Tattoos – History and Actuality

Abstract

Tattoos have been practiced for thousands of years and remain a common practice in various cultures and countries. Tattooing has gained popularity in Western society where about 10% of the population has at least one decorative tattoo. Lately, the same phenomenon can be also observed in Romania. Metal salts or organic compounds are the pigments used in tattooing to achieve a different color. The introduction of various substances into the skin can cause side effects such as acute inflammatory reactions, contact dermatitis, photoinduced reactions, lichenoid reactions, granulomatous reactions, pseudo-lymphomatous reactions, discoid lupus erythematosus, and bacterial infections (pyoderma, leprosy, tuberculosis) or viral (warts, molluscum contagiosum, hepatitis virus, HIV). In parallel with the emergence of new ways of tattooing, new ways of removing them have also developed. Currently, a Q-switched laser is most commonly used to remove tattoos, however, without guaranteeing their complete removal.