Exploring the Psychosocial Impact of Tattooing as a Method of Scar Camouflage and Decoration in Individuals with Visible Differences

英国目前约有130万人生活在影响他们面部和/或身体的“可见差异”（毁容）中（Wallersteiner，2020）。可见的差异可能是先天性的，例如，唇裂的胎记。它们也可以在以后的生活中获得，例如，由于医疗事故（Wallersteiner，2020）。有证据表明，医疗纹身和皮肤伪装可以有益于心理健康。这项研究旨在扩大对非医疗专业纹身师使用装饰性纹身作为疤痕伪装形式的有限研究，以及其对具有明显差异的个体的心理社会影响，例如烧伤后的疤痕。它力求查明：促使人们在可见疤痕周围进行装饰性纹身的动机;以及装饰性纹身的应用如何改变个人与自己和环境的关系。特别是，该研究将揭示装饰性纹身和医疗纹身之间的差异，以及推动个人选择的影响因素。这项研究借鉴了社会文化的观点，围绕装饰纹身及其对当前知识的影响，围绕装饰纹身作为一种疤痕伪装。这将通过跨学科的心理社会方法进行，从而将装饰性纹身放在疤痕上的心理影响的对比，以及社会学结果和影响因素进行比较。例如，装饰性纹身使个人能够收回自己的身体的潜力，以及与个人经历有关的社会文化利益和风险。研究的主要焦点和关键领域如下：主要研究问题：围绕非医疗专业装饰纹身与健康和福祉的个人观点和经验是什么？次要研究问题：如何更深入地了解用户和艺术家的观点，以提高行业的意识，培训和监管？

Approximately 1.3 million people in the UK are currently living with a 'visible difference' (disfigurement) affecting their face and/or body (Wallersteiner, 2020). A visible difference can be congenital, for example, cleft lip's birth marks. They can also be acquired later in life, for example, due to medical accidents (Wallersteiner, 2020). Evidence suggests that medical tattooing and skin camouflage can be beneficial for psychosocial wellbeing.This study aims to expand on limited research surrounding the use of decorative tattooing by non-medical professional tattooists as a form of scar camouflage, and its psychosocial impact on individuals with visible differences, for example, scars after burn injuries. It seeks to identify: the motives that drive individuals to engage with decorative tattooing surrounding visible scars-; and how this application of decorative tattooing changes an individual's relationship with themselves and their environment. In particular, the research will unpack the differences between decorative and medical tattooing, and the influencing factors that drive individual choices. This research draws upon sociocultural perspectives surrounding decorative tattooing and its impact on current knowledge surrounding decorative tattooing as a form of scar camouflage. This will be conducted through an interdisciplinary psychosocial approach, whereby a contrast of the psychological implications of placing a decorative tattoo over a scar, and the sociological outcomes and influencers are compared. For example, the potential for decorative tattoos to enable an individual to reclaim their body, and the sociocultural benefits and risks in relation to the individual's experience. The main focus and key areas of the study are as follows:Primary Research Question: What are the individual perspectives and experiences surrounding non-medical professional decorative tattooing in relation to health and wellbeing?Secondary Research Question: How can a deeper understanding of both user's and artist's perspectives be used to improve awareness, training, and regulation of the industry?