The saying that tattoos are forever is widespread. However, and as we have seen on more than one occasion, it is a statement that is a thing of the past. The new techniques of tattoo erasure They allow bad decisions or sloppy work of "pseudo-practitioners" to be removed from the skin. Now, despite the fact that a tattoo can last a lifetime, the truth is that inside our body there is much more movement than we could imagine. Tattoos move. That's right, the ink is not standing still.
A study published by the Journal of Experimental Medicine which refers to a discovery made by French researchers, shows that tattoos move. Although we must take into account several aspects. Tattoo ink crystals have been found to be constantly gobbled up, regurgitated, and eaten again by our immune cells in the skin. As if it were an endless loop.
A priori it may seem like a simple curiosity but the truth is that this research opens the door to the development of new techniques for erasing tattoos that are much more effective. The study describes how is it possible that tattoos move under our skin. Cells called macrophages absorb the pigment and do not release it until they die, at which point other immune cells responsible for eliminating foreign agents engulf the ink again. The process is repeated over and over again.
Why these cells collect the ink crystals in the first place is a mystery that had already been solved by a previous study. Macrophages are attracted to the wound inflicted by the needle and eat the tattoo pigment just as they would eat any invading pathogen. It is an immune response.
Source - Gizmodo