A tattoo can effect an MRI??

Again I don't believe it...this needs more research right? have any of you people with tattoos had an MRI?


If the ink used for the tattoo contains metallic salts [which is what is used for most today, because they retain color longer and can be made in brighter richer colors] the tattooed person can *never* have a MRI scan, which can mean the difference between life or death in certain diagnoses. (Note from the webmaster: Please see the note at bottom of this page.) This may mean little to a young, healthy person, but they will likely regret it when they are older.

In a MRI scan, the metallic salts become so activated, the tattoo can become so hot that the flesh begins to burn in that area. Tres chic, huh?

By the way, the medical "tattoos" used for a necessity to aid in certain radiation and chemotherapy do NOT contain metallic salts, since eventual fading is preferred in this case.

No, urban myth.

I have several tattoos and did not experience any difficulty when I had an MRI about 2 years ago. I did tell the MRI tech that I had tattoos and was told they would not be an issue.

I have tattoos and I have had two mri scans and i had no problems at all.

it's not true anymore. back in the "olden days" tattoos had more metal based color. Especially all black ones. So when individuals who had several, metal based, black tattoos it would screw up the MRI stuff. But with advances in MRI technology, as well as tattoo ink technology, this is no longer an issue.

I saw this on Mythbusters a while back. It's not true. They had to pretty much inject iron filling into the dead pig they were using to have a reaction.