Are you sure you want an eye tattoo? These 9 dangers are stalking you

For some people, tattoos are both art and beauty. However, there are also many people who decide to get a tattoo just to look cool and "slang". Which body part looks the weirdest to get tattooed? Have you ever thought about getting a tattoo on the eye? You should never do eye tattoos if one day you are interested in trying them. Why? The following is the reason from a medical point of view.

What are eye tattoos?

As quoted from the website of the Ministry of Health of New South Wales, Australia, eye tattoo is a term used to describe the permanent staining process in the sclera of the eye. The sclera is the white part of the eye, which is covered with a mucous membrane called the conjunctiva. It is conjunctives that help keep eyes moist.

The sclera itself has three parts, namely the episclera (loose connective tissue that is located just below the conjunctiva), the sclera (the white part of the eye), and the lamina fusca (consisting of elastic fibers and is located in the deepest part). Eye tattoos are performed by injecting ink of the desired color from the under eye layer to the top of the eye at the sclera.

Gradually, the ink will spread to cover the entire sclera. In fact, even though it sounds strange and looks impossible, this procedure is performed by several tattoo artists around the world. This eye tattoo is permanent and you cannot bring your eye sclera back to normal or white color.

Tattoo on the skin alone is risky, especially if the eye tattoo

When making a tattoo, ink that is permanent is inserted into the skin layer using a needle. Even though everything that is put into the body is not impossible to pose a risk to health.

The earliest known risk of tattooing is pain or tenderness due to needle prickling. Moreover, generally tattooing is done without the aid of anesthesia or anesthetic. In addition, what must then be considered is the infection of the tattoo, especially because the process of making tattoos can be done freely and not all of them have procedures that meet health standards.

The syringes used may not be sterile. In addition, if not stored properly, even ink that is put on the skin may become contaminated with bacteria and get trapped in the skin.

Infection is characterized by a red rash around the tattoo, accompanied by fever. In more severe infections, high fever, chills, sweating can occur to feel cold. Antibiotics or other more intensive treatment in the hospital are needed.

So what are the risks of getting an eye tattoo?

The following are the health risks that occur if you are determined to get an eye tattoo:

Perforation (hole) of the eye. This is common because the sclera is less than a millimeter thick. As a result, the tattoo procedure can damage the sclera and cause blindness.
Detached retina (retinal detachment). Retina detachment occurs when the retina is pulled away from its normal position behind the eye. This can lead to blurred vision and even blindness.
Endoftalmitis. This condition is caused by severe inflammation of the inner tissue of the eye. Inflammation is usually caused by a bacterial infection so it is better known as an infection inside the eye, which can cause blindness.
Sympathetic ophthalmia. An autoimmune inflammatory response that affects both eyes and can lead to blindness. This condition tends to occur when the eye is traumatized because something has penetrated the inner eye.
Viral infection. Transmission of viruses such as hepatitis B and C, and HIV occurs through blood transmitted from equipment that is not cleaned properly.
Bleeding and infection at the injection site.
Bad reactions such as a severe allergy to tattoo ink.
More sensitive to light. You may find it easier to get dizzy or have eye pain when you see glare.
Delayed diagnosis of medical conditions that are not seen in the long term.