The color of tattoo ink became a curse for a 36 year old man! Stopped sweating and all the hair fell out

Nowadays, getting a tattoo has become a big trend of fashion and self-expression, but have you ever thought that tattoo ink can also become a threat to your health? A shocking case that came to light recently points towards this, where a 36 year old man had to face serious health problems related to tattoo ink.

Gradually the hair on his head fell out, he became completely bald and the surprising thing was that his body also stopped sweating. This case has forced everyone from doctors to common people to think about how safe are the colors and chemicals used while getting tattoos done.

Got tattooed in 2020

According to a report published in The Sun, in the year 2020, the man got a red flower tattooed on his forearm. Initially everything seemed fine, but after about four months, severe itching, skin peeling and small rashes started appearing at the tattooed area. Gradually this problem reached from hand to chest and then spread to the entire body. Within no time the rashes turned into large red patches. According to doctors, this condition turned into erythroderma, in which the skin from head to toe becomes red, swollen and constantly peels. The condition worsened so much that the patient’s normal life started getting affected.

Hair fall and sweating stop

The disease did not stop here. After some time, the hair of the person’s head, face and entire body started falling, which is called Alopecia Universalis in medical language. After this, the most dangerous problem came to light that his body stopped producing sweat. First, sweating is reduced (hypohidrosis), then it stops completely (anhidrosis). This meant that the body was no longer able to cool itself.

Constant risk of heat stroke

According to the doctors, the person was no longer able to work or exercise properly because the risk of heat stroke was always there. Even today, to keep himself cool, he cools his body by sprinkling water from a spray bottle.

Real reason revealed in investigation

After investigation, doctors of Wroclaw Medical University of Poland found that all this happened due to immune reaction caused by red tattoo ink. Skin tests revealed that the body’s immune system mistook the tattoo ink for an enemy and started attacking its own organs.

The treatment did not work completely

Doctors gave steroid medicines for months, but there was no significant benefit. Ultimately the swollen parts of the tattoo had to be removed through surgery. After this, hair started growing again and the disease did not progress further, but a new problem emerged – vitiligo, in which the color of some parts of the skin turns white. The most serious thing was that the sweat did not return.

sweat glands permanently damaged

The investigation revealed that the sweat glands of the person were completely destroyed and scar tissue had formed in their place. Doctors believe that now the chances of sweating coming back are almost negligible. According to doctors, tattoo related allergies are most commonly seen in red ink. Earlier, poisonous elements like mercury, cadmium and arsenic were found in red ink. The European Union made strict rules on tattoo ink in 2022, but this person had got tattooed two years before that.

Can tattoos affect the entire body?

Researchers say that the immune reaction caused by a tattoo is not limited to just that one place. It can spread throughout the body and harm skin, hair and even the process of sweating.