In Polynesia, where tattooing was invented countless years ago, tattoos are considered to be works of art. Most of us, though, consider it to be a rather bizarre art form!

Unlike body painting, which is harmless and risk free from the medical point of view, tattooing the body is not risk free. That's because it involves piercing the skin with a needle and is called, in medical parlance, an invasive procedure. As far as the skin is concerned, tattooing is invasive because it involves piercing the skin and then injecting the tiny aperture with special types of indelible ink. The latter can be of any color, though in practice black predominates. The piercing and coloring process goes on till the desired design is completed.

After all, a needle entering the skin is "invading" the human body. It might be less than a scratch on the skin but nevertheless it's an invasion.

Any invasive procedure carries along with it a set of risks. Now whether a risk is big or small depends on your point of view - if you're the person being tattooed.

Here are the main risks; you can decide their importance for yourself.

Remember, the task of piercing the skin has to be achieved by using a needle. Just as the medical syringe used for an injection must be sterile so also must be the tattoo needle. Yup, its incision might be less than a scratch on the epidermis, as we've said, but that's enough to inject germs, bacteria and infection into your body if you're not careful about what's being used.

Luckily for you, skin infection is never invisible. If there's redness, swelling or pain on or around the tattooed area, it's a sure sign you're infected. Simply put, you weren't tattooed with an antiseptic needle.

Visiting a physician is a must. He's the best one to judge whether the infection is major or minor. It's quite possible you'll need to be hospitalized. It is impossible to predict whether or not any complications will arise. For example, you could have an allergic reaction to medication; who can tell?

If the infection is serious, the tattoo might need to be removed - and this requires a full-fledged surgical operation! So be prepared for bearing this major risk. However much of an expert your surgeon might be, surgery might bring in its own complications. So, you see, that harmless scratch can be very risky indeed!

That's not all. If the fallout of the infection is grave enough for a medical decision to remove the tattoo, you ought to know that the area will leave a scar for life. The removal of a visible tattoo will leave a visible scar. A scar on your body might lessen with time but it will never completely go away.

We're not scaring you, but only reminding you that tattoos might not be a harmless macho adornment for your body.

Get one if you really want it!