Perception of Tattoos in South Korea: Analysis of Citizen Survey Data / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

Background@#Increasing numbers of individuals are getting tattoos in recent times; however, the possible adverse effects of tattoos performed by non-medical practitioners are often overlooked. Limited information is available regarding the actual numbers of individuals getting tattoos and the perception regarding tattoos in the general population. @*Objective@#We investigated the prevalence of tattoos and public perception of tattoos. @*Methods@#Between August and September 2019, we performed a questionnaire survey that included 1,000 individuals aged ≥20 years. @*Results@#Among the 1,000 participants in this survey, 370 (37%) had received a tattoo; the number of participants with cosmetic tattoos (68.4%) was nearly 2-fold higher than the number of participants with body tattoos (31.6%). The most common motivation for getting a tattoo was “for beauty” (44.9%), followed by “convenience of make-up” (34.1%), and “recommendation from friends or others” (14.6%). In the tattoo-related satisfaction category, information regarding injected dye-induced adverse effects, facility hygiene, and pre-allergy testing were commonly rated as unsatisfactory by respondents. Only 322 (32.2%) participants were aware that semi-permanent tattoos could not be erased. Furthermore, 780 (78.0%) participants had a negative impression regarding body tattoos, and 844 (84.4%) participants preferred to get tattoos at specialized medical institutions based on the national regulations to minimize possible tattoo-induced adverse effects. @*Conclusion@#This study confirmed that a relatively large number of individuals had received tattoos but had a negative impression regarding this procedure. Educational and institutional management for public safety are necessary owing to a lack of awareness regarding tattoos and tattoo-related safety.