Body art is an old but popular form of body enhancement. There are various reasons why people take up body art such as hair styling, body painting, body markings and the like. Some are made for purely aesthetic or decorative purposes, while others are for medicinal, spiritual, entertainment, identification or symbolic purposes.
A wide variety of tools can be used to enhance the body. These include rubbing tools, painting tools, incising tools, smearing tools, tattoo tools, etc. Materials used for body arts include tattoo dyes, special cleaning agents, etc. Drawing and writing inks such as India ink, Pelican ink, and printer inks are popularly used for hobby tattoos. Other colorants that can be used include pigments and dyes. Other materials used include plant extracts, soot, charcoal, and ochre. Henna, which is a natural plant, is also used for the production of temporary tattoos.
There are several causes of health risks in body arts. Most of them are as a result of contamination from the instruments used. Examples of these are skin penetrating tools such as lances, electrolysis needles and extractors. When these instruments are not effectively cleaned and sterilized before use on another person, or when single-use instruments are not disposed of immediately after use.
There are also allergic and toxic reactions that are due to impurities in the production process of the pigments and dyes used for tattooing. Tattoo inks may contain aromatic amines with carcinogenic potential (can cause cancer). Some tattoo products have been seen to cause mild forms of skin cancer. Tattoo dyes, especially red, green, yellow, and blue dyes, can cause allergic skin reactions, such as an itchy rash in the tattooed area. This can happen even years after getting the tattoo.
Also, skin problems such as bumps called granulomas form around the tattoo ink. Tattooing can also lead to keloids, or raised areas caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue. It can cause blood-borne diseases. For example, if the equipment used to create the tattoo is contaminated with infected blood, the person can contract various blood-borne diseases, such as tetanus, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or even HIV/AIDS.
These health-related cases can be prevented by taking some practical steps. For example, tools and equipment used for the production of body art must be sterilized. Hand washing is the most important factor in preventing infections.
Additionally, chemicals used in body arts must be properly labeled so there are no substitutions. Chemicals must be properly cared for. They should be kept in well-secured containers, etc. The instructions on its use and care must be followed meticulously.
In addition, all used work surfaces, for example, couches/chairs, benches, and procedure tables, should be washed with warm water and detergent, rinsed, and dried with a clean, lint-free, single-use cloth. Also, at the end of each work day, wash all visibly dirty surfaces with warm water and detergent. Rinse and dry cleaned surfaces with a clean, lint-free, single-use cloth.
There are many techniques that can be employed in body arts. The most common technique is painting. It involves the application of paint, dye or pigment by using a brush. After drawing the sketch or pattern design on the surface of the skin, a brush is used to apply the paint on the surface of the body. Printing is also used, whereby designs are sometimes printed on the surface of the body. Sometimes papers with allowed ink are transferred to the surface of the body. Laser printers are also used to transfer computerized designs to skin surfaces. Paint can be applied to the body surface with a sponge or foam to transfer the designs to skin surfaces. Sometimes ink or paint can be spread on the surface of the skin to create the design or print on the surface of the skin.
Other techniques include incision, that is, cutting the surface of the skin to create a design. This is used in scarification and some forms of tattooing. The intertwining of strands of hair to form decorative shapes called braids or cornrows falls under the body arts.
Body art is gaining a lot of fame nowadays in the art industry. Artists must be tired of health hazards in the use of tools, materials and instruments. They should strive to maintain healthy practices while engaging in this exciting form of artistic expression.