A tattoo is a graphic that is drawn on skin with indelible ink. The origin of the word 'tattoo' is thought to come from the Samoan word 'Tatau'. Tattooing has been around for a long time (since Neolithic times) and is practiced in a lot of places around the world. Tattoos are social markers. Traditionally they were used to mark rites of passage, show status in society or to mark criminals. Now-a-days they are done to show love for a certain person or to commemorate a loved one. Tattoos are also used for identification purposes like in the army or as the Nazis marked the inmates of concentration camps. A tattoo does not need to be a certain shape or size. You can choose to get a tattoo in whatever shape and size you like. A majority of people get a tattoo that means something to them. You need to be careful while choosing a tattoo because they are permanent. Also you should read up on the design you are choosing because symbols mean different things in different cultures. An example of this is the wolf. Some cultures see the wolf as a negative symbol, while some believe it to be a spiritual one. The phoenix is also a very popular tattoo subject. A lot of people get a phoenix tattoo to commemorate their triumph over illness or adversity. You can either design the tattoo yourself or get it draw for someone else. The tattoo artist can help you with this. I have heard people ask the question "Should I get a small tattoo first?" The Answer to that question is that it is totally up to you. A small tattoo is just as permanent as a large one. The difference is the cost and the pain. So it is up to you to decide on how much time and money you want to invest in a tattoo. When you go to get the tattoo done the artist will trace out the design on a sheet of transparent paper known as flash. Before transferring the flash the skin area is prepared. Any hair is removed and the skin is cleaned and prepared. Next all the equipment is prepared. All the colors that are required as well as the needles are collected. Make sure that the needle used is sterilized. A tattoo is imprinted on the skin by puncturing small ones in the skin and filling it ink. So be prepared for a little bleeding. Avoid alcohol for a day before you are going to get your tattoo. Alcohol acts like a blood thinner and may cause you to bleed more than usual. Small tattoos can be done quickly depending on the complexity but it might take a couple of sessions to get a large one done.
