Originally used by tribes as a ceremonial practice, tribal tattoos have become the rage in Hollywood. Angelina Jolie was one of the first women to sport several. Tribal tattoos are created by cutting or "tapping" designs into the skin using sticks or hand-made bamboo needles. The wound is then rubbed with ink or ashes, resulting in a deep but protruding black design. Tribal tattoos have been widely used in societies who have no written language, such as the ancient Polynesians, who used tattoos to convey genealogy, social cast, and sexual maturity.
Irezumi, the traditional Japanese tattoo, has been a common practice for over 10,000 years, dating back to the Paleolithic period. Modern Irezumi tattoo artists are hard to find, as the practice is often secretive and word of mouth introductions are needed. Tattoos are still seen as a sign of criminality (and of the yakuza, Japan's infamous mafia) in Japan, so wearers usually choose to be tattooed in hidden areas such as the back.
Modern Tattoos
It's estimated that one out of every seven people in the US has at least one tattoo. Tattoos do not longer carry a stigma, and people from every sphere of life, from singers to lawyers, can be seen sporting one. Some religious groups also use tattoos for magical reasons, but they're usually secrete drawings not designed to be openly shown.
Modern tattoos are done with an electric machine that closely resembles the one invented by Samuel O'Reilly in 1891. A series of needles attached to a rotating bar ("machine gun") drives the ink into the skin with a pulsating frequency of up to 3,000 times per minute. Although not exactly excruciating, tattooing is an uncomfortable process. The degree of pain varies from person to person and according to the area where the tattoo is being applied. Certain parts of the body, such as the face and hands, are particularly sensitive.
In most prisons, where tattooing is not available, rudimentary, homemade machines are constructed by the inmates to apply tattoos. As a result, designs turn out coarse and infections and disease transmission (such as HIV and hepatitis) are more likely. Canada is currently undergoing a trial of onsite prison tattoo parlors. If successful, it would be implemented nationwide by 2006, dramatically reducing the risk of transmissible diseases among inmates.