Tattoing

Tattooing

Popularity of tattooing is growing. Dermatology health professionals are often asked questions, such as how many people are tattooed? Several research studies over the past years document an increasing rate of tattooed people from all cultures. While Sperry's estimate in 1991 seemed quite high, his rate of 15% to 25% is now reflective of today's young adult tattooed population, ages 15 to 25. You can definitely see that many people are tattooed on warm days when bodies are exposed. Although an unpublished poll conducted in 1990 by a laser manufacturer showed that 3% of the general population is tattooed and a 5% men are tattooed, recent studies reflect higher rates when examining samples of specific groups of tattooed people (Anderson). But where did tattooing get its start?

The word "tattoo" (from the Polynesian tatau, from ta, meaning" to strike or collide with") came to be used in 1769, when Captain James Cook first "discovered" the Pacific island of Tahiti on his voyage around the world. "Both sexes," he wrote, "paint their bodys [sic] Tattow as it is called in their language, this is done by inlaying the Colour of black under their skins in such a manner as to be indelible. Some have ill design'd [sic] figures of men birds or dogs, the women generally

[sic] have this figure Z simply on every joint of their fingres [sic] and toes."

Tattooing was more than likely most elaborate in the Marquesas, a group of volcanic islands in the South Pacific region known to some as French Polynesia. When Captain Cook visited on his second world voyage, he noted that the men of Marquesas were "Marked from head to foot like a coat of Mail". Polynesian tattooing is in fact a part of "Body Art: Marks of Identity," a Museum exhibition that shows the various ways in which humans have created art on the unique canvas of the body. As the exhibition shows, every culture has practiced painting, piercing, tattooing, reshaping, adorning, or simply wrapping parts of the body. These alterations signal civilization, individuality, and social identity (Shukla). With a background like this where is this style of individuality heading?

When tattooing was rediscovered in the west it was often seen as simply a sign of rebellion and a purely masculine trait. Indeed, originally in the west the only people tattooed were criminals and outlaws. And it may have stayed that way if not for the youth and counterculture rebellion where these outlaws were recast as the heroes. All of the aspects of the rebellion quickly began to point to tattooing with a more positive view. If one really wanted to be everything your parents warned you about you should get tattooed. But the main change was brought about when celebrities such as Janis Joplin and Peter Fonda got their tats. Suddenly it was ok for even the middle class to become enthusiasts. With this new wave of customers combined with a new breed of tattooist, who now viewed tattooing as art, the design of tattoos soon became custom personal statements instead of random often drunken choices chosen off a wall and put on the body with no regard to the way it looked on the body. Often in the tattooing world now individuals will chose to mix a portion of the more ancient tribal styling with other images to create something unique and still classic. Another important thing to note is the outpouring of new female customers and increasingly even new female tattooists. And while the west has always had tattooed women they were typically seen as sideshow freaks (Polhemus 46-48). So with all this expanding in popularity how safe is it really?

Although the public may assume that state regulations exist for body art, with regular inspections protecting the client, and that if there are problems with a studio, the state will automatically close it. The strength of state