How Getting Tattoos May Boost Your Immune System

   By SheSpeaksTeam  Mar 17, 2016

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Your parents may have warned against them, but as it turns out tattoos may have some health benefits that even mom and dad can love. A new study suggests that people with multiple tattoos develop a heightened immune system, making it easier to fight off infection.

PopSugar reports about the study published in the American Journal of Human Biology that looked at the levels of immunoglobulin A in participants who were recently inked up. Immunoglobulin A (igA) is an antibody that plays an important role in our immune function. When levels are high, we are better able to fight off infections.

Scientists involved in the study analyzed saliva samples from the 29 participants before and after sitting for a new tattoo. What they found was that tattoo newbies (those who were sitting for their first tattoo) had the lowest levels of igA, but those who were more inked up had high igA levels.

Researchers believe the reason people who have more tattoos have higher levels of igA directly after getting a tattoo is because their body has been trained to react to the stress by heightening the immune response. Co-author of the study, Christopher Lynn, explains how our bodies react after getting tattoos. Lynn says, “After the stress response, your body returns to an equilibrium. However, if you continue to stress your body over and over again, instead of returning to the same set point, it adjusts its internal set points and moves higher.”

But if you were considering getting a tattoo in order to boost your immune system, you should know that if this is your first tattoo you may actually be more susceptible to illness just after than you were before. What the study proves is that going through the process again and again is what trains your immune system to be stronger. So, if you happen to be an ink addict, this is just another reason to plan and save up for your next tattoo.

Do you love getting tattoos?

What do you think of the study that suggests getting multiple tattoos can boost your immune system’s response?