Writer: Maria Gul Laraib
Gone are the times when a woman’s attractiveness was only found in her long blonds and elegantly carrying them. Gone is the era, when a man’s style and success was only found in his refined manners and heavy income.
Now, even a civilized and literate citizen wants to live with the fashion statement of his own, no matter if it is something spectacular, rebellious or even out of the box.
Off course, “It is human nature to think wisely and act in an absurd fashion” says Anatole France.
When we want to try something new and bold; body piercing, gothic looks, emo styles roam around in our head. But, this article is about none of the above written fashion genres.
Yes, all the boys and girls out there. Be daring, try out something funky, dangerous and mysteriously sexy. Go get any part of your body tattooed!!!
Ok, I know that all of you might be thinking that what a deviant fashion form with a controversial past is being recommended to you all!!
Readers, I am just giving a way out of this box life by providing all the necessary details about an art of tattooing. After all, the objective of this writing is not spoon feeding but, to make you independent enough to choose, and then mould a fashion form according to your convenience.
Actually, the fusion of Polynesian word ‘ta’: striking and Tahitian word ‘tatua’: to mark something made the name of a damn ‘striking the nation’ permanent body adornment fashion form; tattoo.
Evidences from ancient Egyptian tombs, rich British and Chinese museums ; Greek, Rome and the Celts; Japanese, Polynesian and African culture claim that this genre of drawing has been in practice for 5000 years either as a symbol of
- Ritualistic practice or to show the sacred
- Change in marital status or as a symbol of elite class.
- Protection against evil spirits or any disease.
- Safeguarding women during pregnancy or to depict their dubious status etc.
80 years back, tattoos’ symbolic, artistic and religious meaning became associated only with the tattooed circus individuals, sailors, criminals, gangsters, religious sects and the psychopaths.
Until in 1990, the dramatic changes in the paradigms pushed this traditional art form into an electronic age where:
Ø After being recognized as an “Art Form” by Smithsonian Institute in Washington, it was legalized and then, turned into a sophisticated business containing a tattoo studio equipped with appropriate hygiene conditions, machines and professional tattoo artists (tattooists) in the big cities of big countries.
Ø Today, mainstream actors and models are seen influencing their fans with outrageous tattoos on their bodies.
Aha! Geoffrey Chaucer said it right:
“There is never a new fashion but it’s old.”
Be daring to insert bold patterns of colored ink on your hand, neck, foot, waist line and on full/half sleeve areas.
- Stimulating Waist Line tattoos
Trend of big tattoos covering the lumbar region (lower part of the waist) in slim fashion divas is enough to set a man’s heart a fire.
- ‘Love my feet’ adorned with a tattoo
Getting the most sensitive part; foot to be tattooed is done only by today’s daring fashionista’s to document an outrageous fashion statement of their own. Moreover, it is advisable to imprint medium sized tattoos on your slender feet.
Note: Having an ex-ray of a foot to be tattooed is crucial so as not to harm any nerve ending out of plenty of clustered nerves and lesser tissues in our feet.
- Thrilling Full Arm tattoos
Aha! Now junky dashing hunks can make girls turn around in lust by imprinting gigantic art masterpieces on their full or half arm.
- Genteel Hand and Neck tattoos
Yes, desi girls and cool guys can enjoy their fashion by adorning their neck and hand area with tiny winy tattoos.
Proved to be a complete fashion genre, as it is! That is the reason that traditional fine art artists besides, advising suitable body parts for tattooing have also extracted quirky new yet symbolically meaningful designs for tattoo lovers:
Romeo Style:
This season get up and confess your love to the world in a Romeo manner by:
Ø Wearing the name of your darling: on the side of your neck and chest. Off course, desi Madhobala’s can also wear the name of the ‘man of their dreams’ on their upper back as well as the side of their neck or wrist.
Ø A small or medium sized black or rosy red broken heart with angel wings: looks so touching especially on the wrist, hand or neck side of a beauty diva, and yes! Young at heart men can also wear them.
Ø Aha! For Romeo’s this year is all about being a little bit scandalous by wearing portrait of the lucky person or a celebrity you are crazy about on your full sleeves.
Gothic style permanent art
Ø Black “tears trickling down your eyes”
Ø Red dripping gunshot on the back or side of your neck
Ø Black half stitched wound with the needle on your upper back right below the neck
Ø Spooky skulls majorly on the arm area are the designs to set an unforgettable momentum for the Goth body art lovers this year.
Ø Majorly, these tattoos are done by the junky desi dudes, and yes! Also daring girls can enjoy their time with cool tomboy looks.
Ø Goth tattoo styles have associations linked back to something evil.
Charismatic Floral patterns
Symbolically depicts nature, lilies’ life and the resurrection. An intricate flower pattern adds fuel to your girly beauty, when inserted with fresh colors covering the waist line or wrist area.
Ancient Tribal Designs
Tribal designs are as old the history of tattoos including diverse art forms. They can be:
Ø Religious one: Cross, Egyptian goddess, Sun, Star, sacred text imprinted majorly on the chest area, the upper arm and the wrist. etc. Religious tattoos are forbidden and are considered as violations of human flesh in different faiths.
Ø Or, it can be something cool and wild like tattoos of cats, colorful butterflies, scorpions or beast tattoos.
Ø But, black and red colored snake starting from waist line with its wide eyed face ending up to your neck is the only style that will make you the Lord Voldemort at Hogwards.
Rich Japanese designs
Interesting it is, that most of the tattoo designs are derived from ancient Japanese art genre.
Ø A dragon crawling up from your abdominal waist line towards the neck with its fangs spreading all around the chest, making a gang of your palls go crazy by your gangster looks.
Ø All the women out there, innocent Koi fish and sensuous mermaid tattoos are there to enhance the attractiveness of your body looks, thus proving the authenticity of symbolic association of feminism of this design.
Ø The diverse verities of fire, water and wind tattoos are not only unique in their nature, but have documented their own varied symbolic and religious association in different cultures.
So, this was an outrageous collection of tattoo designs. But you need to take some very important precautionary measures before adopting this spectacular yet the most agonizing and dangerous permanent body art fashion on Earth.
Yes, you know that the tattoo machine will pierce down your skin repeatedly by inserting inks into your skin so there is a likelihood of a little bleeding which increases the chance of getting any infectious diseases like bacterial and fungal infections even tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV virus and MRI complications, if proper hygiene conditions are not taken into an account.
So, be sure that the tattooist is
Ø Using non-sterile i.e. needles, gloves, inks etc or sterilized equipments while doing tattoos on you.
Ø Make sure that you have no allergies. If yes, then don’t go for tattooing because you are more prone to complicated allergic reactions like scars, redness of skin around the tattoo and the skin infections.
Ø After the tattooing process is finished do make sure that the tattooist gently cleans the tattooed skin with water.
Ø Then moisturize that sensitive skin part by lubricating oil or a tattoo Goo; aftercare lotion.
Ø After that, a tattoo needs to be covered for a couple of days with a surgical tape so as to avoid getting any rashes or infection.
Ø Don’t wash your tattoo with soap for maximum 10 days.
Ø As you are going to adopt a daring and quite expensive fashion form as your signature brand, so don’t get tired of apply “Tattoo Goo” several times a day.
Note: Tattoo Goo: a specialized aftercare tattoo lotion or an aftercare salve: a kind of a Vaseline.
