Tattoos

What is a tattoo?

A tattoo is the art of making a picture, design, or other marking on the dermis layer of the skin by pricking ,etching, irradiating or even staining it with an indelible dye for aesthetic, identification  or other reasons.

A Brief History of Tattoo

The history of the word cannot be distinctly associated with any community as the initiator because the word derived from among the Tahitian "tatu" translates to “to mark something"; when we head to the Polynesian 'ta' means “to strike something”.  And in many others the word "tattoo" derivative appear there.  Historically then the art is varied.

Still to consider the origin of this creative art, we must take our thoughts back to the earliest days of the world’s history, and further to the consideration of people oldest of all, yet one that has survived the fall of empires and dynasties, and we are today as characteristic and as full of individuality as there were thousands of years ago the first of history were written.  I allude jokingly to Christianity perspective as perhaps the first tattoo must have been beautifully engraved by Adam on his arm to amuse Eve by the green cashew nut seed.

Leaving that and endeavoring to trace the origin of the art of tattoo to prehistoric age, fragments of literature point the slopes of Alps where a man tattooed remains clocked about five thousand years back.  One of the strangest features in connection with it was that the tattoo was indelible.  Archaeologists put forward the tattoo could have been done with some compound, most likely made of herbs; but whatever this compound may have been, it seemed to have defied the ticking of time.

As human race increased in magnitude, so the art of tattoo spread and were practiced in many countries, kingdom, communities etc.   Name it!

 Even so, it is worth taking a notice that when the period of the Church came and with its powerful Fathers, this art suffered a big blow.  They were jealous of this old-world creative art.  Without wishing to seem partial, one cannot help but remark that the history of any dominant region is the history of the opposition to knowledge or art, unless that art advances from its doctrines.  Tattoo was denounced as idolatry!  The devil was conjured as the master of all forms of tattoos.

In Islamic and Judaism alike, their holy denominational books are quoted to say no to any form of body modification.  Without hammering the bush about, tattoo arts are forbidden by these denominations.

Has the above failed the man fail to tattoo?

No.  Current trend of believers have twisted holy books to be archaic and not man adjusting as technology advances.  The whole idea appears to non-followers (non-enthusiasts) as presumptuous encroachment to the natural law of human diversity in art discipline and growth.

To what does the whole question amount to in tattoo world?

It is proposed to deprive people their innermost expression to reach their tattoo ideals is highest selfishness.

No matter the negligence and evolution, tattoos do not have ill-laden motives but the man himself.

Modern Tattoos

Permanent tattoos

Tattoos are referred to as permanent if after their placement, they retain their images for many years or with very small modification.

Tattoos are given permanence status by placing the pigment or ink into the dermis of the skin, the second layer.  Epidermis, the first layer, is shed off throughout lifetime.

Using tattoo machine, the ink is deposited via needle.  The machine delivers, for instance, 150 jabs per second placing the pigment about 1/8^th inch (3 mm) beneath the skin surface.

Permanent tattoos are removed only by rupturing the skin because they are deeply seated.

Due to the needle-jab factor, permanent tattoos are painful to place.

Semi-permanent tattoos

These are tattoo forms that will remain permanent if undisturbed or those tattoos that will attain three months up to a year.
Semi-permanent tattoos can be sub-divided into to give two categories.
The first category is when the tattoo is done within the epidermis.  Due to natural wearing off of the skin, this tattoo type is shed off.
The second category of the semi-permanent tattoos consists of those done exactly as per permanent tattoos but with a special ink.  InfinitInk, specially formulated is permanent and safe once one is tattooed.  The ink comprises inert plastic beads whose constituents are bioremovable dyes.   It is unfortunate the ink is currently available only in two colors - black and red.
On tattoo removal, the beads are merely ruptured by tattoo removal laser.  As the ink oozes out, the body is takes the mandate of doing the housekeep. 

Temporary tattoos

These are tattoos that are brief in their longevity.  Their application is painless. Your can read more about them here...