Skulls. Butterflies. Crown of thorns. Stunning works of art on a shoulder, or drunken regrets on a hip. Tribal pride on a leg or words in memoriam on an arm. The possibilities for tattoos are endless, as are our reactions to them. Scorn. Admiration. Curiosity. Attraction. But after being around for thousands of years, we can all agree that they are here to stay. So let’s learn a bit more about TATTOOS.
Many people link the start of tattoos with the Polynesian islands. There, the traditions of tatau (Tahiti), tatatau (Tonga), moko (Hawaiian), and uhi (Maori), among many others, have been passed down through legends, songs, and ritual ceremonies going back over 2,000 years. Islands have their own unique style, and it was possible to identify a person’s origins and tribal affiliation based on their tattoo designs.
In cultures around the world, tattoos were used as part of an identity. Ancient Romans used tattoos to brand criminals and the condemned. During the Crusades of the 11th and 12th centuries, warriors identified themselves as Christian with the mark of the cross so that they would receive a proper burial if they died in battle. The yakuza gangster class in Japan were adorned with elaborate designs that included symbols of character traits the wearer wanted to emulate. Buddhist monks engraved sacred Sak Yant tattoos into warriors seeking protection and strength in battle. 
In Germany during the second world war, people were branded to identify them as concentration camp prisoners. Teardrop tattoos often signify a prisoner who has a lengthy sentence, or one who has committed murder. As for the mustache finger tattoo, that one has yet to be interpreted.
Are you in pain? Consider getting inked! It turns out that the 5,200 year old Iceman (oldest tattooed human) had marking patterns that lined up with acupuncture points. His tattoos were probably medicinal, used to relieve joint pain1. In Egypt from the time of 2000 B.C., tattoo patterns on female mummies most likely served a therapeutic role during the very difficult time of pregnancy and birth2.
Body art has definitely evolved in the past few thousand years. Now, you can choose what type of designs, body parts, needles, ink, and colors you want.
Do you like the idea of body art but aren’t interested in a permanent, visible marking? You could try a tattoo with disappearing ink! A new startup company Ephemeral is creating a new kind of ink that your body reabsorbs after about a year. Perfect for commitment phobes who want to try out body art without the fear of regret. Ephemeral plans to release their product in the Fall of 2017.
For those of you who are serious about the art, one of the latest trends in tattooing is to take it to the extre
me. While many tattoos are complex designs or vivid colors, blackout tattoos take the opposite approach. Large portions of the body are covered in solid black ink. Occasionally, negative space is used to create simple yet stunning designs (photo credit Oracle Tattoo).
Another trend with black ink is to use it on the eyeballs. Yes, the eyeballs. Body modification artist Russ Foxx is one of the few people in the world who is proficient in the practice of tattooing the sclera. In his words, “The eyes are a strong communication tool and are always seen. The contrast and relationship between a person’s natural iris color and the scleral tattoo can create all sorts of amazing and beautiful effects.” Eye tattoos can be black or other colors.
While these black tattoos stand out, other tattoos have the sole purpose of not being noticed at all. Paramedical tattoo treatments are the specialty of using tattoos to camouflage scars and burns. Basma Hameed is an expert in matching patients’ skin tone pigments for tattoos meant to disguise discoloration. She first tattooed her own face. She was burned in a kitchen accident at the age of two and, despite hundreds of procedures, always had prominent scars on her face. Through her work, she has brought a renewed sense of hope to victims who thought their scars, physical and emotional, would never heal.
To tattoo is to create an evolving novel on skin, a graphic account of a person’s life and identity.Through piercing the skin, people can be healed. They can commemorate events in their lives, reconnect with their family’s history, and express themselves in a unique, beautiful way. The skin is an empty canvas and around the world, people are painting their stories.
What is your story? I’d love to see your tattoos. Send me pictures in the comments so we can all see your beautiful body art.
- http://magazine.foxnews.com/style-beauty/origin-ink-tattoos-through-time
- http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/tattoos-144038580/