How Time Changes Tattoos....

Tatt'd Up

So I have a few tattoos and plan on more as my life plays out and I have more interesting things to "permanently" place on my skin. However, I many people don't know or realise that tattoos aren't as permanent as you may think they are.

Tattoos decorate people's skin from all different cultures and can be traced throughout human history as a symbol of rank, memory, or dedication of personal belief or group relation.

We have tattoo fads that come in and out of style and express our love for those who’ve passed, and others use them as a form of artwork, but all are a form of permanent self-expression. Unlike jewelry or clothing, they’re permanent pieces we carry with us day after day. We shed about a million skin cells every day and through this process is how our tattoos fade over time.

The Details On Why

Special cells called macrophages eat the ink in order to clean up and decrease the inflammation caused by the needle breaking the skin, and the cells travel back into the lymph nodes, which act as filters in the body for foreign particles.

However, not all of the ink is removed, and those left behind remain in the dermis cells, known as fibroblasts, which makes it visible on the skin. These dermis cells cyclically become absorbed by newer fibroblasts, which is why tattoos fade naturally over time.

Watch This Neat Tedtalk on Tattoos

Claudia Aguirre, a neuroscientist and TED Ed educator, created a video for Ted-Ed to show the history of their place on our skin today and exactly how tattoos are permanent.

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