Tattooing and Body Piercing

To some, tattooing and piercing are ancient ritual practices and to others, they seem like a sudden fad. The desire to customize the body and make it how the individual wishes it what tends to separate man from the other mammals on the planet.

No other species changes how it looks on just a whim or a fashion trend. And yet for some, body art can be a deeply personal expression of beliefs and spirituality, a ritual of healing and reclaiming, or an exploration of the inner self.

The word "tattoo" comes from the Polynesian word "tatu" meaning "to strike." That culture's method of tattooing involved hitting a barbed comb with another stick to make the tattoo puncture.

People get tattooed in remembrance of partners and children, as souvenirs of military tours or experiences, as rites of passage, to cover scars and reclaim their bodies, and on occasion because their friends talked them into it.

Much the same can be said for body piercing, although as a practice, that is much newer in Western culture than tattooing. From the common earlobe and nostril piercings, modern methods have allowed piercing to spread all over the body.

Ear and nose piercing have existed in many cultures for the last few thousands years, but it wasn't really until the 20th century that they got a foothold in Western Culture. And within the last 20 years, there's been a cultural explosion of piercing, as this body art form has moved from underground sub-cultures (fetish, outlaws) into the mainstream (pop and teenage culture).

Piercings aren't as much of an easy fashion trend as some people think, requiring a definite commitment to aftercare and healing. Part of the appeal is that piercings aren't as permanent a form of body art as tattooing with nearly all piercings almost entirely reversible just through the action of taking out the jewelry. Most of the cultures who practiced widespread body piercing did so as part of puberty rites so in a way it seems fitting that Western teenagers and young adults have embraced these forms of expression the most.