4. Tattoos
Tattoos aren’t directly responsible for the development of sarcoidosis, at least, as far as we can tell. That being said, they do increase the severity of the symptoms caused by cutaneous sarcoidosis — i.e. sarcoidosis of the skin. Patients who suffer from cutaneous sarcoidosis will find various nodules forming under their skin.
These nodules tend to clump around tattoos. For years, doctors were baffled as to why the nodules would always form around tattoos. Finally, the correlation was made that it’s a result of the pigment used in the tattooing process.
The nodules will form around tattoo pigments for red, black, and blue ink — though it’s worth noting that the nodules seem to be indifferent to green ink. If you have sarcoidosis or know that you’re in a high-risk group for it whether via age, race, sex, or genetics then you should avoid getting tattoos especially on visible areas such as the face to avoid the development of these nodules.