Tattoos & Body Piercing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tattoos & Body Piercing - Research Paper Example It is also used to express loyalty to worldly or divine lords as in Mexican culture where they inscribed their gods and idols in the tattoos. In South America, tribes tattooed their warriors to reaffirm their success in wars. Albeit in Japan, tattoos were used as a punishment for the sinners and criminals. However, in everyday lives, tattooing and body piercing hold a different meaning for each individual who goes into the process of acquiring it. Some people might get a tattoo because the design holds significance in their lives or they want to remember an important phase or event in their lives through that tattoo. It might also be acquired to represent the rebellion against the status quo or those in authority for instance teenagers worldwide get tattoos and body piercings to express their disobedience to their parents who are rarely fond of these activities.   The modern-day tattooing is made a lot easier, thanks to scientific development and new laser technologies. One of the forms of body art, which has descended down from ancient times and successfully transited in the cultures of modern times, is henna art. Made of natural herbs, it is used to decorate hands and feet of women in eastern cultures on their weddings and other occasions marking rites of passage. However, most people, more significantly in the west, have proceeded to tattoo culture to show their rebellion to the status quo and express their opinions with more freedom and aggression (Sawyer, 97). However, as easy as it is recent times to get a piercing or tattoo, the hazards it causes to health cannot be overemphasized. First, it is a permanent body art, removing a tattoo may be difficult and very expensive since it involves the use of high-tech instruments. Second, the tattoos are highly prone to infections and skin allergies. The red dye used in tattoos usually causes rashes, sometimes years after getting a tattoo. The infections caused by tattoos are mainly bacterial and appear as sores and pus-like forms. Often, granulomas, a bump-like structure, from around the tattoo due to the ink dye used.