Abstract
Body tattooing procedures are not always perceived as safe, and some people view them as a form of mutilation that may cause numerous health complications. Low public awareness regarding the risks associated with the procedure, insufficient qualifications of those performing the procedures, and lack of standardization of the composition of pigments all contribute to frequent complications.
At the same time, tattoos can be helpful in medicine. They can provide information about medical conditions, enabling accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment, or protect the patient from immediate life-threatening situations. Intentional pigmentation of the skin has increasingly wider applications beyond aesthetic indications. Termed medical dermatography, it plays a significant role in camouflage procedures, enabling the reconstruction of damaged organs such as skin, cornea, or breast.
This work discusses the health complications that can be caused by an unprofessionally executed tattoo and presents the application of tattoos in medicine.