Of the various motives for tattooing, the quest for personal identity is central. Tattoos are inextricably connected to ‘body projects’: tattooing is one means by which gendered subjects (re)construct and represent themselves. Traditionally...

A tattoo is a permanent mark on the skin made by piercing the skin with needles and introducing pigment. Tattooing is considered generally safe when done by an experienced tattooist who sterilizes equipment and follows proper sanitary practices, and if...

A tattoo, or dermal pigmentation, is a mark made by inserting pigment into the skin for decorative or other reasons. Tattoos on humans are a type of decorative body modification, while tattoos on animals are most commonly used for identification or...

On the beach the other day I saw a large middle-aged woman in a small bikini. Her outfit was less a fashion statement than a cry for help, but it wasn't the bikini that was the problem so much as what it revealed, not...

I'm an eighteen-year-old drummer into punk and metal music. A lot of my favorite drummers have tattoos, and I'm thinking about getting a few myself. My parents are freaked, of course. And my grandfather (who was in the navy during World War II and...

The law legalizing tattooing in Oklahoma goes into effect Wednesday and the state Department of Health has been busy fielding questions from people who want to get licenses to practice the ancient art. Oklahoma was the last state to legalize...

Five tattooed skulls stretch from Marine Cpl. Jeremy Slaton's right elbow to his wrist, spelling out the word "Death." He planned to add a tattoo spelling "Life" on his left arm, but that's on hold because of a Marine policy taking effect Sunday.The Marines are...

Discusses the pros and cons of legalizing tattooing in South Carolina. Traces the history of tattoos. Explores reasons why the practice was outlawed in South Carolina.

Tattoos were first developed by ancient aboriginal people, who used them in their social, religious and political cultures.