• Question: I had just doodled on my hand, and people sayy i can get pen poisoning, how do you know when you get it? ... and Why do you get it? cause i think its an old wives tail soo people wont doodle on their hands during class and to get on with their work!

    Asked by tiegan to Ailsa, Evan, James, Kath, Ryan on 22 Jun 2011. This question was also asked by demixx.
    • Photo: Ryan Ladd

      Ryan Ladd answered on 18 Jun 2011:

      Whilst I think you’re probably safe, ink can contain all kinds of chemicals which probably aren’t very good for you. The chemicals might damage your skin (probably just drying it out) or, if you’re unlucky, you could have an allergic reaction to them!

    • Photo: Evan Keane

      Evan Keane answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      I don’t think you will get poisoned – it might be an old wives tale like you suggest! I have written things on my hand many times and never been poisoned. 😉

      Maybe if you cut your skin with the pen that would be bad, or maybe if you have it on your hands and ingested it when eating food. I can imagine it might be bad then.

    • Photo: Ailsa Powell

      Ailsa Powell answered on 22 Jun 2011:

      I don’t think the small amount of ink involved would poison you either. I also quite often quickly write something on my hand if I don’t have paper. It might irritate your skin, or be not great for you in it got into your body – either through your mouth or through a cut (like Ryan and Evan have mentioned). I think you would have to drink a lot of ink to actually poison yourself though.

      Maybe ink they used in the olden days was made of different chemicals and could poison you? Hence the old wives tale.

      🙂

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