Tattoos and Their Meanings

Tattoos have a long history, and usually, there are only two possible reactions to the idea of permanently marking your skin: People either love them or hate them.

Regardless how you feel about them, tattoos have been around for thousands of years. In fact, they were around in Ancient Egypt. Pregnant women in Ancient Egyptian times would sometimes tattoo a small web on their abdomen when they became pregnant. As the baby grew inside them, the web would stretch, symbolically protecting the child in the womb.

Even earlier than that, the famous “ice-man” had small dots strategically tattooed on his body around certain joints, which scientists now theorize were applied for therapeutic reasons.

The reasons for getting tattoos vary immensely. As described above, some tattoos are therapeutic or meant to be used as a protective amulet, but there are numerous motives for permanently marking your body. Common reasons people have for getting a tattoo include religion, marks of social status, lineage and tribal identification, and beauty.

Although today tattoos can be seen on practically every street corner, from young punk-rock kids to the middle-aged generation sporting ink from their youth, it hasn’t always been that way.

Tribal communities would often use tattoos to adorn a warrior and display his feats and accomplishments. In some tribal societies, women tattooed themselves in order to appear more attractive to the opposite sex.

In America, however, tattoos haven’t always been that popular. Generally speaking, tattoos began appearing more commonly right After the American Revolutionary War. Sailors found that tattoos made an excellent identifying mark should they be imprisoned by the British, or should their bodies be found dead at sea. Polite society, however, did not adorn itself with permanent ink for many more years.

Now, tattoos are almost standard in our society. However, the reasons and meanings behind an individual’s tattoos are still very personal. People get tattoos to wear the name of their loved ones, to show off their favorite sports team, and even to display something deep and meaningful only to that individual.

It’s not just the men, either.

Women also proudly wear their ink for all the world to see. For women, however, the tattoos are often more subtle and symbolic. There are many animals and amulets that have a hidden meaning, and women wear those symbols close to their heart. Here are a few of the most common small tattoos on women, and what those tattoos mean.

Although tattoos have been around for thousands of years, the method of tattooing has indeed evolved quite a bit.

No matter how you feel about tattoos, one thing is certain: There’s no getting away from them. Tattoos are beautiful, remarkable, symbolic, and they are an artistic way of expressing yourself through symbolism and mystery. For anyone interested in tattoos, because they’re permanent, it’s highly recommended you do your research first, and think hard about it before you decide. Once you’re ready, make sure the tattoo artist knows exactly what you’re looking for. Tattoos are beautiful, and they can definitely be an ice-breaker at your next party. Enjoy the beauty of your ink, and wear it proudly!

Fun Facts About Tattoos

1. In Ancient Egypt it was only women who got tattoos, and in the United States today there are more women than men with tattoos. Isn’t it great how some things never change?!
2. There are roughly about 20,000 tattoo parlors in the United States. That’s statistically equivalent of four hundred tattoo parlors per state, and there’s at least one being added every day. That’s quite a lot of tattoo places, and yet it never really seems like that many when you’re trying to find the one you like.
3. One early method of tattooing was to sew soot covered thread through a person’s skin. Thankfully today we have a tattoo gun.
4. The tattoo gun is made up of four parts, the part that holds the ink, the needle, the foot pedal (which controls the movement and speed), and the motor.
5. Although there are more tattooed women than men in the United States, women are statistically more likely to get a tattoo removed than men are. That’s right, ladies, don’t go putting your man’s name on your shoulder, you’ll only have to remove it after you break up.
6. There are UV tattoos you can get which are completely undetectable in the daylight, but which are brightly and clearly visible in ultraviolet light! These are the perfect tattoos for those who have a stuffy day job.
7. Animals are the most frequent tattoos, often serving as symbolism or totems for people.
8. Thomas Edison inadvertently had the very first tattoo gun design and Samuel O’Reilly was the one to pick up Edison’s invention and make it useful to the art of skin ink.
9. Winston Churchill’s mom had a tattoo, and so did he.
10. There was actually a Tattoo Resistance in the 20th century.

Watercolor Tattoos

Watercolor tattoos have become more and more popular in recent years. It’s not hard to see why- these beautiful and unique tattoos look as if an artist took a paintbrush and painted a piece of art using the body as a canvas. These tattoos resemble brushstrokes that are present in a real watercolor painting, along with all the vivid and vibrant colors you can imagine.

Even though this style of tattoos looks like they were painted on, the technique for getting them done is still the same as with any regular tattoo. Yes, the tattoo gun is still very much in play.

The difference between watercolor tattoos and “regular” or “traditional” tattoos is that in watercolor tattoos there is generally an absence of black outlines, and usually of the color black (for most part). Traditional tattoos are usually outlined in black, and then filled in by black shading or other colors mixed with black ink. In watercolor tattoos colors are left unmixed, which is the reason why they appear lighter and more vibrant.

However, this does not mean that they will fade away and disappear. Like any other tattoo they are permanent and will require touch ups from time to time. Upkeep may need to be more frequent than with tattoos that have black ink in the mix (since black ink lasts longer than other colors), but like with any other tattoo this also depends on other factors at play: sun exposure, how well you take care of the tattoo and what condition your skin is in, in general.

In case you decide that you are unhappy and want to remove it, it is usually harder to do than with traditional tattoos due to the lack of black ink in the mix.

Watercolor tattoos can be of any image that can otherwise be presented with a traditional tattoo. The most important thing is that the tattoo artist is skilled, especially in doing freehand work without a lot of outlines and guidelines. This requires a certain level of talent, true artistry, same with any regular artist doing a watercolor painting on canvas.

With a little research on the design, some preparation and a good, talented tattoo artist, the outcome of this kind of tattoo should be nothing short of a stunning, wild and vivid masterpiece.

White Ink Tattoos

If you want to get a tattoo without it being really obvious, a white ink tattoo may be your ticket to fame.

White ink tattoos are just that-tattoos done in white ink. The effect you get with this tattoo is either that of a “scar” (a pretty one) or, depending on the tattoo, of a pattern embedded on your skin. White ink tattoos are a good choice for someone who can’t be too open about body art and needs to be able to conceal it easily, usually due to their workplace.

Although they are called white ink tattoos, sometimes some color is added to accommodate the skin tone of the client. These off-white colors are very subtle and range between ivory, pale mauve, sometimes subtle yellow shades, or a touch of pink. In cases where these colors are not added to the predominant white ink, the tattoo will have more of a “scar effect”. Also, the white ink used here is not the same kind of white ink that is used in traditional tattoos. It’s thicker and of higher quality, making it specially designed to shine on its own.

They are considered to look best on pale, fair skinned people, but due to the possible subtle color variations may look gorgeous on others as well. In fact, more and more dark skinned (or tanned) people have been getting them in the recent years. Like with most tattoo choices it comes down to your preference and what you think will look good on your skin. It’s not a bad idea to also discuss this with your tattoo artist.

There are some downsides to white ink tattoos, like for example, the possibility of some types of white ink turning yellow(ish). This is most common when the tattoo is frequently exposed to sunlight. That’s why the location for this type of tattoo also needs to be carefully chosen. It’s probably not such a good idea to get it on your hand or any other place that isn’t covered too often. No matter where you get the white ink tattoo, like any other kind, it will require touch ups from time to time.

As with any other type of tattoo, doing research and choosing the right tattoo artist, with the necessary skills is the most important thing! Since this isn’t the most common type of tattoo that people get done, many tattoo artists may not have much experience in doing them. However, there are those who specialize in these kinds of tattoos. So before choosing one, ask to see their work portfolio-preferably through all the stages of healing so you get a better idea of the final outcome. Otherwise you could end up with a mess, and although the white ink tattoo is less visible than a traditional or watercolor one, it’s not INvisible.

NOTE: There is a special white ink tattoo called the UV tattoo or blacklight tattoo, due to the fact that it glows under ultraviolet light.

Celebs with white ink tattoos include Cara Delevingne, Kate Moss, Ellie Goulding, Sophia Bush, Rihanna.

Couples Tattoos

Another cute (and dare we say so cool?!) tattoo idea is a “couples tattoo”.

Obviously, for this one it’s a good idea if you’re in a couple. But you don’t really have to be. You can get one of these with a sibling, a parent, a best friend… Really anyone who means the world to you, and with whom you may want to bond with even more, by getting a complementary tattoo. Here are just some tattoo ideas, or you can come up with an original one and make it completely your own.

Think Before You Ink! Non-permanent Tattoos to Help You Decide

There will always be those who are unsure if they actually want to take the leap and get that tattoo. It can be for a number of reasons.

You may be a fan of how they look but not so much a fan of needles. Just the THOUGHT of a bunch of sharp, tiny, needle points piercing your skin at the speed of light makes you say “Nuh-uh. No thanks. Buh-bye.”

Another reason may be that you like how they look on others, but aren’t sure that you can pull it off. You feel like maybe you don’t have the “right attitude” or the “right look”. Personally, I would scratch this one right away. Someone whom you don’t expect to have a tattoo, with a pulled together professional look (or any other clean cut look), actually having one- equals the element of surprise. Bonus points in my book.

Tattoos are a commitment. They are for life. It’s like you’re getting married to something. And if you do actually get married, it may even outlast your real marriage. And getting it removed will probably hurt more than the potential divorce of your potential marriage! So, you should probably be pretty set on wanting it.

Just like you would date a guy before marrying him, or test drive a car before buying it, there is a way to try a tattoo on for size without making the huge lifelong commitment. At least until you decide that that’s truly something you want.

The answer in this case may lie in temporary tattoos or henna tattoos. I won’t include semi-permanent tattoos, because for now there is no clear agreement on the longevity of their semi-permanent status.

Temporary tattoos are not expensive, and some are actually pretty realistic looking. This may make you think of your childhood days, when you actually may have had contact with these for the last time, but don’t fret, they also make them for adults. They can cost anywhere from a dollar to 20$ and you can easily order them online on tattly.com, tattyoo.com, faketattoos.com, etsy.com, strepik.com and others.