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Social Media Trend of “Cold Tattooing” Raises Health Concerns, Including Risk of Necrosis and cancer
PARIS – A growing social media trend involving “cold tattooing,” or freeze branding, is prompting warnings from dermatologists about potentially severe health risks, including skin damage, infection, nerve damage, and even cancer. The practice, popularized on platforms like Instagram, utilizes liquid nitrogen – typically used to remove skin lesions – to create permanent markings on the skin.
While proponents tout it as a less painful option to traditional branding, medical professionals caution that the technique, borrowed from livestock farming, carries significant dangers when applied to human skin, which is far more delicate than an animal’s hide. The procedure involves applying a metal swab dipped in liquid nitrogen, reaching temperatures of nearly -200°C, to the skin for a prolonged period, resulting in a permanent white or hyperpigmented mark.
Freeze branding originated in the 1960s as a less painful method of identifying livestock compared to hot iron branding.However, dermatologists explain that the application to humans differs significantly from its dermatological use for wart removal, which involves a smaller surface area and shorter contact time. The prolonged contact and larger surface area in “cold tattooing” can kill pigment-producing cells, leading to permanent discoloration, and cause burns with complications like infections and keloid scarring.
Beyond aesthetic concerns, experts warn of more serious potential consequences. The extreme cold can damage nerve cells and blood vessels, potentially leading to tissue necrosis – the death of tissue – resulting in blackened, dying skin. Some dermatologists are also raising concerns about the long-term risk of cancer development due to the cellular damage inflicted by the procedure.
