THE Are tattoos really that risky? I read that soon, anyone who wants to get a tattoo will have to sign an informed consent form. I really want to have the name of my newborn grandson written on my skin forever, yet this alert perplexes me and almost makes me give up. What are the dangers I could run into?
Mary
Professor Pucci Romano answers
Pucci Romano he is a doctor specialist in Dermatology and Venereology and teach theCatholic University of the Sacred Heart of Rome. Member of national and international dermatological associations, he collaborates with national magazines and newspapers. He is president of Skinecoscientific association of ecomatology, and de The Found Bodyfor dermocosmetological care in cancer patients. She is the author of “Buddhist by chance” (Bompiani), “You don’t get old at the table” (Giunti), “A friend for your skin” (Giunti), “Beauty food: the beauty diet” (Sperling&Kupfer), “Questions of skin” (Sperling&Kupfer). He also recently published his first novel, “The Solution”. Through its social profiles it spreads knowledge on eco-dermocosmetics and beyond every day.
Tattoos: what the bill says
The Senate approved, with some changes compared to the previous version, the bill dedicated to the prevention of melanoma. The measure aims to introduce new measures designed to strengthen information and awareness among citizens, as well as targeted screening campaigns. Among the most relevant and discussed interventions, there is the introduction ofobligation to sign an informed consent for those who decide to undergo a tattoo. With this regulatory proposal, the topic of tattoos officially enters the sphere of public health. As it should be. The goal is to get to consider them no longer just as an aesthetic practice or a personal choice, but as truly invasive aesthetic treatments. The decree aims to strengthen the protection of public health, increase citizens’ awareness and reduce the risks linked both to the pigments used and to the difficulty that, in some cases, can arise in recognizing any suspicious lesions present on the tattooed skin early.
Informed consent: how and why it is useful
Among the innovations that have attracted greater attention, there is the hypothesis of make informed consent mandatory before performing a tattoo. The idea is that anyone who decides to get a tattoo should receive clear and understandable information about potential risks dermatological aspects, contraindications and the need to carry out checks over time. This regulatory choice, however, raises some questions. The introduction of informed consent can have real usefulness, but only under certain conditions: it must not turn into a simple bureaucratic fulfillment. And this largely depends on who administers it and how it is presented.
The operator’s responsibility
If the operator who performs the tattoo simply has you sign a sheet without explanation, the measurement risks losing value. If instead the operator takes responsibility for illustrate in a detailed and comprehensible manner what the possible risks areside effects and implications over time, then informed consent can become a truly useful tool, capable of increasing the awareness of the person getting tattooed. It should not be seen just as a signature, but as a moment in which the person performing the tattoo demonstrates competence, correctness and ability to inform. Precisely for this reason it is essential that the operator is adequately qualifiedbecause only a trained figure can seriously and reliably explain the potential risks associated with a practice which, despite being very widespread, still involves direct interaction with the skin.
Tattoos and melanoma: what is the connection
One of the central points of the decree is the link between tattoos and melanoma, a topic that often generates fears and interpretations that are not always correct. To date, there is no scientific data that demonstrates a causal relationship between the presence of a tattoo and the onset of melanoma. The main problem, therefore, is not that the tattoo directly causes skin cancer, but that may interfere with the ability to promptly identify a suspicious mole. The most concrete risk concerns the possibility that the tattoo covers a potentially dangerous mole. A dysplastic mole, or a lesion already evolving towards a melanoma, could be masked by the pigments and designs of the tattoo, making it more difficult to notice. This means that a person may not notice the change in the lesion, or notice it too latewith relevant consequences for early diagnosis. It is really important, therefore, that those who decide to get a tattoo have in mind what the possible risks are in order to be able to make an informed choice.
