It's not really known how long tattooing has been around but it's quite possibly as long as 12,000 years and we do know the ancient Egyptians practiced the art of tattooing.

One may think the art of tattooing has its history mainly with men. Not so. Women from various cultures tattooed their bodies for a variety of reasons. Take the women from Borneo. They would mark themselves to show what they were skilled at, such as weaving or the gatherer of medicinal herbs. This communicated their rank as marriage material. In western Asia, girls were marked in such a way as to show their place in society.

In the last 100 years tattooing was common among criminals, motorcyclists and gang members but in the last 20 years this has drastically changed, so much so that approximately 50% of all tattoos are done on women. And who are these women? These are the soccer moms, and professional women, the women from ages of 18 to 40.

Tattooing has gone through its ups and downs over the centuries, and has even been banned many times in different cultures for periods of time. It appears though that tattooing will never really go away. During periods of a ban it seems to go underground until such time it is free to resurface.

Tattooing, (which is a Tahitian word meaning "to be marked") in some cultures, has only the women being allowed to do the markings.

Today's women are free to make their own choices in regards to tattooing. It is becoming more and more popular to have artistic designs placed just about anywhere on the body. You commonly see tattoos adorning an ankle, or husbands or boyfriends names on a forearm. Some women like to have a private tattoo for their spouse only.

Even celebrities are getting them such as Pamela Anderson and Christina Applegate.

As little as twenty years ago, you did not see tattoos on women very much. Now you can go to any beach and see a design on the lower back of many young girls tanning in the sun.

There are many types of tattoos to choose from such as gothic or Celtic design, Polynesian or Tahitian. Our current day artists are becoming more creative in their custom patterns.

Taking the time to choose just the right design is of utmost importance because this is something you will have to live with for the rest of your life. Tattooing the name Bob just because he is the most current flame is probably not a wise choice especially when the real Mr. Right comes along. He may not appreciate the constant reminder.

Should you choose to get a tattoo, make sure you are dealing with a reputable shop that is safety conscious.

Women getting tattoos? Absolutely!

Tattoos

Are you thinking about getting a tattoo? With the rising popularity of tattoos in North America, chances are that at one time or another you have considered getting a tattoo. Before getting a tattoo, however, it is important to fully understand the process so you can assess the risks and make sure that you end up with a tattoo that you will be happy with for years to come.

What is a Tattoo?

You of course know what a tattoo is - that is why you want to get one. You may not be sure how a tattoo is created, however. Despite what it looks like, a tattoo is not drawn onto your skin. Instead, a tattoo is created by using an electric tattoo machine to inject pigments under your skin. The fact that you are having implements put under your skin means that getting a tattoo can be risky.

Making Sure Your Tattoo is Safe

You can be exposed to a number of health risks when getting a tattoo because the process involves breaking your skin. This leads to two possible problems: infectious diseases and allergic reactions.

The most significant risk in getting a tattoo is catching a blood-borne infection such as tetanus or hepatitis - or even HIV, in the worst situations. You run the risk of becoming infected if an instrument is used on you that had residue blood on it from a previous patron who carries a blood-borne infectious disease. While the potential of contracting a fatal disease just to get a tattoo may seem scary, in reality the risk of catching an infectious disease can be largely minimized in professional tattoo parlours. This is done primarily through the exclusive use of single-use tools. This means that blood will not be passed between patrons.

A less significant risk is that the trace metal elements in the tattoo pigments - particularly in red and green pigments - will cause an allergic reaction. While obviously not as serious as contracting a communicable disease, having an allergic reaction to the tattoo pigment can cause the skin around the tattoo to swell up and become itchy, and even to start to ooze fluids in more serious reactions. While allergic reactions are rare, if you have sensitive skin and are concerned about a potential reaction, have your tattoo artist to first do a spot test to ensure that you are not allergic to any particular pigment.

Finding a Good Tattoo Artist

The most important step in finding a good tattoo artist is to look through their portfolio and make sure that their style and skill is up to your standards - you will have this tattoo for a while, so you need to be comfortable that your tattoo artist can create something you will be happy with. For a safety reasons, it is important to make sure that you only use tattoo artists that are fully licensed in your jurisdiction. Because they are licensed, they will likely have gone through a series of courses on the importance of cleanliness and hygiene. Do not, however, just rely on their license. Make sure that their studio is professional and clean - if they have a messy workspace, they will probably not be as concerned about cleanliness as they should be.

Are Tattoos Forever?

While tattoos will fade over time, this is a very drawn out process that cannot be relied on to quickly remove a tattoo. That means, in order to avoid embarrassment, make sure you only get a tattoo that you will be happy having for the rest of your life. Of course, in egregious situations, a laser treatment can be used to accelerate the natural fading process. This process, however, is not perfect, requires repeated visits to the technician, and in rare situations can even cause permanent scarring. Which is all to say that it is easier to make sure you will be happy with your tattoo before you get it.

Steve Dolan has always been intrigued by tattoos. To find out more go to http://www.funtattoosweb.com

Source: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=175111&ca=Family+Concerns

The art of tattooing, it seems, is more popular than ever. With many American women now sporting flower tattoos and other designs boasting other exquisite, feminine patterns. Indeed, it's almost a right of passage now for young women to get something that expresses their personalities, outlooks and interests. With so many quality studios all across the country, females in every region can find unique and beautiful ink representations to accentuate their own natural beauty of face and form.

Currently, one of the most popular types for young women is the lower back tattoo, which usually consists of some kind of floral design such as twining rose vines or midnight heart vines or some other variety of gorgeous flowers such as violets, daisies, orchids, tulips, or anything else that the artist's imagination can envision and then etch into living flesh with his whirring needles and brightly colored inks. It truly is an art what they do.

In past generations, tattooing was looked down upon as a lower class artistic endeavor. But today, the high level of artistry coupled with advances in its technology, new drawings and new, more vibrantly colored inks, have lifted it into the mainstream. In the 21st Century, parlors spread out from the back alleys and outskirts of military bases, where they rested by pawn shops, biker bars, motorcycle parts stores and check-cashing outlets to suburban strip malls, where they are nestled between hair salons and high-end retail clothing outlets.

Of course, the popularity of shows like L.A. Ink and Miami Ink, featuring celebrity artists like Kat Von D hasn't hurt the art at all. In fact, it has made it seem more glamorous than ever. It's hard to find a gorgeous female Hollywood celebrity or high fashion model now that doesn't sport some ink. Look at Angelina Jolie or Pamela Anderson, both of whom wear them proudly as they stride down the red carpet in their expensive designer gowns. Even the more conservative female celebrities probably have a tiny, discrete one of a butterfly or a flower somewhere on their tanned, toned, well-groomed forms. Placing them on the ankle is so common now among members of the fairer sex that they're almost a clichĂŠ.

The pervasive popularity of feminine ink art just shows how much tastes in popular culture have shifted, with some artists now getting their work featured in books intended not just to share with other tattooists, but also with the general, tattoo-loving public, and even art lovers. In fact, many of the best contemporary tattoo artists have had their work featured in art galleries or museum showcases such as the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Art Museum in Washington D.C. or the South Street Seaport Museum in New York City. Granted, there are still the sleazy self-styled "outlaw" parlors that cater mostly to bikers, servicemen and drunken, slumming college kids, who pick their flaming death's heads and babe designs from the array on the parlor walls.

It has also, ironically, branched off into upscale art studios located in nice areas that have the atmosphere of a high-class hair salon and advertising that targets the desires and pocketbooks of middle-class and upper-middle class professionals. It's amazing to think of just how far the art of tattooing has penetrated polite society. So the next time you're in a shopping mall or department store in an affluent area, you can guess, with a reasonable degree of certainty that all of the women below the age of 50 probably have flower tattoos of some kind somewhere on their stylish bodies. That's to be expected in trendy, 21st Century America.

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Source: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=341229&ca=Womens+Interest

Those old enough to remember the days of Woodstock, Haight-Ashbury, and the Volkswagen microbus as the transportation of choice will also remember Peace Signs and Flower Power.

There was even a 1967 hit song by Scott McKenzie with the lyrics," If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair."

What goes around comes around, or so many a clichĂŠ lover has said, and the Flower Power of the 1960s has resurfaced again, not in hairpieces, but in tattoos.

Flower tattoos have an undeniable appeal to those of gentle spirit, both male and female. But politics aside, flower tattoos are simply lovely to look at and that alone makes them a favorite for women.

Women who began flocking to the boardrooms and offices of the American business culture in the 1980s also began flocking to the tattoo parlors of America, although at first their choices were both small and discreetly positioned.

All that has changed in the past twenty-five years, and the 21st century woman is willing to match any man in her choice of tattoos. Yet flower tattoos still remain the one which women most often request.

Many women choose single small flower tattoos as their introduction to the art of tattooing, and add more to it to form a garland or use it as the basis for a larger and more complex tattoo at a later date.

And flower tattoos allow the freedom to choose any colors in the tattoo artist's ink palette, whether or not they are actually found in nature. Blue roses, for instance, are extremely popular floral tattoos, and represent a striving for the impossible, because there are no naturally blue roses.

Roses, blue or otherwise, are without a doubt the most requested of all floral tattoos. The have come to symbolize everything from passionate love to eternal beauty to, when their thorns are portrayed, danger and hardship.

Hawaiian floral tattoos, on the other hand, are generally considered unisex tattoos, and are as popular with men as with women. They can include everything from the big, showy yellow Hawaiian Hibiscus to the delicate Cattleya Orchids, the blooms of which can measure anywhere from the one inch to eight inches across.

Miniature Cattleyas are perfect for floral tattoos on the ankle or shoulder blade, while the larger blooms can decorate backs, arms, shoulders, legs, or any place that one wants covered in beauty.

One of the biggest appeals of floral tattoos is that they will never become outdated; and a skilled tattoo artist can even create fantasy flowers with the colors of one variety, petals of another, and leaves and stems of a third.

A floral tattoo of a single bloom can be centered around the navel; floral tattoos can be vines winding around arms or legs.

Floral tattoos, 21st century style, in fact, can do anything a garden full of natural flowers can do, and much, much more!

Get a group of people together and there's a good chance that at least one of them has a tattoo. Because they've become so mainstream, it is increasingly difficult to get tattoos that differ significantly from those of the people around you. This is particularly true for those designs that are most common for tattoos (such as heart tattoos, butterfly tattoos and fairy tattoos). This poses problems for the people who are getting body art done today because a major purpose of the tattoo is to show off your individuality. That purpose is defeated if you show up at a party revealing a heart tattoo that closely matches the heart tattoos on other guests there.

In order to avoid this problem, it has become more necessary than ever before for people who are getting tattoos to really get involved in the creativity of the design. If you just walk into a tattoo parlor and choose fairy tattoos or heart tattoos off of the wall, there's a good chance that someone else in your own area has the exact same tattoos. You'll need to work on designing your own tattoos or altering existing designs in creative ways if you want to make sure that you don't become a victim of the matching tattoo epidemic.

The best way to avoid having tattoos that match anyone else's is to sketch them out yourself or find artists that have very original designs that you can work with. Make a list of the types of tattoos that interest you (basic designs like heart tattoos) and then make a second list of all of your interests, beliefs and things that are important to you. Then sit down and start sketching out a variety of different tattoos that incorporate some of these features. For example, you may make a bunch of identical heart tattoos but then embellish each one with a different item for your list. In the end, you could end up with heart tattoos that also include the names of people you care about, the image of your favorite food or a design that is inspired by a song you love.

Of course, some people may find it too intimidating to sketch out their own tattoos. If you're not an artist, this can be more frustrating than inspiring. If that's the case, your best bet is to start out with a basic design that someone else has drawn and then to add additional artwork from other places. For example, you could go to the local tattoo shop and find a few fairy tattoos that you really like. Photograph them and take them home to play with them. Try cutting them out and pasting them together to create back-to-back fairy tattoos; try turning them upside down and putting them head-to-toe; try adding images of heart tattoos from online to the fairy tattoos that you have to create a new image. Playing with a cut-and-paste method can help you come up with a design that's unique without requiring you to do any drawing yourself.

Tattoos are something that should be really personal for you. You can't help it that there are a thousand different fairy tattoos and heart tattoos out there which all look more or less the same. What you can help is getting enmeshed in the idea that you have to choose one of these designs to take as your own. Instead, figure out a way to play with the designs that exist and the images in your own mind in order to create body art that is truly unique to your style. Most tattoo artists really love the "artist" part of their work and will be more than happy to assist you in altering and enhancing their designs to make new art.

As a general rule, flower tattoos are more popular with women than with men. Perhaps it's due to their vibrant color, their delicate design or maybe it's the fact that it's like a beautiful fashion accessory. Whatever the reason, women with beautiful tattoos are often considered to be more confident, more feminine and more attractive.

One of the best aspects of flower tattoos is the massive choice of designs that are available. And each flower design has a different symbolic meaning, giving you a wide range of beautiful ways to express your individual personality.

For example, you could mix hollyhock (ambition) with heather (dreams come true) to signify your hopes and dreams of future success. Or how about combining narcissus and violet? That provides a contrast of both color and attitude. White and purple, arrogance and humility.

Alternatively, you could add flowers to other tattoo designs. For example, if you want a tattoo that represents someone special in your life you could get the design of a heart surrounded by symbolic flowers, such as roses (love), lavender (devotion), tulip (declaration of love) etc.

And that's just the start. You can combine any number of different flowers to create virtually any message.

So before you choose the flowers that you want to appear in your tattoo design, it's best to find out the meanings and symbolism of different varieties of flower. That will allow you to mix and match the flowers in your design until they convey the exact message that you want. So with that in mind here's a list of the most popular flowers used for tattoo designs and what they mean.

1) Cactus: Endurance

2) Carnation: Fascination, distinction, mother's love, I'll never forget you, admiration, broken heart, innocence, sweetness, pure love, faithfulness

3) Chrysanthemum: Truth, optimism, cheerfulness, loyal love, unrequited love

4) Daffodil: New beginnings, chivalry, unrequited love, joy, happiness

5) Daisy: Innocence, loyalty, purity

6) Dandelion: Happiness, faithfulness

7) Forget-me-not: Hope, remembrance, true love

8) Freesia: Thoughtfulness, innocence

9) Gladiolus: Remembrance, strength of character, infatuation

10) Heather: Dreams come true, protection

11) Holly: Enchantment, foresight, domestic bliss

12) Hollyhock: Ambition, fruitfulness

13) Iris: Wisdom, faith, hope, valor

14) Jasmine: Sensuality, grace, elegance, amiability

15) Lavender: Devotion

16) Lilac: Confidence, humility, youth

17) Lily: Wealth, innocence, purity, modesty, virginity, pride

18) Magnolia: Nobility, dignity, love of nature

19) Mimosa: Sensitivity

20) Mint: Virtue

21) Mistletoe: Affection, overcoming difficulties

22) Moss: Charity, maternal love

23) Narcissus: Self admiration, conceit, egotism

24) Nasturtium: Conquest, victory

25) Olive Branch: Peace

26) Orchid: beauty, Long life, charm, refinement, love

27) Periwinkle: Friendship

28) Poppy: Wealth, success, imagination, pleasure, consolation

29) Rose: Love, passion, courage, beauty, prosperity

30) Rosemary: Purity, rebirth, remembrance

31) Sage: Virtue

32) Sunflower: Adoration, haughtiness

33) Sweet William: finesse, gallantry

34) Thyme: Activity

35) Tulip: Declaration of love, beautiful eyes, perfect lover

36) Violet: Faithfulness, risk taking, youthful innocence, modesty, understated beauty

37) Water Lily: Purity of heart

38) Weeping Willow: Mourning

These are the most popular flowers that appear in tattoo designs, and as far as I'm aware these are the most common meanings attached to them. However, as tattoos should be regarded as permanent, please make sure you research the official meaning of these flowers before you go ahead with your flower tattoo.

By Art Nahshon

The women of today have no qualms about going under the knife for vanity's sake. They are not scared of knives. Neither are they with needles. Tattooing is increasingly getting popular among women as more and more female celebrities flaunt their body accessories in the form of tattoos. What makes it so popular?

Tattooing is a form of self-expression. In this era, women have their say on just about anything and they have the freedom to do what they like. Unlike before when tattoos on women were looked down upon by society, it is now something women can be proud of. Tattoos mean strength, power, beauty and sensuality. And these are the things that women want.

Women generally favor more colorful, fun, and intricate tattoo designs such as butterflies, fairies, and flower tattoos which is probably the most sellable among women especially the younger ones. These tattoo designs bring out the beauty and sensuality in them. But there are men who also wear flower tattoos and this commonly symbolizes someone close to their hearts and may even be accompanied with a name or initials of that woman.

Flower tattoos come in all forms, colors and sizes. The size would depend on the person wearing the tattoo. Whether she want it to be small, cute and inconspicuous and sexy, or big and obvious to prove a point or make a statement, is totally up to her because tattoos also spell freedom.

Any flower design that you think of can be made into a tattoo. The rose is undeniably one of the most popular flower tattoos to date. But any flower that you want can be recreated into a tattoo by a talented tattoo artist. Different flowers have different symbolisms. Here are a list of common flower tattoos and their meanings:

Baby's breath: Innocence, everlasting love

Bells of Ireland: Good luck

Carnation: Luck, health, affection, true love, woman

Chrysanthemum: Truth, cheerfulness, optimism, peace

Daffodil: Respect, new beginnings, happiness

Daisy: Innocence, purity, loyalty

Dandelion: Faithfulness, wishes come true

Forget-Me-Not: Remembrance, hope, true love

Freesia: Innocence

Gladiolus: Beauty, infatuation, strength

Hibiscus: Delicate beauty

Hyacinth: Playfulness, carefree

Iris: Wisdom, friendship, faith, valor

Jasmine: Sensuality, elegance, wealth

Lavender: Devotion

Lilac: Confidence

Lily: Wealth, innocence, modesty

Magnolia: Dignity, beauty, love of nature

Orchid: Rare beauty, refinement, long life, many children

Primrose: Youthfulness, love

Rosemary: Remembrance, hope, purity

Sunflower: Adoration, loyalty, luck

Tulip: Fame, beauty, love, charity

Violet: Faithfulness, innocence, modesty, calm

Weeping willow: Remembrance, affection, friendship

The color of the flower used in the tattoo could also determine its meaning. A rose, for instance, means femininity, eternal love and beauty; but a dark crimson or black rose could mean death or deep sorrow. You can research for the different meanings of different flower tattoos before you get one for yourself unless it has a personal meaning to you.

A tattoo is a personal thing; whether you want flower tattoos or any design you want or the meaning you want to convey is determined solely by the person who will wear them, you. If you want to express something though a tattoo, go ahead. If you want to get one as an accessory or to raise your sexiness level up one notch, no one's stopping you. It is your prerogative. Nothing beats the smell of freedom.

Does flower tattoos fascinate you? Wait till you see more tattoo designs that can be combined with a flower motif such as fairy tattoos and dragonfly tattoos. Visit www.body-jewelry-useek.com and find out more about cool tattoo ideas that would blow your mind.

Source: http://www.isnare.com