FashBlog.com

By Simon Woodhouse

In recent years, the tattoo parlour seems to have moved away from being the exclusive domain of sweaty sailors, greasy bikers, and members of the armed forces. Tattoos have become chic. They're celebrity, and what's celebrity doesn't normally take long to filter down to the rest of us mere mortals. But the act of marking the skin with colored dyes is in fact an ancient art.

The word tattoo has its origin in two different sources - the Polynesian 'ta' which means to strike something, and the Tahitian 'tatau' which means 'to mark something'. Though historical records are thin on the ground, it's generally reckoned tattooing started in Ancient Egypt, and traveled around the rest of the globe from there. Nearly all ancient cultures indulged in the practice, with the Polynesians and their descendents exhibiting some of the most intricate designs. Here in New Zealand, the native Maori people still have a strong tradition of tattooing, or 'moko' as it's known.

Though designs and styles differed throughout the world, the basic method of application stayed the same. The skin was punctured or cut and ink or ash was introduced to the wound. Hand tapping the dye into the skin with non-electric, hand-held tools is still the preferred method used by traditionalists across the globe. But when the rest of us think of tattooing, we picture the buzzing needle gun that sounds a bit like a dentists drill. This apparatus was actually put together in the late 1800's by a man called O'Reilly, who modified an engraving machine invented by Thomas Edison.

So that's how it's done, but who's got one? I would say probably the most famous tattooed lady on the planet at the moment has to be Angelina Jolie. This woman likes Tattoos. She's got at least a dozen and shows no signs of stopping there. The Asian tiger design on her lower back is pretty impressive. But so as not to jeopardize any potential film roles that might require her to disrobe, she employs a full-time makeup artist whose sole job is to cover her tattoos. Few other female celebs have embraced the body art thing quite like Angelina, but Britney's got a couple, Nichole Ritchie's taken the plunge, Pamela Anderson, Christina Aguilera, Drew Barrymore, and Sarah Michelle Geller have all been drawn on to some degree.

What most people want to know when it comes to tattooing is does it hurt. Speaking from personal experience I'd have to say yes it does, it hurts a lot. I had my tattoo done about ten years ago, just before the current trend started. The guy who did it had a little booth in an underground shopping mall not far from where I lived. Perhaps business was slow on the day I went in, because he looked pretty bored, as if the whole tattooing thing was a bit of a drag. He didn't have much of a bedside manner either, not talking throughout the whole process other than to tell me to stop squirming. Maybe his usual male clients were sweaty sailors, greasy bikers, and members of the armed forces, not lightweight computer operators. Anyway, I endured the process and left the shop with a Celtic design on my right shoulder. It's discreet, and only sees the light of day if I go to the beach, which is how I wanted it. Even though I'm a guy, and most guys like to wear tattoos as some sort of a badge of honour, that's not me.

When it comes to women and tattoos, I think discretion is even more important. Depending on the woman, the tattoo, and where she's had it done, it can either look really sexy or absolutely cringe-worthy. I would say anywhere on the arms is a no-no for women. Small and hidden, or briefly glimpsed is more appealing to the male eye. A tiny one on either shoulder, something simple on the hip, a subtle bit of color in the small of the back or around the belly button. Like an over abundance of body piercing, too many tattoos can give someone a scary, obsessive vibe. And there's always the fickle nature of fashion to think about. What's hot today might not be so scorching tomorrow. In fact, I'd go so far as to say this current wave of tattoo-mania seems to be coming to an end. Even though it'll always be popular with the hardcore, it's not such a big deal to see one on a woman these days. And if it's not a big deal, is it really worth enduring the pain to get one, and then going through a similar process in a few years time to have it lasered off? Worse still is the practice of getting your partners name engraved on you somewhere. To me, that's just asking for trouble, tempting fate in such a way as fate should never be tempted.

So tattoos on women - not a bad thing (in the opinion of this average guy), but less is definitely more.