Tattoos: Not just for tough guys

Until the early 90s, tattoos were still considered disreputable in Europe. No employer wanted a tattooed employee, as this cast a bad light on the company. This had to do with the fact that in the past mainly convicts and sailors wore the then strange skin paintings. Today, stars like Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Al Pacino, Megan Fox, Brad Pitt and Rihanna all wear tattoos, which has greatly contributed to their acceptance. Accordingly, women have caught up significantly when it comes to tattoos. While tattoos used to be more of a male domain and can be found in particular among secluded types and bikers from the heavy chopper league, today women are also increasingly embellishing their pretty bodies with adorning tattoos, as will be seen on the following pages. Tattoos today are no longer just 'what for heavy guys.

The tattooed Ötzi

However, the history of tattoos does not begin in the 90s and has nothing to do with jail, ships or Hollywood. More likely, the custom of tattooing has developed in different places around the globe and independently of each other. In Chile, for example, 7000-year-old mummies have been unearthed with tattoos on their hands and feet. Even the glacier mummy Ötzi, the oldest European, wore several signs that had been brought under the skin with needles or through small incisions. Peoples from the Caucasus or Egypt are also known to have worn paintings made with needles hundreds of years ago.

Tattoos also have a particularly long tradition in Japan, where they were very popular among workers and prostitutes from the 17th century. Moreover, the Maoris, the indigenous people of New Zealand, are known to have frightened their enemies with their frightening face paintings. Even today, the tattoos there enjoy a ritual character.

On the whole body

A tattoo on the face like the Maoris may not be everyone's cup of tea. Very likely, the face is even still the only place on the body that is still a little taboo. On the rest of the body, they have already prevailed. Whether back, upper arm, ankle, abdomen or even the intimate area, there is no place where a tattoo has not already been stung. For beginners, the upper arm or the ankle area are particularly popular, because you can cover these places if necessary. On the other hand, tribal tattoos in the lower back area of women, also called "tramp stamp", have been out for a long time. Who can tattoo the whole back, already belongs to the tattoo professionals. In the face, only the fewest have something done. But that even for the last taboo among tattoos the acceptance grows more and more, showed recently the good performance of the Czech presidential candidate Vladimir Franz, who is tattooed in the whole face.

Tribals, flowers and anchors

As tattoos come into question for many first of all names. However, one should tend more towards the name of the child, parents or idol, because the name of the partner can change. Alternatively, Chinese, Thai or Japanese characters can be used. These are finding increasing importance when it comes to lucky symbols or words. Luck, health, money, wealth, etc. can be realized with such fonts on little skin, while in German many characters are needed.

In terms of motifs, flowers of all kinds, hearts in every shape and size, zodiac signs, animals, little devils and angel figures are still very popular. Individual motifs are always popular to combine with important dates. Tribals have also never gone out of fashion. These are intertwined patterns in a single color (usually black) that sit anywhere on the body and can vary in size - from mini tattoos to full body images.

Funnily enough, the old motifs of sailors are also experiencing a renaissance lately. Swallows for a good homecoming, anchors for good luck and stars to show sailors the right way are popular motifs for small tattoos. So the signs of yesteryear have not necessarily changed, but today they are worn by a much wider mass. Maybe even the convicts' motifs will become a trend one day.