Adverse reactions to tattoos: a study from the hilly region in northern India

Tattoo is a form of art and identity and is a permanent mark or design made on the skin by a process of pricking and ingraining an indelible pigment or by raising scars. Word “tattoo” originated from polynesian „tatau‟ meaning „to mark‟. 1 Practice is known to be prevalent since 2000 BC. Estimates of prevalence of tattoos in current population ranges from 8.5% to 24% and 2% of them have adverse reactions. 2 Tattoo regret has been seen in large number of people who get their tattoo done for fashion without adequate psychological preparation. Various adverse inflammatory reactions to tattoo pigments have been reported and described like infections, allergic reactions, malignancies and others like flaring of existing dermatosis. Acute reactions are described which occur within three weeks while chronic inflammatory changes develop later. Chronic reactions present in varied histopathological patterns like lichenoid, sarcoidal, spongiotic, granulomatous, sclerodermatous, sarcoidal, pseudoepitheliomatous, or rarely granuloma annulare type. 3 ABSTRACT