Individuals were asked whether they had tattoos or not by the experts in order to ascertain the safety of tattoos in individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Twenty-eight patients (19%, 26 women, median age 33 (25–42) years, 65 tattoos in total) had ≥1 tattoo.The characteristics of the tattoos and the immediate complications were investigated and compared with those of a matched control group.