Tattoos

Tattoo Library

Tons Of Great Tattoo Info

 

The word itself resembles the sound the tattooing instrument made on the skin of those being tattooed and derives from the Polynesian word ta which means striking something. The English word tattoo however was already mentioned before Cook's voyages to describe the beating of military drums.

Both words may have been rolled into one, with both having roots in Latin for something naming the action of striking or beating. Captain Cook brought a tattooed native called Omai with him, from his second voyage to the Pacific. After being shown on fairs and in British cities for some time Omai returned with Cook to his home country in 1776. The next tattooed person making news in Britain was a slave, deserted by his owner.

WHAT DOES A TATTOO FEEL LIKE?

A tattoo could be described like scratching where you were badly sun burnt. This is the kind of feeling or pain that tattoos are accompanied by. Also, because of the high speed vibration of the tattoo machine, there is often an effect similar to what women experience during electrolysis and men during a haircut at the barber's with a dull clippers or a shave with a dull razor. But no matter how you try to describe it, it is a unique feeling that can only be experienced by someone receiving a tattoo.

WHEN NOT TO GET A TATTOO...

Pregnant women shouldn't get a tattoo, and people with a lot of chemical sensitivities or allergies should at least discuss this with their artist and doctor prior to getting work done. Also anyone with immuno-depressed diseases who normally have difficulty healing on their own. Those with advanced diabetes should not be tattooed, particularly in the lower leg area.