The Journey of the Tattoo

"Getting inked" is already a fad nowadays among both the young and the old. Many people might not understand why some are willing to go through the painstaking sensation of having ink inserted into the dermis layer of the skin. Some simply like getting tattoos though for decorative purposes, while others associate deeper meanings as well to the images and text that they choose to get engraved on their bodies. Some designs are such beauties that these only make the body seem like a work of embroidery.





The appearance of tattoos is found to have dated back from as early as 12000 BC. The Egyptians are said to be one of the earliest groups to spread tattooing to other parts of the world the same time they expanded their empire. From then on, tattoos have already been used for a variety of purposes in several cultures.





A Brief History





In Borneo, tattoos were used to express a woman’s skill, which increased her marriageable worth. Among Greeks, tattoos were used as a tool of communication among spies as spies were usually marked with tattoos. In countries such as Rome and Japan, tattoos show the social status of an individual; slaves and criminals were usually marked. In Japan, if a person has been caught three times for engaging in criminal acts, that person would also be marked thrice in separate occasions until the marks formed the Japanese character for "dog". In other cultures, tattoos were used to show the family or the rank that a person belonged to while in others, and were also used for therapeutic reasons.

In the late 19th century, tattooing had already started to earn less respect and tattoo artists already had to work underground. Nonetheless, there were still few who continued getting tattoos particularly for cosmetic purposes, such as eyeliner and lip liner tattoos. In the 20th century, tattooing made a comeback. In 1961, however, there had been an outbreak of hepatitis and tattooing is said to be the main cause. Tattoo shops typically have sterilization system but this process is seldom done. In some places, tattooing is still illegal up to date. Despite its bad reputation and its association with criminals and delinquents, tattooing had retained its popularity.





Tattoos as Perceived Now





Nowadays, people who get tattoos may not have the same religious and magical beliefs and purposes for it as the men in the earlier times. Many though still give apparent meanings to their tattoos. More often than not, however, the purpose of getting tattoos is usually for aesthetics and for expression.





Tattoos have gone a long way before it finally received the kind of acceptance it is being showered now. Yet even in the more recent generations, many still see tattooing as a next-door neighbor of crime. Yes, one cannot really deny that there are certainly risks that getting a tattoo calls for. The question is, however, is it all worth it?





For those who are afraid or are thinking twice about getting a tattoo and for those who simply never plan to get one, showcasing personality or art can still be done through other ways such as fashion by making use of our clothes. Shirts may also even be placed with customized "tattoos" by adding on embroidery, which can now be done through professional embroidery digitizing.