Forget using hand-sanitizer to help you stay healthy. According to a study done by three researchers at the University of Alabama, if you want to avoid getting sick, make some appointments to get tattoos.

Researchers have found that getting multiple tattoos actually makes you have a stronger immune system, which allows you to fight off infections. But the key to fighting those infections is not stopping with just one piece of custom ink - the more tattoos, the better.

Dr. Christopher Lynn noticed that after he received a tattoo, he was physically drained from his experience. Lynn says that getting a tattoo stresses your body, lowering your body's defenses, which makes it easier to get sick.

Comparing the tattoo experience to exercising at a gym, Lynn said that after the first time you work out, muscles are sore because you are out of shape. However, the more times you work out, the soreness fades and the muscles become stronger.

The study found that the levels of the antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA) in your body will decrease right after the first tattoo because of the stress on your body. But decreasing levels of IgA antibodies weren't as common with those that continued to get inked, because the body will use immunological agents that fight any possible infections that may occur because of the new tattoo. Which translates to: the more tattoos you get, the stronger your immune system becomes!


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