Why Do People Get Tattoos?

Answering this question can be simple and may take only one sentence. Then again, explaining why people get tattoos might take an entire book backed by academic and medical research. For now, let’s look as some of the basic reasons that people give for having their bodies tattooed.

First of all, the mild pain that comes with the tattoo process is obviously not enough to stop people from choosing to decorate their bodies with this form of art. The fact that the person is using our bodies as a canvas for his or her artwork doesn’t stop us either. It helps, of course, that we are choosing the art!

The first two reasons given for choosing to have a tattoo placed on our bodies – expressing something about ourselves in pictures and words; showing that we rebel against the part of society that is opposed to tattoos and body decorations that are out of the ordinary.

In the first instance, we might be saying to those who see the tattoo: I am part of this group or I identify with people who also like…. Club tattoos are common, as are tattoos that show certain art that others also have on their bodies. These expressions of belonging range from military symbols, such as a certain section of the armed forces, to motorcycle gangs and music affiliations.

In many cases, tattoos are used as expressions of feelings or devotion to another individual. Graphics showing the heart and a person’s name are common. A few years ago men sometimes put “Mom” in ink somewhere for obvious reasons. When someone mentions tattoos, the first thing people think of is a sailor or soldier who got tattooed when he was in the service. This was often the only time people saw tattoos in the 1940s and 1950s.

Today, the tattoo industry is huge. Nearly every town, small and large, has a resident tattoo artist. Larger cities boast several tattoo sites. Body art is no longer reserved for returning sailors or for the biker who stands outside of the mainstream of society.

In fact, motorcycle clubs and individual riders are a huge part of the tattoo industry clientele. Just about every rider has a tattoo that expresses allegiance to the club, a life philosophy or a love for a certain type of motorcycle.

Tattoos are definitely not new. People have decorated their bodies with various forms of ink and other materials for centuries. This form of self-expression is certainly not something that has come to life in modern-day Europe or the United States. Members of certain ancient tribes or communities were known to have tattoos for various reasons, including self-expression, showing belief in something or some god etc.

Tattoos have become more than popular, especially since they no longer carry the stigma of being for “low life” people. Body art appears on people from nearly every walk of life. Doctors, lawyers, teachers – they all get tattoos now. Just as clothing and vanity license plates tell society something about an individual, tattoos speak volumes about the person.

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