Interaction between variable magnetic field with low magnetic induction value and body tattoos - a preliminary observational single center study.

Purpose: Low-induction variable magnetic fields are widely used in various fields of medicine. However, it is worth raising the issue whether treatments using low-induction variable magnetic fields applied to patients can affect the condition of tattooed skin.

Methods: In the study, 24 volunteers were enrolled (12 men and 12 women) their age range was 30-60 years (average age: 43 years), they were assigned to two groups. The study group included people with a black ink (7 people) or colored (5 people) tattoo on the skin of the upper limb. The control group included 12 participants without tattoos. The participants were exposed to variable magnetic field with low magnetic induction value applied to the upper limb area, in form of magnetostimulation procedures performed once a day, 5 days a week for 3 weeks. Using an original questionnaire, it was assessed whether the subjects experienced any disturbing symptoms related to the physical treatments during and after the treatments.

Results: After the magnetic stimulation, 2 patients from the study group (with a colored tattoo) indicated that during the procedures they felt a feeling of warmth and slight itching of the skin in the place of exposure to magnetic field. In the control group, no side effects of the procedures were noted. Dermatological evaluation did not reveal any pathological changes in the skin area exposed to magnetic field in any participant from both groups.

Conclusions: Treatments using low-induction variable magnetic fields in people with tattoos did not show any significant adverse effects on the skin in the tattoo area exposed to the magnetic field.