Tattoos are permanent designs that are captured on the skin with the help of needles and inks. Its use apparently dates back thousands of centuries, since the oldest evidence of its existence is located in the Chinchorro culture of the coast of Chile, in this place mummies with mustaches tattooed on the upper lip were found, as they time progressed the use of tattoos began to be used as a cultural identity, now these designs have become so relevant that they have become art on the skin, used by people who want to reflect something of their personality with them. But its use has not always been well regarded as it has been said that they can cause health problems, and now according to a study its use can alter the body’s ability to sweat.
According to studies, skin with tattoos sweats less
Its use has been said to be detrimental to health, because it can cause skin infections, paint allergies and infectious diseases such as hepatitis C. To this must be added the results of studies on sweat carried out in people who wore tattoos. The test was carried out on 10 people who had a tattoo with around 5 centimeters in diameter, they made them sweat and then took sweat samples from the tattooed part and also from the other areas of the body that were not tattooed . The result was as follows : In the tattooed areas, the amount of sweat was 53% lower compared to the other non-tattooed areas and the sodium concentration in the tattooed skin was also 64% higher.
According to these data, the ink that is injected into the dermis layer seems to affect the function of the sweat glands, which are also housed in this same layer, but it seems that not only this function is affected, since the levels of sodium concentration in sweat reveal that tattoos also cause a greater excretion of sodium, a considerable deficit of this mineral can cause muscle cramps, hypovolemia and hyponatremia . But it is thought that for now the most relevant data is the one that has to do with the ability to sweat, remember that this has great importance for health.
What is the importance of sweat?
Sweating can be annoying, but it is essential to regulate body temperature, since this is the body’s mechanism to release all the heat that is produced internally caused by exercise or emotions. This heat comes out through the pores of the skin and after coming into contact with the air it comes out as drops of sweat, in that liquid we call sweat are mineral salts, water, sugar and chemicals such as urea and ammonia. Sweat has no odor, it is produced by bacteria on the skin and hormonal changes that occur during puberty.
Sweating is a natural act of the body , only on abnormal occasions when it affects health and quality of life should it be considered a problem that must be treated.
References
- Skin Tattoos Alter Sweat Rate And Na + Concentration Retrieved 07/27/2017.
