Know the risks

The process of getting a tattoo breaks the skin. That means skin infections and other health problems can develop afterward. The risks include:

• Allergic reactions. Tattoo ink can cause allergic skin reactions, such as an itchy rash at the tattoo site. This can happen even years after getting a tattoo. Red ink tends to be more prone to allergic reactions that other tattoo ink colors.
• Skin infections. A skin infection is possible after getting a tattoo. An infection might be due to contaminated ink or equipment that isn't sterilized correctly. Getting a tattoo at a studio that doesn't follow good safety steps also can raise your risk of a skin infection.
• Other skin problems. Sometimes an area of inflammation can form around tattoo ink. This is called a granuloma. Tattooing also can lead to keloids. Keloids are raised areas caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue.
• Diseases spread through blood. If equipment used to create a tattoo has infected blood on it, you can get diseases that are spread through blood. Examples include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. To lower your risk, get vaccinated for hepatitis B before you get a tattoo.
• Skin reactions to an MRI. Rarely, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam may trigger burning pain in the tattooed area. Sometimes, tattoos can lower the quality of an MRI image.

You might need medicine or other treatment if you develop an allergic reaction, infection or other health problems because of a tattoo.