Another danger of tattoos and piercings is that they can adversely affect emergency care. For example, some doctors believe that passing a needle through the pigment of a tattoo may pose a significant health risk, leading to possible neurological complications later on in life. Theoretically, if a needle is passed through a lower-back tattoo, then a pigment-containing tissue core from the tattoo could be deposited into the spaces surrounding the spinal area. Doctors believe it is possible that this could cause long-term problems such as arachnoiditis, a chronic inflammatory process affecting the protective membranes around the brain, spinal cord, and nerve roots. Because of this potential, doctors try to avoid inserting a needle through a tattoo. This can create problems during emergency care, particularly for pregnant women with lower-back tattoos.

Pregnant women often require an epidural anesthesia when they go into labor. This type of anesthesia is injected through the lower back into the lumbar interspace, the space surrounding the membrane that covers the spinal cord. If a woman has a lower-back tattoo, finding a tattoo-free location for the epidural could be difficult or impossible.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a procedure that produces a two-dimensional view of an internal organ or structure, is another medical procedure that can be negatively affected by tattoos. An MRI is often used to diagnose sports related injuries and chronic disease conditions. Some people have experienced burning or swelling in their tattooed areas when they have undergone an MRI. There have also been reports that tattoo pigments have interfered with the quality of the MRI. This has mainly occurred with people who had permanent eyeliner from micropigmentation. The theory is that the metallic components in some of the pigments interact with the MRI.

Like tattoos, body piercings can cause problems during emergency care. For example, oral piercings can result in tongue rips during certain procedures. “The potential for trouble arises in emergency situations when the patient needs to be intubated-that is, have a breathing tube inserted down his or her throat-to receive urgent care,” states Sandra Tunajek, director of practice for the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. “A pierced tongue isn’t typically the first thing on the anesthesia provider’s mind while they’re preparing the patient for surgical or some other emergency care. The instrument used to insert the breathing tube may catch on the tongue ring, tearing the tongue or knocking the ring down the patient’s throat.”