"Just One Tattoo"... Man in His 30s Suffers Total Hair Loss and Destroyed Sweat Glands, Case Reported in Medical Journal

Skin abnormalities develop after red tattoo on arm
Medical team: "Tattoo ink triggered excessive immune response"

A case has been reported of a man in his 30s who, after getting a red tattoo on his arm, developed total body hair loss and became completely unable to sweat. Medical professionals suspect that components in the tattoo ink disrupted his immune system, triggering a widespread inflammatory reaction.

A man experiencing an abnormal reaction after getting a tattoo on his forearm. Medical journal Clinics and Practice

According to The Sun, a UK media outlet, on January 9 (local time), a 36-year-old man from Poland experienced severe physical abnormalities after getting a red flower tattoo on his forearm in 2020. About four months after the tattoo procedure, he began to suffer from intense itching, skin peeling, and rashes, with symptoms rapidly spreading from his forearm to his chest and then across his entire body.

Skin abnormalities spread throughout the body four months after the tattoo

Initially, the symptoms appeared as small rashes, but over time, the lesions merged, worsening into widespread, red, inflamed skin. Eventually, his entire skin turned red and began to peel, developing into erythroderma.

As his condition worsened, the man experienced alopecia universalis, losing all hair on his scalp, face, and body, followed by dysfunction in his sweat glands. At first, he showed symptoms of hypohidrosis, where sweat production decreased, but this progressed to anhidrosis, where he was completely unable to sweat.

This meant his body could no longer regulate its own temperature, severely restricting even routine activities. In reality, the patient’s physical capacity was greatly diminished, and due to the risk of heatstroke, he was unable to engage in normal work activities.

Medical team: "Red tattoo ink triggered excessive immune response"

The medical team at Wroclaw Medical University in Poland reported this case in the medical journal Clinics and Practice, stating that skin tests indicated the red tattoo ink likely triggered an excessive immune response. The researchers explained, "There have been no previously reported cases of such widespread systemic reactions as a complication of red tattoo ink."

The medical team administered immunosuppressive drug therapy for several months, but it had no significant effect. They then surgically removed the inflamed tattooed area, but the patient did not fully recover, and some of his skin developed vitiligo, losing its pigment.

The hair loss gradually improved, and his skin condition stopped worsening, but his ability to sweat never returned. Tests revealed that his sweat glands had already been destroyed and replaced by scar tissue, and the medical team determined that the likelihood of regaining this function was extremely low.

The Sun reported that the man now relies on a spray bottle to regulate his body temperature and is constantly at risk of overheating.

The medical team explained, "Allergic or immune reactions to tattoos can occur not only immediately after the procedure but also months or even years later."