![]() ![]() But there is still much research to be done before we can make this a reality. If we can somehow stop the arrival of new macrophages to the area where a tattoo is being removed, it could speed along the laser process and allow the lymphatic system to more easily drain the fragmented particles. However, scientists’ knowledge of the way that macrophages preserve tattoos may help in their eventual removal. This process often takes multiple costly visits with the service technician. Lasers are used to break up the ink droplets into small enough sizes that the body can successfully remove. Now, what if you have the name of your loved one tattooed on your arm but the relationship has soured? What can be done to get rid of the tattoo? Because of the macrophage death/renewal process, removing tattoos can be difficult. That said, some smaller droplets of ink over time become small enough that a macrophage is ultimately able to remove them through the body’s lymph system, making tattoos fade slightly as the years pass. And this process continues over time, which keeps the tattoo in place. ![]() But almost immediately, a fresh new macrophage arrives to destroy the freed ink, and once again, the ink is trapped. Scientists have found that when a macrophage dies (white blood cells last for a few days to just over a week), the ink is once again released into the dermis. It is this trapped ink that you see when admiring your or your friend’s latest tattoo.īut like nearly all cells within the human body, macrophages don’t live forever. Once taken in by a macrophage, the ink molecules are stuck there. ![]() However, large tattoo ink droplets are not broken down by these enzymes. If the bacteria multiply faster than the white blood cells can destroy them, you will get an infection). (When the tattoo needle introduces bacteria at the same time as introducing ink, a similar macrophage response takes place. As part of this process, special white blood cells called macrophages envelop the ink and try to break it down with enzymes to a size small enough to be disposed of through the body’s lymphatic system. Your body sees this ink as a foreign invader, and activates the immune system to seek out and destroy the unfamiliar material. When you get a tattoo, the ink is inserted via needle into the dermis (the second layer of skin). How do tattoos stay in place if the body’s cells are constantly dying and being replaced? Why are they so difficult to remove? Let’s take a look. Even today, we rarely think of what is taking place “just below the surface” when receiving a tattoo and the different body systems involved. Humans have been creating tattoos far longer than they have understood the body’s reaction to them. The skills used to create tattoos have, in some traditions, been passed from parent to child (often father to son) for generations. While many people tattoo themselves to show individuality and creativity, in some cultures tattoos reflect social and political rank, power, and prestige or honor the history of a culture like the tattoos of the Māori. They have been found on mummified skin dating as far back as 3,000 BCE and are represented in ancient art from as far back as 4,900 BCE. Tattoos have long been a form of self- and cultural expression. ![]() Tattoos are a form of body modification where ink is inserted into the skin to create words and art. ![]()
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