Ever heard the story about the person who went for an MRI scan and their tattoo was ripped out of their skin?
Well in this post I'm going to put that myth to rest!
An MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, creates images of inside our bodies in the form of very thin slices, the two major functions of an MRI is the powerful magnetic field and the radio frequency pulses.
MRIs are used to diagnose more obscure medical situations such as infection of the brain or spine, most people will have to have at least one MRI scan during some point of their life.
But fear not all of my tattooed readers!
Tattoos will not have any impact on an MRI scan.
The main basis of the MRI and tattoo myth is that when tattoos were done over twenty years ago, the ink used had small particles of metal in it. It is these small fragments that are said to react with the magnetic field from the MRI machine and pull up from under the skin. However, despite small reports of some slight discomfort, the only impact that older tattoos can have on an MRI is that they can in some instances cause distortions on the results, rendering them useless.
With tattoos that have been done within the past twenty years, there is a lot less concern. Since tattooing has become legal, so has implementing regulations on them, which includes regulating the kinds of ink permitted to be used. Modern tattoo ink no longer contains the same small metal fragments it did over twenty years ago.
If you still have concerns, talk to your doctor, there are alternatives to MRI scans.
Below is a video from Myth Busters proving that the theory is wrong:
