Tattoos and Body Piercing - Research Paper Example

? Tattoos & Body Piercing Since the beginning of civilization, people have been involved in variety of practices and trends that have helped them in expressing themselves in more creative and innovative manners. For this purpose, they have used variety of methods such as decorating their bodies, writing, poetry, sports, music, paintings etc. all these forms of expressions are popular in different proportions in varying geographical locations. However, the trend of decorating the body through tattooing or body piercing has always held a controversial status in societies all around the world. Some people who are against any notions of self-harm treat it as a vengeance and disregard its existence while those who are pro-freedom of expression accept it actually. What is more interesting is the analysis of the historical background of this trend and see how it evolved into its modern form. This paper will attempt to study this very transition, along with various arguments about the effects of tattoo and body piercing on the health of individuals and risks involved in the process. The first tattoo was located on Otzi in 1991 that was also famous as Iceman. Otzi belongs to 4000 B.C (Winkler, 56). and the fifty-eight tattoos found on his body seems to exist due to healing processes and are comprised of dots and lines, without any meaningful inferences. Tattooing in its early days was an extensively tedious process. Tools for tattooing comprised of wood, bones, and stones. Initially, tattoos denoted expression of tribal fraternity and values for instance, the Polynesian tattooing employ intricate geometrical patterns and designs. It is also used to express loyalty to worldly or divine lords as in Mexican culture where they inscribed their gods and idols in the tattoos. In South America, tribes tattooed their warriors to reaffirm their success in wars. Albeit in Japan, tattoos were used as a punishment for the sinners and criminals. However, in everyday lives, tattooing and body piercing hold a different meaning for each individual who goes into the process of acquiring it. Some people might get a tattoo because the design holds significance in their lives or they want to remember an important phase or event in their lives through that tattoo. It might also be acquired to represent the rebellion against the status quo or those in authority for instance teenagers worldwide get tattoos and body piercings to express their disobedience to their parents who are rarely fond of these activities. The modern day tattooing is made a lot easier, thanks to scientific development and new laser technologies. One of the forms of body art, which has descended down from ancient times and successfully transited in the cultures of modern times, is henna art. Made of natural herbs, it is used to decorate hands and feet of women in eastern cultures on their weddings and other occasions marking rites of passage. However, most people, more significantly in the west, have proceeded to tattoo culture to show their rebellion to status quo and express their opinions with more freedom and aggression (Sawyer, 97). However, as easy as it is recent times to get a piercing or tattoo, the hazards it causes to health cannot be over emphasized. First, it being a permanent body art, removing a tattoo may be difficult and very expensive since it involves the use of high-tech instruments. Second, the tattoos are highly prone to infections and skin allergies. The red dye used in tattoos usually causes rashes, sometimes years after getting a tattoo. The infections caused by tattoos are mainly bacterial and appear as sores and pus-like forms. Often, granulomas, a bump-like structure, form around the tattoo due to the ink dye used. In addition, and most dangerously of all, tattoos makes the immune system more prone to blood borne diseases i.e. if the tools used for carving the tattoos contains smears of infected blood, then the individual is on a high risk of developing chronic illnesses like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Tetanus and above all HIV, which can lead to AIDS. Body piercing, on the other hand, is a safer alternative to body art and kills the negativity of permanence that comes with tattoos. Nose piercing originated around 4000 years ago in the Middle East while tongue piercing arose from ancient tribal systems like Mayas and Aztecs. In the civilizations that followed, people were taught to believe that demons possess their bodies by entering through ears. Thus, the idea of piercing came as a rebel to these demons and resistance through metals. However, other sorts of piercings such as naval or that of bellybutton is quite recent and more of a product of post modernism and hippy culture. The nipple piercing arose in medieval era where men got them to prove their masculinity and strength whereas women pierced their nipples to make them look more attractive as the fashion of extra-low necklines gained popularity. People pierced their body parts for similar reasons as they get tattoos for. Mainly, it is to add more beauty to the body and look attractive. Like tattoos, people get body piercings also to show their rebel to authorities and appear dangerous or punk as they came to be known (Ferrante, 68). Body art, be it tattoo or piercing, stands for a particular meaning for the people who acquire them. As mentioned earlier, body art does not only reinforce the rebel attitude of its owners, it sometimes also contributes in reliving an important phase of a person’s life. For instance, many Americans got tattoos that represented their newly found patriotism after the incident of 9/11. Although the temporary nature of piercings makes them less harmful than tattoos, things are not always right in either case. Piercings, if not done properly, can result in mess. Cases have been reported where genital piercings have met misfortunes and individuals have been hospitalized for treatment. Similar to the tattoo business, the equipment used in piercings is of utter importance and carelessness in handling these tools can result into severe damage and complications. Thus, individuals who opt for piercings should be careful with regard to few important aspects of the whole process. First, it is vital to ensure that the whole premises including the space and the accessories are properly sterilized before and after each use. For this purpose, some shopkeepers use autoclaves, which are a heat sterilization machine and is efficient in sterilizing the nondisposable accessories used in the process of tattooing or piercing. In addition, the needles used in both the processes should be fresh. It is important to ensure that needles are fresh and unused so that any risks of transfusion of virus through blood can be reduced. Third, gloves are an essential component whatsoever. Using gloves reduces the chances of infection by great proportions. It is also advisable to not use a piercing gun as it is hard to sterilize it and thus chances of infection are greater. Lastly, it is also considered safe to choose safe jewellery for piercing. Often heavy metals can cause allergies in the skin leading to pus-like sores in the pierced region. Thus, dermatologists recommend stainless steel, yellow gold or titanium for piercing purposes (Lloyd, 34). However, what is more interesting to study in this regard is the response of society to such activities and how thee graph of this response has shifted drastically in last few years, due to several implicit reasons like globalization and media exposure. In the past, and even now at various instances, people perceive tattoos and piercings as deviant and over-the-top self-expression. There is a thought that fresh graduates and those who are looking for jobs must not show off their body art in their job interviews. Even though the progress is there, still a bunch of people hold it against individuals who acquire tattoos and get their body parts pierced. However, people are now adapting to the new trends and employers are learning to focus on more important things than the body art of contestants such as their expertise, additional skills, and ability to contribute to the mission of organization. This drastic change in the attitudes of people towards these once-judges practices is sometimes attributed to the globalization. The whole world has come together in a form of a global village and people from diverse backgrounds have come to know each other and learn from each other. In times like these, it is difficult to judge others in comparison to ‘self’ and not accept the diversity amongst different types of people. In addition, in such a compact atmosphere it is very likely to trade expertise, inspirations, beliefs, and practices. Thus, the conservative lot that looked down upon piercings and tattoos is now beginning to accept it with pleasure and regard (Graves, 103). Secondly, the media owes a big credit in this regard. Globalization has more or less just strengthened the bond amongst people from diverse backgrounds. It is the media and its undying influence that brought people together in the first place. The rapid progress in the world of information and technology and more importantly the internet boom is highly responsible in the conditioning of people to accept and regard other people and the differences between them. Those who were too stubborn before to give respect to individuals who had gotten themselves pierced in the tongue or forehead are now beginning to accept the differences and treat them like equals rather than being intimidated or disgusted, as before. Thanks to the advent of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, the interaction amongst people from varying mindsets have increased a lot and this has led to increasing acceptance of body art and other activities that were previously considered deviant. Hence, body art has finally blending in as another trend or style statement that individuals take up to identify themselves in the crowd or to reaffirm their personal meaning. However, their implication, both on the health and propriety of individuals is a grey area. Works Cited Ferrante, J., Caldiera, C. Seeing Sociology: An Introduction. Cengage Learning, 2010. Graves, B. B. Tattooing and Body Piercing. Capstone Press, 2000. Lloyd, J. D. Body piercing and tattoos. Greenhaven Press, 2003. Sawyer, S. Body Piercing and Tattooing: The Hidden Dangers of Body Art. The Rosen Publishing Group, 2007. Winkler, K. Tattooing and Body Piercing: Understanding the Risks. Enslow Publishers, 2002. Read More