underage (most states restrict tattooing to those over 18). These underground artists practice their craft in their homes, in customers' homes, and in public parks and other places...

And sometimes, their standards and sanitation measures leave a lot to be desired. According to a recent AP article, one "artist" used a tattoo gun constructed from an ink-jet computer printer cartridge and a length of guitar string!

Also according to the article, these unlicensed tattooists have spurred multiple domestic outbreaks of an infection called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

MRSA is a potentially serious skin infection that can destroy body tissues and can be transmitted from person to person. Though generally not life-threatening, the AP article cites cases in which the disease has spurred pneumonia, blood infections - even the terrifying necrotizing fasciitis, a rare "flesh-eating" bacterial infection that can strip skin and muscle from victims' bones...

Mmm. Sounds delightful, doesn't it?

According to the CDC report, at least 44 people have been infected over the last two years in clusters linked to 13 unlicensed tattooists in Ohio, Vermont, and Kentucky. At least three of these "artists" are now in jail. Several of the infected victims were indeed under 18 - and thankfully, all have made a full recovery.

What's the moral for young people here? To think twice before "inking" even once. It's likely enough that kids who get tattooed on an impulse will end up regretting it even without the health risks, but it's downright hazardous to get body art in any way other than from a full-priced, licensed tattoo salon...

If you think any of your kids (even if they're in their 30s or 40s) or grandkids may be of a mindset to do something rebellious like have some body art done, talk to them about it - or show them this article, especially if they're a bit cash-strapped.

You'll be helping them to possibly avoid serious health risks - and perhaps avoid spreading tomorrow's killer "superbugs." And according to statistics, you also may be helping them get better jobs, improve their odds of finding a quality mate, and very likely avoid painful and expensive laser removal surgery later on.

Talking smart about body art,

William Campbell Douglass II, MD

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