Preview

Psychology of a Tattoo

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2298 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Psychology of a Tattoo
Gaddiel R. Martinez
Social Psychology
Dr. Farber
February 23, 2010

Introduction In this paper, the psychology of Tattoos will be the topic. You will read about the Origin, the process of getting a Tattoo, and the psychological effect on people who get them. You will also read about the people who do not participate in this art and their reaction to those who do. As I did my research I found that getting a Tattoo can be a beautiful experience in your life, while it can also be a label that will mark you forever. They say Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, this specially applies to this case. While some people have pictures of things, moments or people that they wish to never forget, some other people just wear them on their skin for popularity points. In both situations each individual can find beauty as they observe them.

The word Tattoo is said to have two major derivations from the Polynesian word ‘Ta’ which means ‘striking something’ and the Tahitian word ‘Tatau’ which means ‘to mark something’. The history of tattoo began over 5000 years ago and it changes and diversifies as much as the people who wear them. Tattoos are created by inserting colored materials beneath the skins surface. The first tattoos probably were created by accident. Someone had a small wound, and rubbed it with a hand that was dirty with soot and ashes from the fire, once the wound had healed; they saw that a mark stayed permanently. Now a day’s Tattoos are done differently. Your skin is composed of several layers of skin, the outermost layer, which is very thin, is the Epidermis. This is the layer that holds everything in and acts as a protective barrier. Below that is the Dermis. This thicker layer is the 'meat' of your skin, and is where hair is attached. Below this is the Subcutaneous layer which contains fat cells and is the transfer layer between the skin and the bloodstream. Your epidermis is constantly being replenished and if you get too much



References: • Tattooarchive.com • Tattoojoy.com • Designboom.com • Bellaonline.com • Squidoo.com • Wikipedia.com

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    During the commencement of the essay the author’s objective seems to be to apprise the reader of the history of tattoos. I believe the author does a very good job of informing the reading audience of how our society deem tattooing as a misfit’s act. The essay also includes very insightful information regarding how people stereotype tattoos as a sign of a person with an unstable background. The information presented raises a few great questions, “Why, with these preconceived stereotypes do people still choose ink when it may contradict who they are as a person, what they may represent and why they have chosen to tattoo their body?” The essay also has a very interesting statistic. In America 40 million more people has at least one or more tattoos then in 1936. The information in this essay gives great insight about tattoos and the increase in popularity. The author did very good research, which helps inform the reader with valuable knowledge about the history of tattooing, the stigma behind it and the growing increase of popularity. I really like the author’s explanation of tattoo popularity in today’s society. It’s definitely a fact the majority of entertainers, models, and…

    • 342 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Tattoos can be a way of identifying a tribe, or can represent someone’s status, and can serve as protection for superstitious cultures. Tattoos have different meaning for different people, for example, Otzi, his tattoos could have been meant as therapeutic rather than symbolic.…

    • 73 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    A tattoo is a form of body modification, made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin the pigment. From Polynesian tatau. In Tahitian, tatu." The word tatau was introduced as a loan word into English; its pronunciation was changed to conform to English phonology as "tattoo". Sailors on later voyages both introduced the word and reintroduced the concept of tattooing to Europe. Tattooing to Europe. Tattooing has been practiced for centuries in many cultures, particularly in Asia, and spread throughout the world. The Ainu, indigenous people of Japan, traditionaly had facial tattoos, as did the Austroasians whose language spread from Taiwan into southeast Asia. Today, one can find Atayal, Seediq, Truqu and Saisiyat of Taiwan, Berbers of Tamazgha(North Africa), Yoruba, Fulani and Hausa people of Nigeria, and Maori of New Zealand with facial tattoos. Tatttooing was popular in southern China and among the Polynesians, as well as among certain tribal groups pein Africa, Borneo, Cambodia, Europe, Japan, the Mentawai Islands, Meso America, New Zealand, North America and South America, the Philippines, and Taiwan. The America Academy of Dermatology distinguishes five types of tattoos: traumatic tattoos, also called “natural tattoos”, the result of injuries, especially asphalt from road inuries or pencil lead; amateur tattoos; professional tattoos, both via traditional metho and modern tattoo machines; cosmetic tattoos, also known “permanent make-up”; and medical tattoos. Medical tattoos that are used to ensure instruments are properly located for repeated application of radiotherapy and for the areola in some forms of breast reconstruction. Tattooing has also been used to convey medical information about the wearer(e.g., blood grouop, medical condition, etc.). Additionally, tattoos are used in skin…

    • 1985 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Need To Know Chart 1

    • 231 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The kind of ink they use in order for the tattoo to be permanent. They are permanent and later fade. They are expensive to get.…

    • 231 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Let’s start by picking your brain for a moment. If I were to ask you what your opinions were towards tattooing, what would your answer be? You may be surprised to know that within our society today, regardless of what your answer was, we could assume that people are divided based on each alternating view of tattoos. Some bring a more stereotypical view in that tattoos may pose a negative factor when trying to land that perfect job. Perhaps that it may symbolize that they are part of a gang, a “biker” if you will, maybe a criminal or part of a lower class in society? (Proehl 2004) Tattooing may also instill fear…

    • 1247 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tattooing Research Paper

    • 1048 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Egyptians mostly used black or dark ink but, in other countries and cultures different inks and ink colors were used. Some other ancient colors used a large about of brightly colored ink. Male leaders from Libya have geometrical tattoo markers on their arms and legs that were found as blue tattoos. Mythical animal tattoo were found on Siberian woman who were frozen and preserved in ice. The first facial tattoos were first practiced by Native Americans. (History…

    • 1048 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Body art and ornamentation have been a defining cultural representation for cultures since the beginning of time. In some cultures, such as South America, China and the United States, tattoos and piercing symbolize the physical and spiritual representation of many groups of people, ranging in meaning and authority. What some represent in one culture could mean the complete opposite it another. The interesting fact that differentiates the cultures is the way they are created, applied, and distinguished among themselves.…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tattooing in Religion

    • 3127 Words
    • 13 Pages

    One of the most popular body modifications is tattooing. Tattoos are a way of expressing yourself in a more artistic way. Any image, symbol, word, etc, you could ever want can be tattooed onto your body. The process of tattooing starts “by injecting ink into a person 's skin. To do this, they use an electrically powered tattoo machine that resembles (and sounds like) a dental drill. The machine moves a solid needle up and down to puncture the skin between 50 and 3,000 times per minute. The needle penetrates the skin by about a millimeter and deposits a drop of insoluble ink into the skin with each puncture.” (Wilson, 2000) This process leaves an almost permanent image on your skin. I say almost permanent because with the technology of today, there are ways to get tattoos removed (laser tattoo removal) or to fade…

    • 3127 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Essay On Tattoos

    • 1170 Words
    • 5 Pages

    For millennia, men and woman have permanently marked their bodies by applying simple or complex designs with ink. It started as an ancient cultural tradition, then a mark of dangerous associations, or a sign of rebellion. Nowadays tattoos have become a popular and commercialized body modifications. Many are the reasons why people decided and still go through a painful and permanent procedure to mark their bodies. In ancient times, tattoos were applied for medical or religious reasons, in modern era can be considered a rebellious act, a way to proof our own individuality, or to perpetuate a moment or a person in our lives.…

    • 1170 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Outline on Tattoos

    • 743 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Thesis Statement: Where tattoos originated from, complications from tattoos and why they are so popular today.…

    • 743 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    New School Tattoos

    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Close your eyes and think of what you envision when you hear the word tattoo. There are many different ways of describing them. Some call it body art, some call it body designs, but truly it does not matter. There are several very different classifications of tattoos. Some of the various classifications consist of Old School, New School, Tribal, Celtic, Biomechanical, and Typographic tattoos. Each of these classifications are unique in their own way and different from the others in most aspects. It will be easier to identify which classification your tattoo, if you have any, falls under once hearing a thorough description of what each classification pertains to. The classifications of the tattoos also may hold a meaning to the person who holds…

    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    It seems that no matter where one goes today, it is impossible to escape the reality that body art, in the form of tattooing, has become an integral part of our culture and society. Although tattoos once had a reputation as part of the “undesirable” class in American society, as they were typically associated with the biker and criminal milieu, tattoos have experienced a resurgence in popularity over the past decade. As numerous celebrities have begun to utilize tattoos as a means of expressing their personal style, so too have many Americans followed suit. The image of the young rebel male looking to rebuke society by having his flesh permanently adorned with art has faded and given way to a new culture of 20, 30 and 40 somethings, and beyond, of all walks of life choosing to express themselves through the art of tattoo.…

    • 472 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Tattoos Meaning

    • 141 Words
    • 1 Page

    The art of tattooing dates back over 4,000 .Historically tattoos represent many ideas I chose three tattoos which vary in meaning and symbolism.i Selected The wheat symbol because it came from the bible the second tattoo i selected was the bull symbol because it stands for valor and magnanimity ever since the prehistoric and the third symbol i chose was the tractor because i like tractors and i work on them but the meaning of the tractor is a powerful motor vehicle with large rear wheels, used chiefly on farms for hauling equipment and trailers. I selected the three tattoos because the wheat symbol i am thankful for because we eat it and the bull symbol i chose it because i am not scared of everything and the tractor i chose it because…

    • 141 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Abstract - The significance of tattoos and the tattooing arts are neither smooth nor unified, and actually can be considered as varied and punctured as the skin on which the tattoo is placed. The elusive unified account is due in part because of the wide variety of cultures in which tattoo has been practiced, from Japan and the South Pacific to ancient Greece. There is even evidence of tattooing that can be traced to the Bronze Age. Indeed on the 5300 year old “Iceman”, tattoos were found in great number. In addressing tattoo, four areas that may prove useful to understanding the craft art history, cultural meaning, individual meeting, and self-expression.…

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Body Modification/Speech

    • 1443 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The history behind tattoos is just as fascinating as the tattoo itself. Whether flaunted or hidden, sought as art or bought on a whim, the tattoo varies from culture to culture, person to person, and its place on the time line.…

    • 1443 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays

Related Topics