CHARLOTTE, NC– Every year, millions of Americans head to tattoo parlors to get new ink. Tattoo lovers know placement is key.
Now a new study is backing that claim for a different reason. Research shows getting a tattoo over certain areas of your skin, like birth marks or moles, can be dangerous.
Researchers say this is because having a tattoo over a mole can make it difficult to detect the development of skin cancer.
Dermatologist Dr. Gary Slaughter says a smart tattoo artist will work the ink around a mole or birthmark, though often times, that doesn’t happen. He says the dark ink makes it difficult to see changing skin patterns.
“You’re not quite sure where the mole stops and the tattoo begins,” says Slaughter.
Slaughter says the best thing tattoo lovers can do to stay safe is to take pictures of the skin where the tattoo is about to go, or already is, and document any changes over time.
