Tattoo You: Getting Inked Then and Now: The Evolution of Female Tattooing

Your necklace may break, the fau tree may burst, but my tattooing is indestructible. It is an everlasting gem that you will take into your grave.

Verse from a traditional tattoo artist's song

From a tiny butterfly placed discretely on an ankle to a permanent outfit of body ink, tattoos have always been the ultimate act of self expression. They seem to go in an out of style, most recently witnessed in the evolution of female tattooing. Once reserved for prisoners and Popeye, women from all walks of life are now are now visiting local tattoo parlors more than willing to endure the pain for their pricey new accessory.

Unlike changing your clothing or hair color however, tattoos give new meaning to the word permanent, as confirmed by viewing some of the more well preserved tattooed mummies below. Although methods of application and removal have advanced light years in the past few decades, the fact remains, getting rid of that embedded ink design is not an easy task. Perhaps this is part of the appeal to some, a potentially dangerous and risky commitment for life? Removal procedures are still a painful and expensive process that can leave significant scarring. Especially vulnerable when you are young and in search of your own unique identity, it is hard to grasp the concept that you might not always want a heart that reads "I love Mike" engraved on your right breast. Buyer beware! Start out small, no names and at least make sure that you can cover as needed...

The purpose of tattooing varies from culture to culture and its place on the time line. But there are commonalities that prevail. In recorded history, some of the earliest tattoos can be found in Egypt during the time of the construction of the great pyramids but it undoubtedly started well before this time. Some claim that tattooing has existed since 12,000 years BC. When the Egyptians expanded their empire, the art of tattooing spread as well. The civilizations of Crete, Greece, Persia, and Arabia picked up and expanded the art form. Around 2000 BC tattooing spread to China and as with many forms of artistic expression, each culture seems to have adapted it's own meaning for application of the tattoo.

The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian "tatu" which means "to mark something." Over the centuries, the purpose of tattooing has changed no doubt, with humans using tattoos for a number of reasons - for magical protection, to relieve pain, for vengeance and to declare victory over an enemy. Tattoos were created to beautify, shock, or humiliate and they could proclaim valor, religious belief, group solidarity, or personal independence. To adorn, or perhaps identify, maybe the reasons for inking our bodies has not changed that much after all.

Tattoos are now part of everyday society with well over 60% of all North Americans aged 18 to 30 years old having at least one tattoo. My advice: Try out a removable version first, research, research research and as I said before, make sure that you start out small and discreet. I promise you, your taste will change in thirty years, your tattoo won't.