According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Alabama and published in the American Journal of Human Biology, getting a tattoo could improve your immune system and make it easier for us to fight common infections such as colds.
The first time we do it, just the opposite happens: our defenses go down due to the pain and the high levels of stress it causes in our body. However, according to research, this changes after the first occasion.
The study was carried out among a group of 29 volunteers composed of individuals who were going to get tattooed for the first time and others who were repeating the experience. The reduction in immunoglobulin A levels (a hormone that is released in response to stress) was much greater in those who were getting tattooed for the first time than in those who had been tattooed before, since in the case of the latter the body had already been trained to deal with the aggression of getting tattooed and was therefore more prepared to fight possible infections.
According to Dr. Lynn, our body’s response is similar to what we experience on the first day at the gym, when we are not yet in shape: at first, the muscles hurt, but after more days of training, they stop hurting and end up getting stronger. With tattoos something similar would happen: the body is setting a higher threshold for our immune system and becomes stronger for later sessions.
Let us know how your experience has been and if you have one or more tattoos!!!!