Chart Your Tattoos: A Documentation Workbook

Chart Your Life!

Personal Medical Records

Dermatology / Skin

Tattoo Documentation

Compiled and authored

by Crystal Whitten, PhD, MS

Crystal Whitten

ISBN: 978-1-7352988-9-4

Copyright 2026

Published by Build A Better You

Chart Your Life, Chart Your Tattoos!

Think of your life as a painting, where every day is represented by one or two brush strokes. At the end of your life, you will have a masterpiece on a grand scale! It might be a Monet, Renoir or a Cassatt; hopefully not Picasso’s Guernica, depicting the Spanish civil war. The style of the artist does not matter, what matters is capturing each brush stroke of your masterpiece. These forms are about capturing your life’s brush strokes in terms of health and when necessary, in terms of symptoms, infirmity, and disease. Our memories are not always accurate. If you don’t make regular brush strokes or document your life in real time, you will end up with nothing but memories of vague bits and pieces of information. Documenting also helps us formulate a strong, hardy philosophy of life, because we are actively participating in not only documenting our life but better understanding cause and effects.

Conceptually, Chart Your Life Forms are highly structured, multi-purpose health diaries. These first two forms, designed for individuals with tattoos, are the first publications in a series of approximately 300 forms. Completing these forms and maintaining them in a notebook, provides you with valuable information to help you make informed decisions. You may keep the written portion of this document separate from the two tattoo documentation forms, or keep them together.

If you don’t start Charting Your Life today, you may forget important information that could be relevant to understanding your health, planning for long-term wellness, restoring your health or living a full and satisfying life. These forms are intended solely for documentation and contain no inherent judgement. The more you know about your health, the better equipped you are to make informed decisions. What might be a minor detail today could become a key piece of information that helps guide future efforts to restore or maintain your health and well-being. If you don’t chart it today, you may forget a valuable piece of data. Maybe your parents have died and now you have health struggles. It could be beneficial to understand their health issues, but you have no real information about their health struggles, their procedures, risk factors, meds, etc. You may not need detailed health information, that is protected, but having some general knowledge of their health could help you make better choices about your health and the health of your children. Patient-generated medical records are useful in many ways. They help families track health risks and outcomes. They can also be used to avoid future issues. They can be used to motivate children and grandchildren to make better health-related choices. Use these forms on everyone in your family to improve their health and start tracking toward health and wellness and away from building pathology and bothersome symptoms which eventually become diseases.

Pathological (disease) processes are not always obvious. In some cases, pathological conditions may exist in a subclinical state until a threshold is reached and, sometimes without warning, the disease becomes clinically apparent. It is ideal to avoid progressive subclinical pathological states, but current Western medicine (i.e., allopathic-based medicine) philosophy does not always support this concept due to a pro-treatment mentality and not a preventive mentality.

In a sense, the current state of medicine is more of a disease-establishment and not a healthcare establishment. Many healthcare providers fall in love with the diseases they treat and instead of “hating” these conditions, they look for ways to keep patients walking through their front doors and paying for their services. Preventive Medicine is one of the lowest paying jobs for a physician. This is because there are fewer procedures for billing and when you prevent a disease, it cannot be measured using traditional metrics. It is difficult to prove a “pertinent negative” – aka when you prevent a condition or disease because you took pro-active steps as soon as a negative symptom appeared so the subclinical state does not progress and may actually resolve. This means your actions were successful but not necessarily measurable. You now have NO REASON TO WALK THROUGH YOUR PHYSICIANS OFFICE DOORS EVER AGAIN! You have made your body so healthy it cannot harbor disease. This should be the goal of every living person. It is within your reach if you are willing to put in some hard but rewarding work. Adopt one or more healthful hobbies, start eating right, go to bed early, start weight training, walk for 10 minutes after every meal, and start taking short hikes in nature which will lead to longer and longer hikes, etc. In the process of taking control of your health, you will meet some awesome people along the way. Grab their friendship and learn from them. Give back when you are healthy enough to help others. This is the cycle of usefulness, love, kindness, patience, etc. You have not only added years to your life, but virtue and goodness.

Chart Your Life Forms provide families with the ability to capture relevant health events, compile important information in meaningful ways, monitor health issues and their progression, all while learning more about how your body works and functions.

The information you chart throughout your life can be organized in a manner similar to how hospitals and doctors’ offices organize and maintain medical records. The main difference is that you retain possession of your chart. This chart will become a vital family document.

The information presented here equips you with a decision-making framework for adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. There are many rewards to Charting Your Life – you may actually experience improved health and vitality, and over time, require fewer medical interventions. This saves you and your family money and time.

One published example comes from Johns Hopkins, where researchers studied cardiac patients and found those who kept a personal health record enjoyed better health than their non-documenting counterparts. If you write your spouse and children a sweet note every day showing your gratitude and love, you will secure a place in their heart forever. The bonds of love strengthen with thoughtfulness and small acts of affection and attention. This concept is behind Chart Your Life. When you begin to pay more attention to your health in the form of documentation, it leads you to personal research and learning, and this leads to better lifestyle choices, and this leads to better thinking and improved health outcomes. Everyone wins!

Chart Your Life Forms are about building your own medical chart for you and your family. This record remains in your possession – it is your legal property. You may use the information you choose to keep in this record in several ways. First, you have pertinent information, documented in real time, about your medical history at your fingertips should you need to see a different physician or should you move and have to shop for new doctors. Sometimes having information at your fingertips allows you to easily obtain a second opinion, do your own research, or add relevant information not obtained by your physician at your annual appointment.

Most importantly, this book and Chart Your Life Forms, are about shifting the healthcare paradigm to a self-care paradigm. Most people visit their primary care provider once a year. At this time, the physician asks a few questions, maybe performs a brief physical exam, orders blood work, and determines whether or not pharmaceutical intervention is indicated. After leaving the appointment the physician’s office provides you with lab and other testing results. They call in and renew prescriptions, and shuttle questions between you and your physician. If you need a specialist, your primary care provider makes a referral. This is the simplified description of outpatient healthcare.

Unfortunately, healthcare has gone from simple office visits to a behemoth, profit-driven industry that capitalizes on physician training, the perception of disease susceptibility, and the perceptions that physicians are capable of healing infirmity. Over the last three or four decades, the practice of medicine has been impacted, often negatively, by out-of-control litigation, insurance companies, the insertion of middlemen brokers, government regulations, and reimbursement schedules, etc. All of these have served to erect barriers between medical providers and their patients.

This Chart Your Life form and many others, will help you organize your information into defined sections. It can be electronically organized as well as a paper copy assembled in a 3-ring binder. This may be one of the most valuable things you can do for your health. By virtue of dedicating your time and energy to this project, you will increase your health literacy, increase awareness of healthy options, and educate yourself in the field of medicine.

Everyone with a tattoo needs to be aware of the potential complications. This form is for those with tattoos who want to document their tattoo journey. Keeping a record of the tattoo salon, the pigments used, and the date of your tattoo, etc., may provide valuable information for future management. Fill out this form to the best of your ability and update it with new information as you acquire new tattoos.

The following forms and information should be filled out to the best of your ability. If you have questions, ask your family or someone in healthcare for more information. It is important to fill out Chart Your Life Forms as medical-related events occur. Oftentimes, we think we will remember the pertinent details, but over time, our memory fades and the details become blurry. With personal medical records you compile, you have information to guide future medical-related decisions which usually improves the quality of your decisions.

Researchers and medical personnel have only recently begun to realize tattoos are not benign. The tattoo industry in the USA has somehow managed to escape the scrutiny of the FDA. Other countries may approve loose regulations while some countries such as Italy, execute rigorous controls. At this time, each state in the USA determines how tattoo artists and their inks are regulated.

The Joint Research Centre, published data on tattoo prevalence, or the percent of the adult population with one or more tattoos. Their findings show 12% of Europeans have a tattoo, 10% to 14.5% of Australians have a tattoo, 20% of New Zealanders have a tattoo, 24% of Canadians have a tattoo and 30% of Americans have a tattoo. Tattoo prevalence is higher among younger adults, ages 18 to 29, where we see about 38%, who have one or more tattoos. Professionals are legitimately concerned about the long-term effects of tatting up, especially covering up large amounts of skin.

Over time, a majority of those with one or more tattoos regret their choice. Their lives change and evolve, the tattoo quality is poor, the ink fades, the skin loses its elasticity, distorting the image. The tattoo’s cultural statement may no longer apply, it may be difficult to find a job or to be promoted at a job, you may not have ready access to certain types of people, it may become offensive, it may not be true anymore, it may be outdated, etc. There are literally thousands of reasons to experience tattoo remorse.

A published report by members of the Committee on Adolescence (Breuner CC, Levine DA; AAP Committee on Adolescence. Adolescent and Young Adult Tattooing, Piercing, and Scarification, Pediatrics. 2017;140(4):e20171962) describes evidence of tattoos, piercings and scarification going back to 2,000 B.C. The Bible also describes similar types of body modifications. For example, the Mosaic law allowed an indentured servant to choose to become a bondservant. Oftentimes, the indentured servant was treated like part of the family and instead of choosing freedom during the Sabbatical year (all slaves were freed every seven years, known as the Sabbatical year), the bondservant could choose to stay and belong to the family. Exodus 21:5-6 describes the process, “If the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.”

People choose body modifications for various reasons. Oftentimes, those getting tattoos want to identify with a certain group. This gives them an “entry card” for hanging out with others who have tattoos, piercings, etc. For some, it lends them a new identity. A timid man may see a masculine appearing tattoo as way to project a desired type masculinity to others. A confident male may choose a tattoo reflecting his desire for dominance. Tattoos are often associated with significant life events such as turning 18, a new job, a commitment to a relationship, marriage, divorce, death, a new friendship, remembering a loved one, a cancer diagnosis (or other health condition), one’s profession, a life philosophy, etc. In some instances, close-knit friends choose tattoos to memorialize their friendship and common life experiences. Tattooing names and images of others is risky business as friendships and spouses are oftentimes temporary, while the tattoo is permanent (you will learn this as you get older). Tattoos are more than just the coloration of the dermis. They make a statement. This statement may reflect many things, but there is always a deeper meaning, a “rest of the story,” begging to be told. If you care about someone with a tattoo, take the time to understand their motivations and the historical and cultural context of their body modification. Ask questions but never with judgement or condemnation.

Another remote but possible reason one might want a tattoo is the close, prolonged body contact it requires. If Tom Selleck was giving tattoos, I can guarantee there would be many middle-aged women getting one. Many people, especially teenagers, receive very little physical affirmation from their family. In a strange way, the combination of pain and the physicality of getting a tattoo, sometimes involving intimate contact, may be “affirming” to some. People getting a tattoo have described the process as “an intense physical intimacy,” with the person inflicting pain during the process of creating art. Oftentimes you are partially “naked” during the process (depending on tattoo location). A tattoo may take as little as an hour but in most cases a standard session is around five hours. Some tattoos take multiple sessions. The person receiving the tattoo oftentimes comes to regard their tattoo artist as a close friend.

Each state has laws governing who can get a tattoo. In most states, minors require the written permission and / or the physical presence of a parent or guardian to get a tattoo. In some states, it is a class A misdemeanor to tattoo or pierce anyone under age 18 without the parent or guardian being present. Some states have health codes addressing qualifications of the tattoo artist. States usually define acceptable sanitary practices which must be followed. Check with your state to determine local tattoo regulations.

Tattoo ink manufacturers are not required to publish their ingredient list or prove the safety of their products. Sometimes tattoo artists will make their own inks to save money. The potential for untested and dangerous chemicals is real. Tattoo inks and chemicals may be toxins of various concerns including mutagenic (alters DNA and leads to increasing mutations), carcinogenic (causes cancer in living tissue), teratogenic (causes damage to a developing fetus), etc. These toxins may interact with other compounds in the body to cause issues at any point after getting the tattoo. There is no “safe” period of time after getting a tattoo where risk dramatically drops off. At some point, the Federal government in the United States may exercise regulatory authority related to tattoos, leading to reduced risk of rogue practitioners and “mystery” pigments. At this time, California does require tattoo recipients be pre-warned that tattoo inks contain heavy metals known to cause cancer, birth defects, and other reproductive harm.

Many tattoo inks contain animal and plastic products. Some glow-in-the-dark pigments contain phosphorus or radioactive substances. Plant-based pigments are widely variable but some may contain soy, which is likely to be GMO and potentially contain the pesticide, glyphosate, etc. To determine the safety of any tattoo ink, consult the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). This is a document intended to provide users and emergency personnel with information required to handle and work with chemicals. It describes the chemical, its physical and chemical properties, potential hazards, emergency procedures if contact occurs, and manufacturer data. Be sure to consult the MSDS for your specific tattoo ink. It is prudent to avoid brightly colored inks which are more likely to contain plastic compounds. Pigments with heavy metal bases are also more likely to cause allergic reactions. These include inks with lead, cobalt, copper, cadmium, mercury, etc. Keep in mind, many tattoo pigments are often recalled for contamination. There is no mechanism in place to notify recipients when this occurs. This is one reason of several, to keep accurate records of your tattoos, inks used, name of tattoo artist, any side effects of the tattoos, etc.

Additional medical-related concerns with tattoos include exposure to sunlight (UV light), X-rays and any type of radiation therapy, and MRIs. Exposure to sunlight may lead to pigments breaking down and then degrading into toxic or carcinogenic chemicals. Heavy skin pigmentation in combination with high-energy photon beams (X-rays and other types of radiation), may enhance the effects of the radiation. If tattoo inks and pigments contain ferromagnetic metals, getting an MRI may cause localized skin irritation, burning and may lead to image distortion. Discuss these concerns with your radiologist and radiation technician should you need radiation or MRI procedures.

Keep in mind, the FDA treats tattoo inks like cosmetics. They do not regulate, test, approve or certify any aspect of tattoo inks. The FDA will step in and remove ink products proven to be unsafe or harmful, but they do not pre-emptively approve tattoo ink or permanent makeup. This leaves it up to the consumer to vet which products, which tattoo salon, and which tattoo artist will provide them with the safest and purest products.

The following table provides some information about tattoo inks and other ingredients found in tattoo inks. It is a good idea to be familiar with the terms found in this table. It is not an exhaustive table, but it provides a good starting point for further research.