Appraising the need for tighter control over the practices of the tattooing and body piercing industry

Tattooing and body piercing have had a resurgence in popularity over the past few decades, taking the activities of the industry from a place on the fringes of society into a position of mainstream status. This shift has led to debate on the level of legislation and control over the industry's practices, where concerns around risk to public health from such practices have prompted calls for tighter control over the industry (Anderson, 2006; Noah, 2006).This debate, however, is arguably more complex than simply reflecting upon the association between tattooing and body piercing activities and the risk of infection.This is the second in a three-part series of articles on the topical issue of tattooing and body piercing. It highlights and discusses additional key factors that have been influential, either explicitly or implicitly, within the debate to determine the need for tighter controls over the tattooing and body piercing industry.