Tattoos have been around for thousands of years and can be found in a multitude of cultures around the world.  For centuries, tattoos were done for largely spiritual reasons – a young man coming of age, a person becoming chief or shaman of their tribe, that sort of thing.  Sometimes, in more ancient days, tattooing was even forced on people as punishment.  For example, being branded with the letter A if you were found guilty of adultery or permanently marked with a certain symbol to show others that you were a spy or a pirate.  In more recent years though, tattooing has become more wide-spread and elective.  People now get tattoos for all sorts of less traditional reasons – to commemorate the births or deaths of loved ones, to express one's personal spiritual beliefs, to offer tribute to fallen soldiers or other victims of tragedy, and more.

The thing is, with the emergence of more personal tattooing, it has become more and more commo ... Read more »