Do you have tattoos? I’m sure you’ve probably got one because it looked cool or because they symbolized something special to you. Maybe they were used to mark an important period in your life, the time when you fell in love or when you had your first child. Or maybe you know someone who has a tattoo and admired it from afar – or at least admired their courage.

 

 

The History of Tattoos

The history of tattoos dates as far back as 12000 years. It all started with a need of protection and identity. They were used as a means of differentiating one tribe from the other. For some cultures tattoos were used as a means of protecting themselves magically from harm – more or less like an indelible amulet of some sort.

Fast forward to the 21^stcentury, tattoos were used as a means of self-expression. Some do it for fun or just because it’s fashionable. It’s no longer uncommon to see celebrities and other influencers proudly flaunting their tattoos. But it took a lot of time before tattoos became socially acceptable.

There was a time when displaying your tattoos was considered a taboo. Tattoos were associated with gangsters and nobody wanted to be associated with such people. So if you were caught were with a tattoo, you were automatically given “the look”.

Interestingly, there has been a shift. Tattoos seem to be gradually losing its appeal. For example, when Adam Levine took his shirt off during the last Super Bowl, it wasn’t welcomed warmly by viewers. His body was covered in tattoos and people saw the tattoos as looking too fresh with such dark ink.

Of course, this is not the first time the public is seeing someone with their body covered in tattoos. But it seems like the bias against tattoos that was present several years ago never really left our systems.

 

Did tattoos suddenly stop being cool?

It’s hard to tell. But lately there has been an increase in the number of people going under the laser to have their tattoos removed. The increase in the demand to remove tattoos made tattoo removal a lucrative venture on its own.

Although the reasons why people are running to have their tattoos removed varies from person to person. However some of the common reasons are regret, acquired religious beliefs, the end of an amorous relationship gone bad, the need to be socially accepted and to meet employment requirements

The procedure is not cheap. You may be required to do between 4 to 6 sessions depending on how old your tattoo is. And it hurts more to remove the tattoo than to have one done. But this doesn’t stop people. In fact, their numbers are on the increase.

Tattoos have certainly come a long way. They fought the battle, going from being frowned at to being cool and then back again. We can never know for sure what will be the latest trend in the next couple of years. But we can know one thing for sure, that too will change.