Tattoos Impair Sweating and Increase Risk of Heat-Related Damage

Tattooed skin does not sweat as much as non-inked skin, which may have implications on the body’s ability to cool down, according to a new study.

The result study is published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

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‘Tattooed skin affects the eccrine sweat glands and results in the risk of overheating the body. Small tattoos are likely to affect the overall body temperature regulation; however, large tattoos may have an impact on heat dissipation.’
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Sweating helps regulate body temperature. Eccrine sweat glands are found throughout the body. They primarily produce water-based sweat to cool the body.

Tattoo process requires up to 3,000 skin punctures per minute, which could result in sweat gland damage.

Damage to the eccrine sweat glands would result in the risk of overheating of the body.

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Previous research studies have found that there is a high concentration of sodium in the sweat of tattooed skin. This finding suggests a reduced function of the eccrine sweat glands.

The study consisted of volunteers with tattoos of at least 5.6 square centimeters in their upper or lower arms.

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The volunteers wore a perfusion suit that circulated hot water of 120 degrees F upwards for 30 minutes or more to promote a whole-body sweating response.

The participants’ internal body temperature, sweat rate and skin temperature were measured on both tattooed and non-tattooed areas of the same arm.

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Laser techniques were used to measure blood flow in the skin. However, the blood flow measures were unreliable because of the absorbent or reflective properties of tattoo inks.

The team found that the tattooed and non-tattooed areas started to sweat at almost the same time due to the heat. This finding suggests that the nerve signals to the sweat glands function properly in tattooed skin.

The reduction in sweat produced in the tattooed skin may indicate that glandular damage occurred during the repetitive puncturing of the skin when a tattoo is applied.

Small tattoos are less likely to interfere with overall body temperature regulation. However, decreased sweating in tattooed skin may impact heat dissipation when tattooing covers a larger percentage of body surface area.

“The primary new finding in the current study is that peripheral (hair follicle-containing) skin of the arm containing tattoos has reduced sweat rates, and thus potential heat loss capacity, during (whole-body heating) compared to adjacent skin without tattoos,” the researchers wrote.

“These data indicate that the collateral effects of the tattooing process negatively impact eccrine sweat gland function and could be considered a potential long-term complication or side effect of this cosmetic procedure,” they added.

Source-Medindia