Tattoos defined

Tattoo definitions from general, foreign language, medical dictionaries and textbooks are reviewed. In addition to the common usage “to mark the skin with pigments,” the word tattoo, used as a noun, first meant a signal on a drum or bugle to call military men to quarters. This chapter includes a variety of colorful, cultural and historical references. The increasing popularity of tattoos stimulated the American Academy of Dermatology to produce the 2004 brochure Tattoos, Body Piercing and Other Skin Adornments, which is reproduce here. When asked by patients about getting tattooed, it is wise to caution that even with the variety of modern techniques for removal available, some scarring may result.