Tattoos – Beautiful Body Art or a Waste of Money

What is your opinion of tattoos? Do you think they look classy or cheap? Do you have a tattoo? If so, would you get another? If not, why not? Well, as you have probably realized by now, this essay is about tattoos.

History of Tattoos – A Long Time Ago

Tattoos have been around in some form or another for over 5,000 years. Documented evidence from Southern Asia, Japan, current Taiwan, and many South Pacific islands indicate usage from as early as 2000 BCE. In the South Pacific, they may have been initially a symbol of headhunting.

French sailors took the idea of tattoos and a tattooed Inuit woman and her baby back to Europe in the mid-sixteenth century from what is now Eastern Canada. However, it was 1846 before Western culture saw any significant interest in tattoos in North America. Then, German immigrant Martin Hildebrandt opened the first tattoo shop in New York City. Later, tattoos became popular with Union and Confederate soldiers alike during the American Civil War.

Tattoos have served many purposes for Aboriginal peoples over the centuries. They have been used to celebrate rites of passage and as decorations for bravery. They indicated a person’s status in the tribe and were symbols of fertility. 

However, tattoos have also been used to identify people for nefarious reasons. Some tribes used them for punishment and humiliation. They have been used to identify outcasts, enslaved people, and convicts. During World War II, inmates in concentration camps were each tattooed with numbers so that the Nazis could later identify their bodies.

Modern History of Tattoos

In most cultures, the usual purpose of the tattoo is significantly different now from when it originated or through the centuries. Although some cultures still associate tattoos with belonging to a particular group, such as criminal gangs or specific ethnic groups, most people get tattoos today to be fashionable or for personal expression. The contrast in purpose is striking. Identifying with a group or expressing your individuality or uniqueness are opposite scenarios.

Tattoos and Western Fashion

Since the 1970s, tattoos have become a relatively significant part of Western fashion, even though they were still frowned upon by most of society. Many people couldn’t understand why someone would do that to their body. “There must be something wrong with them.” Even in the early 2000s, there were restrictions on exposed tattoos and piercings, especially for men, in many workplaces.

At that time, I was working at a casino in Western Canada. Some of my coworkers who had tattoos had to cover them in some way before they went on the gaming floor, and if they had a pierced ear, the ring had to come out. One of my coworkers covered the tattoo on his arm with a black band. It looked like he was constantly in mourning, which seemed much more ridiculous than exposing his tattoo.

The rich and famous influence fashion trends and general acceptance of them. In Western cultures, that is celebrities such as movie stars, rock groups, and professional athletes. They sport more tattoos than the rest of society. Just watch an NBA game sometime. Virtually every player on the court has several tattoos exposed for the world to see.

So, You Want to Get a Tattoo

So if you’re hellbent on getting a tattoo regardless of what your parents think, if you’re a teen, or what your significant other may think, there are a few things to consider. First, they are expensive, permanent, and can be very painful to have applied. If you don’t mind those three discouraging features, then go for it.

There are also some health risks to consider. You may have an allergic reaction to the dye, which may not appear until many years later. In particular, red, green, yellow, or blue pigments can cause allergic reactions. A skin infection or other skin problems could develop. You could get a disease from contaminated needles.

An interesting thing to consider is how your tattoo will look 20 or even 50 years later. That depends on where on your body you have your tattoo. As we age, most people gain weight and may have loose, hanging skin on their arms. So, will your tattoo be as beautiful as it once was, or will it look distorted and shrivelled?

Your Tattoo

Before getting a tattoo, you must carefully consider who will perform the procedure. First, you have to find a reputable tattoo studio. The best way to do this is to ask friends with tattoos where they would recommend. When you have decided on a studio, talk to the artist and ask if it is possible to observe before committing to getting a tattoo yourself. You are watching to ensure the artist wears gloves during the procedure, uses the proper equipment, and adequately sterilizes non-disposable equipment.

Okay, so now you have your first tat. Do you know how to take care of it while it’s healing? Cleanliness is critical to avoid infection. Keep the area clean and moisturize it three or four times daily. Avoid exposing it to direct sunlight. You must wear loose clothing so it doesn’t stick to the pus, possibly oozing out of the tattoo. Depending on the tattoo’s size, healing should take about two weeks from the last inking session. If you notice any signs of infection, see a doctor immediately.

Tattoo Mistakes – Funny or Just Sad

I’m sure many of you have seen or heard of a tattoo that didn’t work out as expected. Getting a tattoo is like writing your last will and testament. You must be of sound body and mind for both of these activities. Only decide on a tattoo when you are in your right mind. I’m sure you understand my meaning: No drugs or alcohol! Not only can you not drive while under the influence, but you probably can’t spell either. Check out the guy’s arm in the photo below. When he sees the result, he will probably have some “regerts“.

Japanese Kanji Tattoos

It’s popular in Western cultures to choose Japanese kanji for tattoos. Japanese characters are an excellent idea. They look sophisticated and mysterious and often make very impressive-looking tattoos. However, make sure you know the meaning of the kanji before committing.

George’s YouTube video about Kanji Tattoos shows a tattoo the guy probably wishes he didn’t have. It reads 馬鹿外人 and is kind of cool looking. However, it means “stupid foreigner” or “foolish foreigner”. Either way, chances are he wouldn’t have chosen that particular kanji combination if he had known the meaning. Perhaps a “good” Japanese friend advised him as a joke. It is a permanent reminder of his not-so-successful tattoo experience that he will remember forever.

And what about women who get their eyebrows tattooed? Why they do that escapes me, but I’m sure they have their reasons. There are two serious cautions I advise if having this process done. First, don’t think you or the tattoo artist know better than God where your eyebrows should be. I have seen more than one woman with eyebrows halfway up their forehead (a bit of an exaggeration for dramatic effect). Second, eyebrows have a natural curve. I saw one woman in the mall who looked as if she were constantly surprised.

Tattoo Removal

It is possible to remove tattoos or at least partially remove them with laser treatments. However, it can be more expensive and more painful than having the tattoo applied in the first place. Also, depending on the different colours, some tattoo residue may remain. So, the lesson here is to ensure that you want a tattoo and that you want that one.

Tattoos are a personal taste, to be sure. Big, small, simple, complex, monochrome, colourful, cutesy, or provocative, wherever you want it placed on your body. They’re all available for the right price, time, and pain. If that’s what you want, do it! Just heed the cautions above for a safe and correctly-spelled experience.

The above essay is for entertainment and English language study only. For suggestions on how to use this post to improve your English reading and listening comprehension, click here.

Vocabulary

• BCE – abbreviation; before the Common Era; before the birth of Christ
• headhunting – tr. & intr. verb; collect the heads of dead enemies; kill and collect shrunken heads of enemy tribes
• Inuit – noun; any of several Aboriginal peoples inhabiting the Arctic coasts of Canada, Greenland, and Alaska; original peoples of the north
• American Civil War – the war (1861-1865) between the northern US states and the states of the South; civil war in the United States
• Aboriginal – adjective; (of peoples) inhabiting or existing in a land from the earliest times or from before the arrival of colonists; the original people living in a certain area
• rite of passage – noun (often in pl); a ritual or event marking a stage of a person’s advancement through life; important event in a person’s life
• fertility – noun; fruitfulness; productiveness, or the ability to be fruitful; being able to produce children
• nefarious – adjective; wicked; evil or cruel
• humiliation – noun; injury to the dignity or self-respect of; severe feeling of embarrassment
• individuality – noun; the sum of the attributes which distinguish one person or thing from others of the same kind; how people or things are different from one another
• uniqueness – noun; of which there is only one; one only; different from any other
• significant – adjective; of great importance or consequence; very important
• restriction – noun; a limitation placed on action; something you can’t do
• in mourning – noun; the expression of deep sorrow, esp. for a loss, death, etc., grieving when someone dies
• sport – tr. verb; wear, exhibit, or produce; to wear something fancy (in this context)
• hellbent – adjective; recklessly determined; to do something whether others approve or not
• contaminated – adjective; made impure by contact or mixture; dirty and unsafe to use
• distorted – adjective; put out of shape; make or become crooked or unshapely; looks strange and different than before (in this context)
• shrivelled – adjective; withered into a wrinkled, folded, rolled-up, contorted, or dried-up state; shrunk and dried-up
• non-disposable – adjective; intended to be used more than once; to be used again and again
• regerts – (correct spelling – regrets) noun pl; a feeling of sorrow, repentance, disappointment, etc., over an action or loss, etc.; sorry that something happened
• exaggeration – noun; enlarge or alter beyond normal; make seem bigger or more important than it is

Resources

• Wikipedia – Tattoo
• Mayo Clinic
• Byrdie – Why Has the Popularity of Tattoos Grown?