Thermographic analysis of short and long term modifications due to the application of tattoos and body piercings

Objective of the present work is the evaluation, through non invasive procedures, based on detection of infrared (IR) electromagnetic waves, of the thermal properties modifications of skin tissues that can be induced by tattoos or body piercing application, their typology and the relative level of seriousness. To such aim we have implemented the previously elaborated experimental protocols, in order to estimate the in vivo behavior of the skin districts where tattoos and/or body piercing are inserted, by telethermographic detection, for characterizing the nature of the thermal properties changes of the interested tissues together with the relative experimentally appreciable consequences, the degree of incidence of the implied alterations, their seriousness level, related both to the noxa entity and time evolution, including possible complications that such practices could also cause to the general state of health in relation also to their application centre and to structures of the different skin tissues involved. On the basis of these results we mean to verify how tattoos or body piercing contribute to modify structures of the interested tissues and biological importance of such modifications, depending upon the age of the subjects, upon previous local actions due to external agents of natural and/or anthropogenic causes, upon level of perfusion and local metabolism. Moreover, we mean to assign, if possible, an intrinsic pathological importance to such practices, due to the experimental results are strictly connected to the general conditions of the skin tissues and to the typology of their features.