tat too⋅

2   tætu/ noun, plural -toos, verb, -tooed, -too ing.⋅ –noun 1.the act or practice of marking the skin with indelible patterns, pictures, legends,

etc., by making punctures in it and inserting pigments. 2.a pattern, picture, legend, etc., so made.

–verb (used with object) 3.to mark (the skin) with tattoos. 4.to put (tattoos) on the skin.

Origin: 1760–70; < Marquesan tatu; r. tattow < Tahitian tatau

[Of Polynesian origin.]

tat·too'er n., tat·too'ist n.

Although the practice of tattooing the body is very old, the English word tattoo is relatively new. The explorer Captain James Cook who also gave us the word taboo), introduced the word to English speakers in his account of a voyage around the world from 1768 to 1771.

Like taboo, tattoo comes from Polynesian languages such as Tahitian and Samoan.The earliest use of the verb tattoo in English is found in an entry for 1769 in Cook's diary. Sailors introduced the custom into Europe from the Pacific societies in which it was practiced, and it has remained associated with sailors.

Tattooing has been practiced worldwide. The Ainu, the indigenous people of Japan, traditionally wore facial tattoos. Today one can find Berbers of Tamazgha (North Africa) and Maori of New Zealand with facial tattoos. Tattooing was widespread among Polynesian peoples and among certain tribal groups in the Philippines, Borneo, Mentawai Islands, Africa, North America, South America, Mesoamerica, Europe, Japan, Cambodia, New Zealand and Micronesia. Despite some taboos surrounding tattooing, the art continues to be popular in many parts of the world.

A Mursi woman from the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia is adorned with face markings and a lip plate, considered signs of beauty among the Mursi.

For many men in West Africa, scarring is a form of tribal initiation and a sign of bravery. Done with razor blades, the painful process starts at puberty and continues into adulthood. Each tribe has distinctive tattoo designs; this man’s markings indicate his village and his clan and include black magic symbols to keep away evil spirits.

Until recently, tattoos were associated with criminals or the naval community, and it has taken many years for these negative associations to fade.

Tattoos are used within prison communities to indicate allegiance to a certain gang or affiliation to an organisation. A tear drop tattoo can symbolise murder, and cobwebs on the elbow or elsewhere can demonstrate crimes committed.

The popularity of tattoo gained its current weight age after many years of its existence and now, one can find tattoo as a fashion symbol rather than a simple mark. Tattoo indeed have spread across oceans and people even in the undeveloped countries have been practicing the art of tattoo on their body parts. Once what seems as a non sense thing has truly become an integral part of new generation fashion.

In the modern era, the tattoo went through several years of marginalization. She returns to issue of relevance in our society when artists in music, film, and ordinary people started to wear them proudly.

Traditional: traditional designs, as an anchor or a gull

Realistic: drawings that imitate the real world, as women, birds and people.

Celtic: Celtic origin of drawings with figures intertwined. It can be black or colored.

Tribal: drawings in color with black or tribal reasons. They may be drawings of North American tribes, Mayas, Incas, Aztecs, geometric or abstract.

Eastern: large works, usually whole body, as a panel. The drawings are reasons to Eastern as samurai, geishas and dragons.

Psychedelic: supercoloridos work with drawings completely senseless.

Religious: work with biblical characters, as a saint, a cross, etc..

Bold line: drawings of comics with lines and squares and garish colors.

Today, people choose to be tattooed for cosmetic, sentimental, religious, and magical reasons, and to symbolize their belonging to or identification with particular groups, including criminal gangs but also a particular ethnic group or law-abiding subculture. Some Māori still choose to wear intricate moko on their faces.

Tattoos on humans are a type of decorative body modification, while tattoos on animals are most commonly used for identification or branding.

Because it requires breaking the skin barrier, tattooing may carry health risks, including infection and allergic reactions..

Modern western tattooers reduce such risks by following universal precautions, working with single-use items, and sterilizing their equipment after each use.

Infections that can theoretically be transmitted by the use of unsterilized tattoo equipment or contaminated ink include surface infections of the skin, herpes simplex virus, tetanus, staph, fungal infections, some forms of hepatitis, tuberculosis, and HIV.

Allergic reactions to tattoo pigments are uncommon except for certain brands of red and green. People who are sensitive or allergic to certain metals may react to pigments in the skin with swelling and/or itching, and/or oozing of clear fluid called serum.

Taking Care of a Tattoo

Follow all of the instructions the studio gives you Call your doctor right away if you see or feel any signs of

infection such as pain, spreading redness, swelling, or drainage of pus.

To make sure your tattoo heals properly:

Keep a bandage on the area for up to 24 hours. Avoid touching the tattooed area. Wash the tattoo with an antibacterial soap

Put an ice pack on the tattooed area if you see any redness or swelling. Try not to get the tattoo wet until it fully heals. Keep your tattoo away from the sun until it's fully healed. It's a good idea to always keep it protected from direct sunlight. Always wear a sunscreen with a minimum sun protection factor (SPF) of

30 on the tattoo.

Elaine Davidson is the "Most Pierced Woman" according to the Guinness World Records.

In May 2008, Davidson's piercings sum up to a total of 5,920.As of Feb. 2009 her piercings total 6,005.

She was born in Brazil and is a nurse. She claims she does not drink or use drugs. She now resides in Edinburgh, Scotland.

She has also many tattoos all over her body

http://images.google/tattos http://www.nationalgeographic.com/tattoos http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/tattoos http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/skin_stuff/safe_tattoo http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tattoos