Art is one of the most powerful transcendent means of communication. I believe art speaks for itself. It has the supremacy to speculate its own identity regardless of what the individual is trying to express. Body embellishment or body art can be classified as a graphic way of epitomizing an individual’s own emotion, style or feeling by permanently marking their body. One of the path to express them is Tattoos. Tattoos represent stories. They are symbols of the important event of one’s life. Call it expressions of individuality, rebellion or art forms and traditions, body art is as old as civilization itself and as young as the latest fashion fads. The word tattoo is derived from the Polynesian word “ta” which means striking something and the Tahitian word “tatu” which means “to mark something”. The oldest discovery of tattooed human skin was found on the upper lip of a Chinchorro culture mummy from South America, dating to approximately 6000 B.C. Tattooing has been practiced across the globe from ancient period, as evidenced by mummified preserved skin, ancient art and the archaeological record. The meaning of tattoo has varied from place to place and people to people, most often it has served as a sign of social status, as mark of one’s passage through life or simply as a way to beautify the body. Tattoos were once considered as a thing only punks or rebels do, but now has tremendously increased as a contemporary accessory. We all are fascinated by the graphic art marked in one’s body and looking at them makes us wish we also had one! We all want to be tattooed but how much do we really know about it? Zero. With technology right in our lap I think it’s time we look at the history of the body art, what the ink is made of, tattoo artists and facts we didn’t know about tattoos, the reason behind the current craze of tattoos. Source: http://tenfact.com/10-interesting-facts-tattoo/

1. 10 Interesting Facts
You Must Know
Before Getting a
Tattoo

2. Art is one of the most
powerful transcendent means
of communication. I believe art
speaks for itself.

3. The word tattoo is derived
from the Polynesian word “ta”
which means striking
something and the Tahitian
word “tatu” which means “to
mark something”.

4. Tattoos were once considered
as a thing only punks or
rebels do, but now has
tremendously increased as a
contemporary accessory.

5. It is nearly as old as your great ancestor
The oldest direct evidence for tattooing
in Europe is the body of Otzi The
Iceman, dating back to the 4th
millennium B.C. Many ancient tribes
used tattoos to signify many life events
like faith, manhood, punishment and
love
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6. A tough nut to crack
No matter how amazed we are by the
weird tattoo, it is not an easy field to
enter. The permanent, ritualistic
modification of the human body takes
years of training and practice. In ancient
time, tattooing was regarded as a
sacred profession
9

7. Tattoo artist are not always the craftsperson
Tattooing was regarded as a form for
pus, criminals and other “badass”
characters. Prior to the widespread
popularity of tattooing in the 1960s,
many tattoo artists failed to follow
recommended health and safety
measures
8

8. The FDA does not approve tattoo ink or equipment
Even in today’s world, the Food and
Drug Administration has very little to do
with the tattoo industry, USA.
Comparatively, the Health Department
of the world also needs to check the
inflow of tattoo ink as it is life risking; the
defect in ink may give rise to skin
infections.
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9. It is not as easy as you think
No matter how convenient and easy it
may sound to bet inked, it is not as easy
as drawing on a canvas. Tattoo artists
say drawing on skin is challenging, as
not all individuals have the similar skin
type
6

10. Tattooers are sadists
Though most popular tattoo design
symbolize sadistic fantasies,
sadomasochistic and repressed
homosexual desires, it doesn’t
necessarily mean tattooers are
sadists
5

11. Majority are allergic to red ink
Tattoo ink contain several ingredients
and chemicals. Substances likes iron
oxide, mercury sulfide, ferric hydrate,
aluminium are few of the ingredients
included in the ink depending on the
color
4

12. The tattoo process
Tattooing process is as painful as it
involves needles which prick the skin
hundreds of times as the ink is placed.
Tattoos exist three to five layers into the
skin
3

13. Tattoos glow in the dark
Yup! You read it correct. Glow-in-the-
dark tattoos also referred to as UV
tattoos definitely make a statement.
There are two types of glow-in-the-dark
tattoos: “invisible UV ink” are technically
invisible until a black light is shown on
them
2

14. Drinking Alcohol before being tattooed a big NO
Alcohol might numb your body to the
pain but on a abstract note, one of
the things that make a tattoo
meaningful is enduring the actual
nerve-wracking experience
1

15. To this day, tattoos
have continued to
capture human
curiosity and
fascination
Read more: www.tenfact.com/10-
interesting-facts-tattoo