The earliest tape-recorded tattoos were discovered in ancient Egypt, though lots of believe the practice existed long before that. Egyptians considered tattoos sexual and it was common to find them on the breasts, upper bodies, arms, legs, and thighs of woman of the streets, dancers, and musicians. They were likewise utilized, in a various format, to mark slaves and servants. Henna was widely utilized as the tattooing medium. Some tattoos were literally body art that was made to be washed off, while others were more permanent in nature.

Tattooing was later discovered in China and after that in Greece and Japan, but with extensively various cultural mindsets. Chinese mystics believed that tattoos assisted to fend off illness and disease. Greeks, on the other hand, utilized them as a method of communication between spies. The Japanese frequently used them for religious ceremonies and were the very first to heavily use facial tattoos. The popular practice continued to spread a lot of other nations and cultures including Polynesia, the Phillippines, Africa, and South America. In ancient times the tattooing process was barely best; improper tattoo application typically resulted in serious skin infections, a few of which even resulted in death.

It was believed that much of the early Kings of England were tattooed, however the very first one that can in fact be validated was King Harold II (1022-1066). History claims that his sister Edith was able to locate his mutilated body on the battle field only by his tattoos which includes the worlds “Edith” and “England.” When the church prohibited tattooing, it almost died out entirely in England. It wasn’t revived again until the 1600’s by Sir Joseph Banks. Even then, the practice stayed rather limited till much later on in English history. For many years, tattoos in western society were linked mainly with the military and more unsavory parts of the population such as criminals, gang members and sideshow artists.

The very first tattoo parlor in the United States opened in New York City in the early 1960’s. The electrical tattoo weapon, based upon Thomas Edison’s electric pin, operated on skin much in the exact same manner that the pin did on paper; piercing the external layer and placing ink. This brand-new tool reinvented the market, enabling artists to do tattoos quickly and at a far more affordable price. By the late 60’s, this body art form was exceptionally popular and it continues to grow in popularity today.

Tattoos today are as diverse as the people using them. And since they are now so traditional in the west, their previous status as markers of adolescent defiance is withering. It remains to be seen what their soaring appeal will do their status in future.