Writing On Skin With Pen Ink: Dangerous And Damaging?
A lot of fables have been passed around about the danger of writing on a skin with pen. So what is the reality?
Pic: Unsplash/ Angello Lopez
A lot of fables have been passed around about the danger of writing on a skin with pen. So what is the reality?
Why do people write on skins with an ink pen?
Young people often write on their skin with an ink pen, usually for the following reasons,
-
- because they are bored
- because they got distracted from the task at hand
- because they are feeling artistic
- because they find it fun.
- because they use it as a fake tattoo.
- because they use it to make notes e.g. for school revision.
Does writing on skin with an ink pen cause skin cancer?
Although a lot of fake news might have been spread about ink pens causing cancer, this is wrong. There are different two popular types of ink pens: a permanent one and a water-based one. The water-based one can be seen as safe because it is easy to wash off.
However, while it will likely not cause cancer, a permanent pen is unsafe because,
- It contains Xylene (a toxic substance that is usually linked to inhalation).
- Some might be made with alcohol (which is better than Xylene) which might cause irritation to the nose, throat, mouth and sensitive skin.
- It can cause skin damage.
- It is hard to wash off
What are the alternatives?
Here are two smart methods to replace the habit of writing on the skin,
- Getting henna on the skin (this will be gone after a few weeks, depending on the part of the skin that it is located on).
- Getting a tattoo (although this can only be removed laser beams).