Tattoos in Psychodermatology

Tattooing is a permanent form of body art applied onto the skin with a decorative ink, and it has been practiced from antiquity until today. The number of tattooed people is steadily increasing as tattoos have become popular all over the world, especially in Western countries. Tattoos display distin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPsych Vol. 3; no. 3; pp. 269 - 278
Main Authors Kıvanç Altunay, İlknur, Mercan, Sibel, Özkur, Ezgi
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 06.07.2021
Subjects
body art
Emotions
Human remains
Identity
Psychoanalysis
psychodermatology
Religion
self-identity
Skin
Taboos
tattoo
Tattoos
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Summary:Tattooing is a permanent form of body art applied onto the skin with a decorative ink, and it has been practiced from antiquity until today. The number of tattooed people is steadily increasing as tattoos have become popular all over the world, especially in Western countries. Tattoos display distinctive designs and images, from protective totems and tribal symbols to the names of loved or lost persons or strange figures, which are used as a means of self-expression. They are worn on the skin as a lifelong commitment, and everyone has their own reasons to become tattooed, whether they be simply esthetic or a proclamation of group identity. Tattoos are representations of one’s feelings, unconscious conflicts, and inner life onto the skin. The skin plays a major role in this representation and is involved in different ways in this process. This article aims to review the historical and psychoanalytical aspects of tattoos, the reasons for and against tattooing, medical and dermatological implications of the practice, and emotional reflections from a psychodermatological perspective.
ISSN:2624-8611
2624-8611
DOI:10.3390/psych3030021