Dermatologic Complications with Body Art - Tattoos, Piercings and Permanent Make-Up

Originally published in 2010, this book has since become one of the seminal works in the rapidly evolving field of body piercings, tattoos, and permanent make-up.  Authorities, body art professionals, and the general public have become increasingly aware of the risks associated with these practices and the need for better regulation. This second, extensively revised edition includes an update on the literature and focuses more on the epidemiology and classification of adverse reactions. In particular, it addresses recent findings on tattoo inks, their potential side effects and the initiatives being launched by regulating authorities to reduce the risks related to body art.
Dermatologic Complications with Body Art details tattooing procedures in line with the coming  European Standards on hygiene (CEN 435 in preparation-release 2018-2019) with extra attention to aftercare. The book features step-by-step video illustrations of different body-art procedures (tattooing, medical tattooing, piercing, and laser tattoo removal). Innovations including medical applications of tattooing are presented. Possible complications, including infections, granulomatous reactions, and allergies are discussed, while new insights on the pathogenesis of allergic reactions are illustrated with the help of recent research data. The book also presents the latest techniques and devices for tattoo removal, together with their risks and benefits. Richly illustrated with videos and pictures, it offers an indispensable guide for dermatologists, physicians and practitioners dealing with body art.

Dr. Christa De Cuyper is a Belgian dermatologist and has been working in the Sint-Jan General Hospital in Brugge for 35 years. She has extensive experience in laser treatment, particularly in tattoo removal. Dr. De Cuyper is a founding member of the European Society on Tattoo and Pigment Research (ESTP), organized the second congress on Tattoo and Pigment Research in Brugge, which brought together authorities and various stakeholders (scientists, manufacturers, retailers and professional users of tattoo and PMU inks), and has given invited talks on this subject at several international congresses (EADV, World congress of Dermatology , GERDA etc.). She has represented Belgium in both the CEN 435 project on hygienic standards for tattooists, and in the EC Consumer Safety Network subgroup on safety of tattoos and PMU.


Prof. Maria Luisa Pérez-Cotapos is a medical surgeon specialized in dermatology and based in Chile. She has been Head of the Dermatology Department, Clinica Las Condes (Santiago, Chile) since June 2015 and is currently an Associate Professor at Universidad de Chile. She acts as Director for the Universidad de Chile at Clinica Las Condes Dermatology Training Program for general practitioners, and as a consultant for the Chilean Ministry of Health's tattooing, piercing and body art rules and regulations program. She is an active member of the Ibero-American College of Dermatology and coedited the first edition of 'Complications of Body art: tattoo and piercing,' published by Springer.