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1. Hepatitis C is considered a major public health risk because it is a silent disease, which lies dormant for decades before it flares up. The CDC estimates that 4 million Americans are infected with hepatitis C and about 10,000 people die from the disease each year. .
Although there is no cure, the disease is treated with a combination of an antiviral drug called ribavarin and immune therapy with interferon. The treatment is very long -- 48 weeks -- and is difficult to tolerate because of unpleasant side effects including headaches, constant nausea, fatigue, and depression. . People who had do-it-yourself tattoos have a three times greater risk for hepatitis C than people without tattoos, and people tattooed in jail have an even higher risk. But the greatest risk comes from commercial tattoo parlors," he says. "People who get tattoos at commercial tattoo parlors have a nine times greater risk." .
It's impossible to walk through a mall for more than a couple of minutes without spotting people of all ages with tattoos. Tattoos come in all shapes and sizes, and they can appear almost anywhere on someone's body. Permanent cosmetic studios also tattoo on eyebrows, eyeliner and lip liner for those who want their makeup to be permanent. In these cases, you may not even know that you are looking at a tattoo! .
1. Tattoos have steadily gained popularity in the last decade -- a trend that shows little sign of slowing down. In this edition of HowStuffWorks, we"ll look at all facets of tattooing -- its history and cultural significance, the technology of tattoo machines and how the tattooing process works, and the safety, artistic and legal issues surrounding the practice of tattooing. .
One busy physician who specializes in tattoo removal estimates that 50 percent of people who get tattoos later regret them. We discuss the implications of getting tattooed as well as the tattoo removal process in the article How Tattoo Removal Works.
