Vicki Harrison of the NEA Health Information Network recently spoke with Myrna Armstrong, a professor at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing, about the body art phenomenon.
Tattoos are indelible markings of pigment placed under the skin.
Tattooing and piercing are the most popular types of body art, with between 15 to 20 percent of students having one or the other. Branding, implants, and scarification are more extreme and dangerous types of body art that are slowly emerging. Branding involves creating scars on the skin by striking hot pieces of metal against the body. Scarification involves cutting patterns deeply enough in the skin to create a permanent scar. Implanting is the insertion of metal or plastic pieces of jewelry under the skin.