TATTOOS

BODY ART

Body art is art made on, with, or consisting of, the human body. The most common forms of body art are tattoos and body piercings, but other types include scarification, branding, scalpel ling, shaping (for example tight-lacing of corsets), full body tattoo and body painting.

In the past few years  I have  wanted a tattoo mo than anything… but once I think about the pain that I would feel I let go of the arge. Tattooing has been practiced for centuries in many cultures spread throughout the world. 

A tattoo is a form of body modification, made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. The first written reference to the word, "tattoo" (or Samoan "Tatau") appears in the journal of Joseph Banks, the naturalist aboard Captain Cook's ship the HMS Endeavour: "I shall now mention the way they mark themselves indelibly, each of them is so marked by their humor or disposition”. The Ainu, an indigenous people of Japan, traditionally had facial tattoos. Today, one can find Berbers of Tamazgha (North Africa), Māori of New Zealand, Hausa people of Northern Nigeria, Arabic people in East-Turkey and Atayal of Taiwan with facial tattoos. Tattooing was widespread among Polynesians and among certain tribal groups in Taiwan, Philippines, Borneo, Mentawai Islands, Africa, North America, South America, Mesoamerica, Europe, Japan, Cambodia, New Zealand and Micronesia. Indeed, the island of Great Britain takes its name from tattooing, with Britons translating as 'people of the designs' and the Picts, who originally inhabited the northern part of Britain, which literally means 'the painted people'British people remain the most tattooed in Europe.

Despite some taboos surrounding tattooing, the art continues to be popular in many parts of the world.

Body art has taken many forms throughout many cultures. Countless reasons motivate people to permanently apply images to their bodies. Depending on the time or the culture, the reasons range from rite of passage, status symbol, sign of social position and rank, membership in a select group, rebellion, and artistic expression.

Millions of specific personal reasons inspire people to get tattoos, but trends are easily identified that explain why many people in the  Western societies choose to have one or more tattoos.

TYPES OF TATTOOS

TEMPORALY  TATTOOS

A temporary tattoo is a non-permanent image on the skin resembling a real tattoo. Temporary tattoos can be drawn, painted, or airbrushed, as a form of body painting, but most of the time these tattoos are transferred to the skin. Temporary tattoos of any kind are used for numerous purposes including self-expression and identification. For example, actors who wish to add to their character's distinctiveness might take temporary tattoos painted on the skin by hand or using stencils as part of their cosmetic ritual.

TEMPORALY TRANSFER TATTOOS 

Old fashioned temporary tattoos, which were first made popular as inserts in bubble gum, were poor quality ink transfers that often resulted in blurry designs and could easily be washed or rubbed off. A very identifiable brand would be the fruit flavored chewing gum Fruit Stripe which has been popular with American children for many years. Nonetheless, these lick-and-peel temporary tattoos became a well-known piece of North America.

Modern temporary transfer tattoos are made of ink and glue, and last much longer than older temporary tattoos. In this process, the tattoo is applied to the outer surface of the skinand remains until such time as the image fades away (typically after 3–5 days) or is removed.

Temporary tattoos usually consist of five main elements: the front of the sheet of paper, the back of the sheet of paper, ink, glue and a protective plastic sheet. The front of the sheet is covered with a special coating upon which the tattoo image is printed with special inks. A layer of glue is then applied on top of the image. A thin, transparent plastic sheet is placed over the front of the sheet to protect the image and glue layer. The back of the sheet is left untreated and has a list of ingredients and instructions printed on it.

oday, temporary tattoos are sold everywhere from vending machines to check-out counters at mass retailers to high-end boutiques and can be customized and printed through a color laser printer using specialty color laser transfer paper. A variety of tattoo designs exist; everything from Marvel superhero tattoos, to glitter designs, to Ed Hardy temporary tattoos for trendy adults and clubbing designs for young people.

HENNA TATTOES.

Henna tattoos, also known as Mehndi, is another form of temporary tattoo. Coming from a south Asian tradition, henna uses a paste made from the powdered leaves of the Henna plant, Lawsonia inermis. Its active dye, Lawsone, binds with the keratin in skin, fingernails, and hair. Traditional henna is drawn in delicate patterns on the hands and feet, but modern henna is applied in all sorts of designs anywhere on the body. Unlike other forms of temporary tattoos, henna does not allow for a full range of colors but only shades of reds, browns, and near-blacks. The paste is applied and left on the skin for several hours to stain. The stain will gradually fade away as the skin sheds. Henna tattoos can last days to over a month depending on application and aftercare.

However, caution should be taken as many products labeled henna are misleading. Fast-staining "black henna" can contain para-phenylenediamine (PPD) which can cause allergic reactions and scarrin

  WHY PEOPLE GET TATTOOS.

Religious

Another very common tattoo is the religious tattoo. More and more you can see crosses and the face of Jesus or Mary on people everywhere around the country. Many people get this tattoo as a sign of devotion to their beliefs, and is very commendable. If someone is that devout in what they believe, why shouldn't they go under the needle. Also, I've personally talked to a few Christian youth group leaders who have religious tattoos, and they have all told me that there is nothing wrong with getting one.

Just for Fun

Sometimes you'll meet someone with a tattoo that they can't quite explain. It might be intense or it might just be funny. These people will say that they just got it "because." These tattoos can be a range of things. One thing is certain, they'll almost certainly be original.

Whatever the reason that someone gets a tattoo, it will probably be a fun story to listen to. Of course there will be tattoos that don't fit any of their categories, but these are definitely common reasons. Next time you can't imagine why someone would get a tattoo just remember, people have their reasons.

Mistake

A few weeks ago, I asked my friend for the first time why he got a tattoo on his arm. He got the tattoo over a year ago, but I had just recently remembered to ask him why he got it. He replied that it was a mistake and that was all. It seems like a lot of people's taste will change and in turn, they will refer to their tattoo as a mistake. This isn't entirely uncommon, but with new ways of removing tattoos, it seems like this will become less common over time.

Memorial tattoos 

Tattoos are frequently inspired by the loss of a loved one such as a spouse, parent, grandparent, or child. A person will have the name of the deceased along with any combination of images, symbols, words, and birth and death dates to honor the passing of a loved one. Placing this memorial onto the flesh is a powerful tribute to the dead person and allows the person with the tattoo to maintain a physical connection to person who has died.

Birth tattoos

An increasing amount of mothers and fathers celebrate the birth of their children by tattooing the names of children along with birth dates on their bodies.

Sports tattoos

Those people who paint their faces in the team colors know nothing of devotion compared to fans that get tattooed with the names and logos of their favorite sports teams.

Military tattoos 

Members of the armed forces have been getting tattoos for decades to signify their membership in a group and mark rites of passage like tours of duty.

Beyond the heavy psychological needs cited by the society, tattoos can easily be motivated by a person's desire for creative self expression coupled with the undisputed ownership of one's body. A person's skin represents a place where art can always be possessed and enjoyed. It's not like remodeling a kitchen and then selling the house. A person will always have the tattoo and never have to worry about having a wall on which to display the art. In our highly mobile society, the permanent possession automatically enabled by skin art has appeal for many people. This unrivaled possession is hard to achieve in any other way, and, in ideal circumstances, a tattoo allows a person to be fulfilled by the artwork.