Tattoos Today

Lichenoid reaction from a permanent red tattoo: has nickel a possible aetiologic role?

“…Due to the increasing diffusion of ‘permanent body art’ (estimated prevalence in the US now 3–5%), irritant and allergic cutaneous reactions to tattoos are increasingly reported (1, 2). Red tattoo pigment is the most frequently responsible for allergic reactions, including granulomatous (3–5), eczematous (6), pseudolymphomatous (7) and lichenoid reactions (4, 8–12).…”

Granulomatous Dermatitis to Iron Oxide After Permanent Pigmentation of the Eyebrows

“…Conceivably, infections and malignancy as reported with tattoos elsewhere in the body 5,8 could occur with iron oxide but we could not find any reports in the literature. Our review of the literature did reveal mention 7′9 of anecdotal reports of cellulitis, chronic chalazion, and granulomas occurring with blepharopigmentation but we could not find any documented cases.…”

Allergic reaction to India ink in a black tattoo

“…Reactions to black areas in tattoos, in contrast, seem to be extremely rare. Black colour in tattoos can be produced with India ink (containing carbon particles), logwood (containing chrome), iron oxide and titanium oxide (2). We are aware of only one sure reaction to a black tattoo reported in the literature (3), plus 5 reported reactions to cosmetic eyebrow tattoos that, although not specified, were very likely brown-black in colour (4-6).…”