When you hear the word tattoo, what comes to mind? This depends on your point of view: do you regard tattooing as an art, a fashion, an aesthetic, or a mark on the body worn by cultists, bikers, sailors, and criminals?

“A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. The art of making tattoos is known as tattooing.”- Wikipedia

Tattoos are worn for a variety of reasons, as a symbol, decoration, or to represent someone or something. It has a long history all over the world; in ancient Egypt, for example, tattoos were discovered in mummified human remains.

Tattooing has rarely been considered an art form in the past; rather, the human body has been tattooed for cultural identity purposes (especially tribal marks), to show off one’s position or status in society, for treatment of sickness, as medicine, or for other spiritual purposes such as protection against spiritual attack.

In my early years, you could tell what tribe a person belonged to by looking at their face; each child has a tattoo on their face to show what tribe they belong to, where they are from, and what position they hold; the royal family, in particular, takes pride in this.

People began to abandon this act later on; mothers no longer want tribal marks on their children’s faces, and it became a thing of the same for many who already had some mark; some were even looking for ways to have the marks or tattoo removed.

Tattooing has since evolved into an art form, as well as a fashion trend used for beautification, among other things. Tattooing is now considered a profession in which tattoo artists make a living. They used to be permanent, but now they can be either temporary or permanent, and the tattooed must make the decision, unlike in the past.

Take a look around you today: you’ll notice people wearing one type of tattoo or another, especially in the entertainment industry; from the football field to the runway, you’ll see them showing off their paintings, even on social media.

People get tattoos on their skin for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to the following:

–      For cosmetic reasons, such as covering up scars on the skin or concealing an imperfection.

–      To draw attention to themselves in order to stand out and be noticed

–      To demonstrate their personality

–      As a fashion statement, add color to a portion of their skin.

–      To commemorate a personal or deeply meaningful event.

–      To demonstrate affiliation or solidarity with a class or cult

–      To demonstrate a change in lifestyle

–      Addiction to pain

–      For emotional reasons, such as tattooing a lost loved one’s face or name – To boost self-confidence and self-esteem

–      For cultural reasons

The tattooing machine, which resembles a sewing machine, is one of the four main tools used for tattooing. This electrically powered machine contains the needle used to pierce the dermis, or second layer of skin. To achieve the desired result, the skin is usually pieced thousands of times.

The needles are the second tool used in tattooing, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on whether they are used for outlining or coloring.

The third item is ink, which comes in a variety of colors. If the ink is not handled properly, it can become contaminated.

Autoclaves are the fourth and most important tool. It acts as a sterilizer for other pieces of equipment.

Tattooing is a popular form of art that is growing in popularity as more people seek to get inked for a variety of reasons.

Before getting a tattoo on your skin, it’s a good idea to think about a few things:

–      Keep in mind the pains that come with the process of designing the art on your skin; is it a pain you are willing to endure? Because most tattoos are permanent, you must consider whether this is a mark you want to carry with you to your grave. There have been cases where people later in life have regrets about what they have inked into their skin and attempt to remove it several times.

–      Some professions and religions in our society today frown on the art of body tattooing; depending on your profession or religion, you may want to either let it go or reconsider which part of your body you want to be inked.

–      There are many tattoo artists who are not professionals, and a mistake can have serious health consequences; therefore, you should be aware of where and with whom you get your tattoo done.

If you do decide to get inked, you should make certain that the needles used for the tattooing are new, sealed, and opened in your presence. Also, ensure that the tools are well sterilized, and that the environment is as clean and free of dirt as possible. Not to mention conducting a background check on the tattooist who will be in charge of injecting ink into your dermis.

Sources 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo

https://www.karger.com/Article/Fulltext/369174

https://www.101corpuschristi.com/3169