Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: ibeecoo on 27/10/2008 22:23:10
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If vitiligo spread to an area of the body that had a tattoo on it, would that tattoo disappear?
Mod edit - Formatted the subject as a question - please do this to help keep the forum tidy and easy to navigate - thanks!
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No, vitiligo is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the cells which produce pigment (melanocytes).
The tattoo dyes would be unaffected. The tattoo would look more obvious as it would now be on unpigmented skin.
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Thanks again for the quick reply!
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I don't know why they don't develop a dye which can be eradicated easily? A tattoo is a really scary prospect for someone as (small c) conservative as I.
They can look really attactive for a few years but old skin with old, blurry, tattoos looks a lot worse than old skin without.
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Allegedly "semi-permanent" tattoos are possible which fade after a few years, but some dispute this...
I’m guessing you’ve probably heard of the “semi-permanent” tattoo – the one that only lasts 6 months. Or was that 6 years? No one seems to know, because it can’t be done. However, the rumors are real – there are even some tattooers claiming they can do it – some of them say the tattoo will last six months to a year. Some say 3 to 5 years. The 3-5 year ones are actually smarter - I mean, who's going to even be able to find them in 3-5 years to tell them they were wrong?
http://tattoo.about.com/cs/beginners/a/aa032103a.htm
The permanent ones can fade and change colour: the blacks can go blue or green.