Chronic tattoo reactions cause reduced quality of life equaling cumbersome skin diseases.

Abstract

Tattoos are often associated with mild complaints, but some people develop complications that may require medical treatment, and the burden of these events has hitherto been neglected. To understand the dimensions and the psychological symptomatology of adverse events both the sensory and affective impacts, including the effect on quality of life, should be studied. Itch severity and influence on quality of life can be measured objectively. The Itch Severity Scale and Dermatology Life Quality Index scoring systems have been applied to different dermatological diseases. When ISS and DLQI scores were applied to patients with chronic tattoo reactions, tattoo complaints and impact on quality of life that were comparable to patients presenting cumbersome dermatological disease such as psoriasis, eczema and pruritus, which often show widespread effects to the skin, were uncovered. In conclusion, chronic tattoo reactions should be ranked as a cumbersome dermatological disease and, accordingly, given priority attention and qualified treatment by the public health care system.