What hides behind that ink? Patients seeking tattoo de-addiction therapy increases

Getting inked is considered a rite of passage, a form of expression, even the mark of a rebel. However, incase of some, it may also be a clarion call for help. Psychiatrists and counsellors report seeing patients seeking therapy for addiction to the high following a tattoo, which brings them back to the tattoo parlour repeatedly wanting more.

Recently, DNA met one of these "tattoo addicts", who recognised she needed help. A 23-year-old media professional, who wished not to be named, had acquired about a dozen tattoos in four years. What started out as an exhilarating outlet for rebellion turned into an obsession, she tells us. "That's when I decided to opt for counselling," she says.

Her treating counsellor Sonal Sheth, psychotherapist at Bhatia Hospital says, "The repeated urge to get tattoos indicates an underlying issue like attention-seeking behaviour, or masochism. In my 23-year-old patient's case, the underlying causes were emotional issues with her mother, and a strong need to rebel and shock others." Therapy involved facilitating a dialogue between her and her mother, says Sheth.

Dr Navin Taneja, Director at New Delhi's National Skin Centre, regularly sees patients with bodies covered entirely in ink that leads to serious skin infections or rashes. "Coloured tattoos are more prone to reactions. There could be blistering under the skin even a year after a tattoo is made," he cautions.

None of this, though, discourages those addicted to the high a tattoo brings, say experts.

Sonam*, who is in her mid 20s, would cut herself as a teenager but later switched to getting a new tattoo every time she felt emotionally disturbed. All her exposed areas — hands, legs, even thighs — are covered in tattoos.

Mumbai based psychiatrist Dr Dayal Mirchandani, who treated her, says, "She had a history of childhood physical abuse. People have different ways of dealing with disappointments. For some, it's getting a tattoo," he says.

"Tattoo addiction could stem from bad childhood experiences, social issues, and trauma," he says.

There is a small but definitive number of people who are addicted to tattoos, according to doctors. "It's already a common mental health concern in the West where many cover their entire bodies with tattoos," says Mumbai-based consultant dermatologist Dr Rinky Kapoor of the Esthetic Clinics. "You can get severe allergies, skin infections, and your skin could react to the dye as a foreign object leading to granulomas, which would need to be removed surgically," she added.

It has also given rise to more people lining up for tattoo removal treatments, says Dr Taneja. The process though always leaves behind a scar. "It can take 10-12 sessions to remove a tattoo. More importantly, if more than 50 per cent of your body is covered with tattoos, your skin's UV balance can go haywire," he says.

While there is risk of infection, Dr Taneja also says that tattooed portions of the body also heat up quicker under the sun, affecting body's temperature regulation.

(*Name changed to protect identity