纹身的坏处和你的健康

Body art has become a form of self-expression. When visible, they tell the world something about you and what you like, about what you believe and value. Tattoos also pay homage to loved ones, permanently enshrining the names of lovers, precious children or dates of special significance.
身体艺术已经成为一种自我表达的形式。当他们显现时，他们会告诉外界一些关于你的事情，你喜欢什么，你相信什么，你重视什么。纹身还表达了对亲人的敬意，永久地记载着恋人、珍贵的孩子或具有特殊意义的日期。
But are they safe?
但它们安全吗？ While the popularity of tattoos has grown, regulation of the industry has not. Tattoo ink is not regulated by the federal government. And oversight of tattoo parlors and artists on the state and local level is spotty.
虽然纹身越来越受欢迎，但对该行业的监管却没有改变。纹身用墨不受联邦政府的管制。在州和地方一级，对纹身店和纹身师的监管也参差不齐。
Many states and some cities have ordinances restricting tattoos on minors, but not all require cosmetic artists to be certified or tattoos shops to be licensed. Even when they are, inspectors are scarce, and shops may not be monitored to assure they always use clean, fresh needles.
许多州和一些城市都有限制未成年人纹身的法令，但并不是所有的州都要求纹身师获得认证或纹身店获得执照。即使有，检查人员也很少，而且商店可能没有受到监督，以确保他们一直使用干净、新鲜的针头。
And even in the best of circumstances, there are real dangers in both the inking process and the self-care of the wounds.
即使在最好的情况下，在纹墨的过程和伤口的自我修复中也存在着真正的危险。
"We see people come into our clinic with some bad tattoo reactions," said Dr. Crystal Aguh, an assistant professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
“我们看到人们来到我们的诊所，他们的纹身有不良的反应，”约翰霍普金斯大学医学院皮肤病学助理教授克里斯托阿格博士说。
"You're introducing a foreign body via the skin and there are risks," said Dr. Shawn Kwatra, also an assistant professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins. "Sometimes your body can react in many ways you may have never thought about."
“你是通过皮肤引入异物，这是有风险的，”约翰霍普金斯大学皮肤病学助理教授肖恩·克瓦特拉博士说。“有时你的身体可能会以你从未想过的方式做出反应。”
Allergic reactions
过敏反映
Tattoos can trigger allergic reactions, the most common is to ink. The reaction can be to any color, but the most typical are yellow and red.
纹身会引发过敏反应，最常见的是纹墨。任何颜色都会起反应，但最典型的是黄色和红色。
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the allergic response can occur immediately, weeks later, and surprisingly, even years and decades later.
根据美国皮肤病学会的说法，过敏反应可以在短时间内发生，几周后，甚至是几年或几十年后。
Yellow ink is associated with sun sensitivity, which can be irritating because you have to cover up your tat to protect it. But the photosensitivity typically fades after a few years, Aguh said.
黄色的纹墨对阳光有敏感性，这可能会让人很恼火，因为你必须把你的纹身盖起来才能保护它。阿格说，但是光敏性通常在几年之后就会减弱。
A reaction to red ink, however, is most common. For many, the response is mild: a bit of redness, swelling or an itch that can be treated with a steroid cream.
红色纹墨引起的反应是最常见的。对许多人来说，反应是温和的:有一点发红、肿胀或发痒，可以用类固醇霜治疗。
For some, red ink can spark a potentially serious allergic reaction, turning the tattoo experience into a nightmare.
对一些人来说，红色纹墨可能会引发潜在的严重的过敏反应，把纹身经历变成一场噩梦。
If those signs are paired with troubled breathing, or you experience a racing heart, dizziness, stomachache, serious pain, flushing or hives, seek medical care immediately.
如果这些症状伴随着呼吸困难，或者你感到心跳加速，头晕，胃痛，严重疼痛，脸红或荨麻疹，请立即就医。 In rare cases, people can get neurodermatitis.
在罕见的情况下，人们可以得到神经性皮炎。
"It's a persistent, almost chronic-like inflammation, which causes your whole tattoo to bubble up where the pigment is and become like thick, leathery skin," Aguh said.
阿格说:“这是一种持续的、几乎是慢性的炎症，会导致你整个纹身的着色区鼓起来，变得像厚皮一样。”
Treatment is usually effective, she said. But for some it fails and leads to disfigurement.
她说，治疗通常是有效的。但对一些人来说，它会失败并导致毁容。
How do you know if you'll have an allergic reaction or how serious it might be? Unfortunately you won't, which is why dermatologists recommend first getting a tiny test tattoo in a spot that isn't visible.
你怎么知道你是否会有过敏反应或者有多严重?不幸的是你不知道，这就是为什么皮肤科医生建议先在皮肤不外露的地方做一个纹身小测试。
"You may be completely normal, completely healthy, but there could be something about the red pigment that your body just does not like," Aguh said.
阿格说:“你可能完全正常、完全健康，但你的身体可能对红色色素产生抗性。”