Risky Ink: Tattoos May Lead to Body's Overheating
By E.J. Mundell | WebMD
September 30, 2020
Using your body as a canvas for tattoos might come at a price for your health.
New research suggests that all that ink impedes natural sweating -- and that might cause the body to overheat.
The study found that tattooed skin on arms "has reduced sweat rates, and thus potential heat loss capacity, during [whole-body heating], compared to adjacent skin without tattoos."
One dermatologist unconnected to the study said the finding is potentially alarming.
Any tattoo-linked decline in sweating "may have important ramification when patients have fever or illness or are overheated and may have problems with thermoregulation," said Dr. Michele Green, a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She believes that "more studies need to be done on this important observation."
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