Imagine a young woman sitting in a chair, waiting for the artist to come in. She looks around the room, noticing the various designs on the walls. She thinks about what she asked for; does she really want a flower permanently drawn on her shoulder blade? What if someone sees it? Will her friends and family see her differently once she gets it? What would her boss think? After this she plans on getting a few piercings too, but she does not want people to think she is a thug. She is thinking these things because of stigma she has heard against people with body modifications. Society forms unfair biases professionally, religiously, and generally against people who choose to modify their bodies in ways seen as untraditional. First, to understand why others are uncomfortable with body modification, one should try to understand the process. Tattoos, as they vary in size and complexity, can take a few minutes to several hours. It is a painful process, as the gun is repeatedly puncturing the second layer of the skin, the vein-filled dermis, with needles dipped in ink (Levy 4). Piercings have a similar process, but instead of continuously poking people with several needles, a single puncture wound is made through the skin and a piece of jewelry is slipped in. Throughout both of these processes, sterile tools should be used, the artist should wash his or her hands and wear gloves, and the wounds should be cleansed and later bandaged if necessary (Sawyer 13, 22). If the proper steps
Moderation is important when discussing tattooing and piercings. When tattooing, piercings, and body modifications began to alter the overall appearance of the individual, the individual would be considered deviant by majority of society. There are many individuals in the United States that have tattoos and piercings, but majority of the people have tattoos that can be concealed or tattoos and piercings that are not gaudy. An article titled, “Tattoos in the Workplace” discussed that in 2012 a poll was conducted that stated that 21% of adults in the United States had tattoos (Osland, 2013). However, nearly 60% of people that have tattoos, have them in areas that are hidden by clothes (Kesling, 2013). Although this study may not cover every single individual in the United States, it does give a
Traditionally, tattoos were meant for sailors, soldiers, bikers and gangs. Along with several changes in the industrialized and technological society of the twenty-first century, the standard for getting body modifications have altered as well. Everyday, people are willing to get permanently marked as an individual choice rather than the customarily perception of belonging to a certain group. Tattoo and piercing shops are not seen as “the backstreet” of the commercial civilization today, it is somewhat an expected sight in all public places. Josie Appleton in “The Body
Additionally, tattoo and body piercing on visible parts looks odd at professional workplace. On the other hand, some people may argue that they are owner of their body and are free what they want to do. So they can follow ancient Asian
The rising popularity of tattoos and body piercing is more than just the latest fashion craze. This type of body art has been a part of this world for thousands of years. Tattoos and piercings have served as amulets, status symbols, declarations of love, signs of religious beliefs, adornments and even forms of punishment (Smithsonian.com). In the later years (1940 – 2000) tattoos and piercings were more common among teenagers and young adults, but now, people of all ages are expressing themselves through body art. To try and understand this rise in the desire to permanently mark ones self, we must first determine the origin and history of tattoos and piercings.
Imagine a young boy in his late teens walking down a busy street with numerous piercing on his face and his hands, and neck covered in countless tattoos. The very first thoughts that pop up tend to be "Uneducated" or "scary", society is quick to judge. There is always a lot of controversy when it comes to body modifications. Most people instantly have an opinion of them; they either love them or hate them. What is not realized is the fact that there is a ton of time and effort put into the design and or locations of the tattoo/body piercing. People get body modifications as a way of self-expression and being set free from their boring lives. Unfortunately, in the business world, most executives do not believe there is such a thing as an “acceptable” body modification and see them as a sign of rebellion. Employers may argue that tattoos/piercings in the workplace are inappropriate, unprofessional, and even distracting. Although tattoos and body piercings are not respected by certain demographics and may portray negative images that may be
In her article “Tattoos are no longer permanent but removal can be a long and costly business,” Victoria Lambert (2015) explains that tattoos can be removed with laser, an injectable liquid and surgery. However, the process for each option is not only time consuming, expensive, painful, but can also have severe consequences. Lambert points out that most people, a while after they have been tattooed, figure out the useless of their body art, and decide to pay any price to get them removed. He affirms that the laser option, in addition, to being expensive, extensive and painful, can also cause skin disorders with the uncertainty of complete removal. Lambert also claims that another possibility, which is the liquid injectable, is not efficient
Putting ink on the body is not gentle, but still, people die for it. I understand when people have little tattoos, but what about those who cover their entire body with ink. To illustrate, a man from India named ‘Har Parkash Rishi’ has tattooed the entire world map and almost every country’s flags on his body covering his face, chest, and stomach. This was done by him so that his name could be included in the Guinness World Records book. Also, some other adult male holds a beautiful tattoo that covers his entire back, and it is suggested that after he dies, his tattooed skin will be on show in a museum. This seems pretty interesting and strange. People get tattoos in the figure of Jesus, although it's written in Bible that putting ink into our body is an act of sin. Tattoos have become a style statement, and this can include anything. Another layer can be viewed when people pierce so many portions of their physical structure. I have not seen a single part of the visible body that has not been pierced for various people. How can we forget the body part that is coerced to load on a ton of stuff? That is our ‘Face’. Not even a tiny bit of our face is left untouched. The face is loaded with a great amount of makeup, which is mostly artificial. It goes down the skin and ruins the natural pores in it. This effect is not seen instantly, in fact, it takes a while to be
Body modifications have existed in our society for centuries and the way in which it is perceived has changed somewhat over the years. But certain stigmas still persists to this contemporary day. One such body modification is the act of inking or marking the skin: Tattooing. Like most body modifications, tattoos are an often misunderstood form of body modification. Despite the stigmas, tattoos have become a unique object of desire to diverse groups of people. But are the popular perceptions of tattoos out of synch with the true meaning behind them? This essay will explore the social and cultural practices of tattooing and the causal connection between the mind and the tattooed body. It will also explore why tattoos engender
How should I look like to have the ideal body? An increasing number of women ask themselves this question many times in their lives. Deborah Sullivan’s essay, “Social Bodies: Tightening the Bonds of Beauty”, discloses the different cultural traditions that require various methods of body modifications. Women should undergo such modifications to obtain social acceptance. Similarly, “Pressures to Conform” by Celia Milne discusses the effects of media and society on women, and how women view their physical appearance. The media gives women a plethora of choices for the perfect body and even provides ways on how to achieve them. There is no escaping. There is no excuse of not getting the ideal body that ranges from that of a stick-thin ramp
The tattoo is a very old form of body modification, but in spite of that there is still a certain rejection towards those who carry them in a visible area of the body, for some it disfigures what has been created in the image and likeness of God while for others associates this with convicts or gang members mainly because they were one of the first groups to use tattoos to differentiate themselves from the rest of society. But also it is true that there is a very limited understanding about this corporal modification that could be one of the reasons why it can not be appreciated as for how it should be. However, modern society reflects the current popularity of tattooing because it has acquired an entirely artistic meaning to a social expression and a way of identity.
In recent years tattooing and body piercing have become increasingly prevalent in popular culture. These forms of body modification are no longer tools used by criminals and gang member, showing their role in society. These practices are used by many of teenagers and young adults in our society today. In fact many of these practices have been a positive trend in American culture, giving adolescents a way of expressing themselves
What used to be the property of sailors, outlaw and rock star is now become a popular body decoration for many people. It’s not just anchors, skulls, and spider web anymore, people have found plenty ways to express themselves with their tattoo. You might be thinking to get your first one, but fear of the unknown can sometimes hold you back from it. The best thing you can do is educate yourself about the process how the human skin is transformed into a beautiful work of art.
Body modifications, with the focus of tattoos, have existed in our society for centuries and the way in which it is perceived has changed somewhat over the years, yet certain dishonors still remain our modern day. Like most body modifications, tattoos are an often misunderstood form of body modification. Despite the stigmas, tattoos have become a unique object of desire to endless diverse groups of people. But are the popular assumptions of tattoos out of sync with the true meaning behind them? Further explanation and exploration of the history will reveal the social and cultural practices of tattooing and the causal connection between the mind and the tattooed body, in addition to providing answers as to why tattoos stimulate uneasiness
There is a long list of cultures that utilised tattoos as a form of decoration and communication (Swami, 2011). That said, within some western societies, that historical connection to the tattoo is not that strong. However the art of tattooing has seen a steady growth of its popularity and acceptance, and since the early 1990s, that growth has accelerated dramatically (Caplan, 2000; Cash, 2011; DeMello, 2000; Swami, 2011). The current estimated incidence of tattooing amongst the populations of North America and Europe is approximately 25 percent (Laumann & Derick, 2006; Swami, 2011), with one researcher suggesting those rates could continue to increase to as much as 40 percent of the population (Anderson, 2006).
Throughout time body piercings and tattoos have become a very common trend in today’s society. Body art including both piercings and tattoos have been around for many years, it used to be a way of communicating through each other but it has now become more of a fashion trend especially among today’s youth. Not only do tattoos and piercings have their own type of fashion but they can also represent many things such as religious traits. Many people ignore the dangers that can come along with tattoos and body piercings, things such as HIV and hepatitis are easily spread through the needles used for these forms of Body Art.