Tattoo History Essay

History of Tattoo
A tattoo is a permanent mark or a figure which is fixed on the body by putting pigment under ones skin or by making scars. Tattoo comes from the word “tatu” meaning mark something, word from Tahitian community.
The history of tattoo can be traced more than 12,000 years ago BC. The use of tattoo has been and is currently being practiced all over the globe. Tattoos have had varying uses and meanings to different people depending on their culture and tradition. For example; tattoos were used by women in Bomeo for purposes of getting a suitor. These women would put marks on their forearms showing the skill they were good at and thus attracting men who would later marry them.
In Greece, tattoos were used as a form of communication;

This can be greatly seen in the world today where many people are now embracing tattooing as a career and therefore a source of livelihood.
History of Tattoo Removal
In early days, there were no standard methods used to remove tattoos compared to today. The methods used then were quite painful, took long, and could cause infections and complications on the skin. The main method used was tearing away the skin until no ink was seen. Others included; salabration, use of chemicals, dermabrasion and surgical excision among others. Some of the chemicals used were tannic acid, phenol solution and also silver nitrate.
For any kind of a tattoo to be removed, it must be at least 6 to 8 weeks old. This period gives the skin time to heal and therefore avoid complications. Tattoo removal depends on the color of tattoo, for example black is easier to remove than color, the size of the tattoo, smaller tattoos will get out quickly than larger ones, age of tattoo where older ones are easier to remove than newer ones and also if you are a smoker or not where non smokers are at a more