Types: Professional Tattoos
Professional tattoos are applied by registered artists using a tattoo machine -- the term many artists prefer to the slangy "tattoo gun."
Types: Cosmetic Tattoos
Tattoos may be used as "permanent" make-up, such as eye and lip liner, lipstick, blush, eyebrows, or hair imitation. Because tattoos do fade over time, the procedure must occasionally be repeated to keep colors fresh.
Types: Medical Tattoos
Medical tattoos are not decorative, but are placed for medical reasons:
Patients with medical conditions or chronic diseases, such as diabetes, may use a tattoo to alert health care workers in case of an emergency.
Doctors often use tattoos to mark specific sites for repeated application of radiation therapy.
After breast reconstruction surgery, a tattoo may be used to simulate the nipple. This use may also be considered a cosmetic tattoo.