What was once associated with 'colourful' characters in society, tattoo's have become a part of mainstream culture, largely popularised by professional sports players and celebrities.
The Hunter like the rest of the country is in the midst of a tattoo craze and more and more people are choosing to decorate their body with ink artwork.
However, health and skin experts are voicing their concerns about the phenomenon, particularly looking at sleeve and large-scale tattoo's.
"Large-scale tattoo's in areas where moles are common makes it harder for dermatologists to identify any signs of skin cancer", Cancer Council NSW Hunter regional manager Shayne Connell said.
Cancer Council's concerns were raised after numerous scenarios of doctors unable to find any signs of skin cancer on a patient, with tattoo's hiding the skin changes.
Mr Connell's views are shared with other health experts who are worried tattoo's could result in more late detections of skin cancer and a grim outcome.
"People should consult their GP before getting an extensive tattoo and those concerned should avoid it altogether", Mr Connell said.
While doctors struggle to find the signs of skin cancer hidden amongst the artwork, a new concern about tattoos is spreading.
A recent study from European scientists found that some toxic chemicals found in tattoo ink can travel inside the body and end up in Lymph nodes, including Chronium and Nickel.
"Although there is no established direct link between tatto ink and certain cancers, the risk of tattoo-induced tumours cannot be totally excluded", Mr Connell said.
It's expected the tattoo craze will only continue to grow unless any hard evidence is found linking the ink with cancers.
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| Tattoo's have become increasingly popular among sports celebrities. |
