The History And Popularity Of Tattoos

In today’s culture, a big trend among teens and twenty-somethings alike is using tattoos, body art, and body piercings as a way of expressing themselves. Other age groups are into these trends as well, but it is most prominent in the younger generations. Seeing that you can get a picture of anything imaginable as a tattoo or body art, people get them to express things they like, people they love, things that they are passionate about, and things that have meaning in their lives.

Tattoos are thought to have begun about 9500 BCE in the Middle East which is traditionally known as the Stone Age so it’s safe to say that the art of tattooing has been around practically forever. It has been used for a myriad of reasons ranging from a mark of bravery to marks of status and rank to showing spiritual devotion to marking people as outcasts and slaves. Today, those reasons aren’t so common. For the most part, people today tend to get tattoos to express themselves and show their individuality.

Pop culture today has made tattoos gain new popularity. As more and more public figures are getting tattoos, it would follow that today’s youth who look up to those models would want tattoos as well. Tattoos are popular on the ankles, lower backs, calves, and shoulders, but can be anywhere on the body. Unfortunately, popularity doesn’t always mean it’s popular for good.

Tattoos have received a negative association in some places, especially in Japan. The Yakuza, a very large group of criminals, are known to have full body tattoos as part of their culture and mark of solidarity. This is difficult as someone may have full body tattoos and therefore be outlawed from entering certain establishments simply for fear that they are part of the Yakuza even when they may not be associated with them. With young girls, the negative connotation of tattoos is girls who get them to show how they feel about their self-image. Many girls will get tattoos to show they have control of their body at least in some respect when they may feel they don’t have control over how their body is seen.

Although tattoos have been popular throughout history with their popularity increasing over the years, there are people who want them removed at some point. This can be done although it is a painful and costly procedure. Laser treatments are being improved all the time that help these tattoos get removed. Tattoos are a mostly permanent decision so make sure you really want one forever if you plan to get one done.