Is tattooing really good for you?

Despite the various reasons given by people on why they have tattoos, many others have negative views on tattooing. Life Extra spoke to a cross section of people to find out what they think of tattoos. Their views are as divergent as they are interesting.
Vivian Okoye, a civil servant, opines that: “Tattooing is not the way of the Lord; I don’t see any good reason why someone would intentionally spoil their bodies. Our body is wonderfully and perfectly made by God, so what good reason would you have to want to destroy it. You see youths of today spoiling their bodies with tattoos all for the sake of fashion or in a bid to copy celebrities. I have seen a girl who drew on her waist two skulls; what is she trying to connote with that? I am strongly against tattoos.”
Omamuyowei Roy, an engineer, says: “The bible in the book of Leviticus speaks strongly about cutting our bodies for any reason. People tattoo their body because they want to portray their style or show a representation of a group they belong to. I remember when I was in school; some cult members used to have tattoos as a means to identifying themselves. I personally see people with tattoos to be irresponsible.”
Esther Inyang, a secretary, is of the same view as. “I remember seeing a movie were the doctor had tattoos all over his body, on seeing that I got irritated, I personally won’t allow a doctor with visible tattoos attend to me because I would see such a doctor as an irresponsible person who might not know his job.” Inyang stated. “This might seem judgmental but I believe if you, as a doctor, went through the rudiments of schooling for years, you won’t have time for such; besides I see the profession as a calling for people who are humble, responsible and with special attention on their appearance to patients.”
But Olajumoke Owoyemi, a youth corps member, thinks differently. “I don’t see what is wrong with tattooing; it all narrows down to individual reasoning. In the days of old, our forefathers drew or in-scripted their names on their hands. A typical Ibadan man has marks on his face; all of these are tattoos that are now being modernised. People make reference to biblical portions stating reasons why you should not cut your body but they also ignore other things stated there that they don’t adhere to in the scriptures. People should stop using portions of the Scripture that are beneficial to them as a point to debate with, let’s not be myopic in our reasoning. Those who do it, do it because they like it, I don’t have any but I am definitely not against it.”
Self-employed Chinyere Agomuo, says: “Many people who tattoo their bodies end up regretting it. I have a friend who tattooed her shoulder when she was younger, she regrets it today and wishes she can remove the tattoo but can’t. When she was getting married she couldn’t wear the gown she wanted because she was hiding the tattoo from her in-laws. She later realised that tattooing herself would make her look irresponsible even if she is not. I also heard the process of making the tattoo is very painful, this makes me wonder why an individual would intentionally endure that pain of piercing a needle continuously into the skin to create a drawing.” She explained further that: “People should consider the health repercussions of tattooing, your skin and my skin are different, what Mr. A’s body can take would not be what Mr. B’s body would take. In this time where strange diseases are coming up, people should be careful not to involve themselves in things or acts they would end up regretting.”
Ufuoma Festus, who is also self-employed, feels tattooing is an act for less immature minds: “When you buy a white cloth and it gets stained, you find every means to remove the stain because you cherish the cloth and you like it for how it is, ‘white.’ Why then should you intentionally draw permanent marks on your body for the sake of fashion or otherwise? Your body should be cherished and not handled roughly.”
Dr. Michi Shinohara, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Washington in Seattle, explains in an American Academy of Dermatology news release that: “Tattooing inks have changed a great deal over the years and many modern tattoo inks contain organic azodyes with plastic-based pigments that are also used industrially in printing, textiles and car paint. Many unknowns exist about how these new tattoo inks interact with the skin and within the body.”
He adds that: “Allergic reaction to the tattoo pigments is one of the most common problems associated with tattooing. Infections also can pose a serious threat to health. Along with localised bacterial infection, there have been reports of people being infected with syphilis and hepatitis B and C due to non-sterile tattooing practices. Skin cancer is another potential risk associated with tattoos because they can make it hard to detect cancer-related changes in moles.”
Shinohara advises that if one wants to get a tattoo, one should make sure it is not placed over an existing mole.
“A tattoo can also cause a reaction that creates a bump that resembles a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. Because it is hard to distinguish from skin cancer, the bump could lead to potentially unnecessary and expensive skin cancer treatment, including surgery”, Shinohara warns.”