Teenagers who are afraid to get a flu shot from the doctor will sit for hours on a table and allow a stranger to pierce their skin repeatedly until a muti-colored picture emerges on their skin. The skin is swollen red and painful but the teen emerges from this operation with a smile and a feeling of pride?

Big strong men who refuse to go to a doctor for a checkup medication will allow an unknown person to use a needle to inject ink on to their skin for hours. Sometimes this ink is projected on very personal parts of the body. They leave the little tattoo shop beaming and proud.

What is the allure of enduring hours of pain in order to get a picture of your soon to be ex-girlfriend on you arm. The process will have to be repeated to change the name from Carla to Paula and then perhaps back again.

The purpose of getting a tattoo is as diverse as the symbols, signs and pictures that are available to adorn the body. At one time tattoos provided a non-status symbol for the radical members of society, hippies, motorcycle riders and prostitutes. The tattoo kept them apart from mainstream society.

On August 1, 1981, television changed forever. MTV devoted an entire cable network to a combination of music and video. MTV showcased musicians who were sporting tattoos. MTV exploded and so did the tattoo industry.

Tattoos have now became mainstream. People from all walks of life wanted a tattoo. Everyone wanted to be have a mark. Teenagers were allowed to get tattoos. Businessmen took off their shirts and got symbols or their favorite cartoon characters. Lawyers and doctors marked themselves with the symbols of their profession.

The reason for the need to have tattoos may be less to do with being rebellious and stepping outside the established status quo as it is an ancient custom that is older than the modern craft of body art.Human have an intrinsic need to express themselves. If you have artistic talent you can express your thoughts and feeling using traditional methods. You can write a song, or write poetry. If you have a lot to say you may even write a book. Artist must Draw or paint to showcase their feelings. But if you have feelings or needs that you can not communicate in the standard formats, you may find the need to tell the world about you, your thoughts or ideas via a tattoo.

The act of getting a tattoo may be even more than the need of self expression. Some cultures believe Tattoos have magical powers. Other think that Tattoos offer protection against evil, sickness and Misfortune. In African cultures tattoos are used In some fertility rites

It is claimed that the art of putting symbols and pictures on the body existed 12,000 years BC. It is believed that The Egyptians created the art of tattooing. The theory is that Egyptians believed that amulets for protection. The Permanent protection that could not be lost Or stolen was a permanent adornment of the Body that today we refer to as a tattoo. protect them from evil. To insure the protection from the Gods the tattoo became a permanent adornment of the body. Although the word tattoo comes From the Tahitian “tatu” which means to Mark something.

There are cultures that use tattoos as part of fertility rites, tattoos are thought to have magical and religious significance in these cultures.

The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian “tatu” which means “to mark something.”

tattoo symbolizing yourself