Global Playboy
  • Travel
  • Work & Money
  • Lifestyle
  • Health & Fitness
  • Technology
  • Reviews
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Global Playboy
  • Travel

    The Complete Guide to Planning Vacations in Africa: Everything to Know

    26th January 2023

    The 9 Best Indian Road Trip Ideas

    25th November 2022

    What to Do in Hawaii: First Time Visitors Guide

    23rd November 2022

    10 Cheapest Countries To Visit in Europe

    19th November 2022

    What are the Awesome Benefits of Traveling?

    10th November 2022
  • Work and Money

    Do People Still Use Business Cards?

    1st February 2023

    The Justin Welsh Linkedin OS Course: Honest Review

    24th January 2023

    6 Ways To Generate B2B Leads on Linkedin For Free

    24th January 2023

    Is a Personal Training Career Worth it in 2023?

    23rd January 2023

    The Benefits of Being A Grocery Driver (and How to Become One)

    22nd January 2023
  • Lifestyle

    12 Romantic Cocktails for Valentine’s Day

    29th January 2023

    5 Tips To Consider When Renovating Your Home

    27th January 2023

    Eight Interior Design Tips for Your Apartment

    27th January 2023

    5 Tips for Self-Improvement

    11th January 2023

    What is Manscaping and How Can You Do It Properly?

    22nd December 2022
  • Health & Fitness

    Is a Personal Training Career Worth it in 2023?

    23rd January 2023

    7 Goals to Set to Better Yourself This Year

    20th January 2023

    Rise to the Top: A Guide to Becoming a Fitness Influencer

    17th January 2023

    5 Tips for Self-Improvement

    11th January 2023

    Energy Products and Supplements: What You Need to Know

    10th January 2023
  • Technology

    5 Undeniable Benefits of Solar Watches

    21st January 2023

    What Can I Use Chat GPT For?

    17th January 2023

    Is Solar Panel Installation Right for You?

    12th January 2023

    How To Send a Connection Request On Linkedin That Doesn’t Suck

    30th December 2022

    Get Paid & Learn To Code? The Best Job Options For New Programmers

    20th October 2022
  • Reviews

    The Justin Welsh Linkedin OS Course: Honest Review

    24th January 2023

    Dalwhinnie 15 Year Old Scotch Whisky Review

    21st December 2022

    Gomatic Travel Pack Review: Best Digital Nomad Backpack?

    26th September 2022

    “Outrunning Fear” by Christine Glory

    16th August 2022

    Old Salt Rum Review: Made In England!

    25th January 2022
Twitter Instagram LinkedIn RSS
SUBSCRIBE
Global Playboy
Twitter Instagram LinkedIn
Home»Life & Style»Body Art Forms: A History of Tattoos Their Popularity Today
Life & Style

Body Art Forms: A History of Tattoos Their Popularity Today

James EdmontonBy James Edmonton13th May 2022Updated:28th September 2022No Comments6 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Reddit WhatsApp Email
tattoos and body art have become more popular today than any time in history

In the United States, more women than men have tattoos. But body art in general isn’t a gendered practice. In fact, various body art forms date back centuries and have been a crucial part of cultural practices around the world.

Come along with us as we take a look at the history of body art as well as dive into a bit more detail about some of the different types. Let’s get started.

What Is Body Art?

Body art refers to a number of different forms of modifications that people make to their bodies — both temporary and permanent — for a variety of different reasons. The practice has been around for thousands of years across countries and across cultures.

It tends to be a very personal choice, and it’s something that someone may do for personal expression or for a deeper reason. Today the culture of tattoos is very much seen as cool, and has become more accepted across many cultures.

The History of Body Art

Researchers have discovered that body art is one of those nearly universal practices that can be found in almost any culture on the planet. Although forms and techniques for body art vary, as well as the reasons behind it, it’s a big part of groups of people around the world.

Someone may adorn themselves with some form of body art for a number of reasons. Historically, some of these reasons could include:

  • Changes to achieve the culture’s idea of ideal physical beauty
  • A rite of passage to signify social maturity
  • Personal identification
  • Representations of social status
  • Protection against spirits or other superstitious beliefs

Many of these historical body art traditions were heavily influenced by social beliefs and taboos of particular societies, and they varied greatly from one place or culture to the next.

Today, we often use body art as a form of:

  • Self-expression
  • A means of critiquing larger societal values
  • A representation of our spirituality
  • A fashion statement
  • An enhancement of our appearance

Some of our reasons for engaging in body art have changed, but it’s still part of an old tradition of body modification. Forms of body art and techniques also tend to change with the times as we’re more able to use technology to incorporate new innovations.

A man with tattoos shows off his body art

Types of Body Art

The ways that we can change our bodies or use them as a sort of artistic canvas are nearly as endless as our imaginations. While many of these types of body art have been around for thousands of years, that’s not to say we might not think of new ones in the future.

Body Piercings

Piercings are perhaps the most common form of body art. How many women do you know that had their ears pierced while they were in school? It might not seem like anything crazy, but it’s still a body piercing. 

Ear piercing has actually been a practice for thousands of years, and researchers have been able to trace it to ancient times. Earrings were, in fact, even mentioned in the Bible.

In some cultures, certain piercings can be used as symbols of different types of conformity. For the most part, though, we use piercings as fashion statements or as different forms of self or cultural expression.

The list of possible piercing locations can seem astonishing. Popular piercings include lip piercings, nose piercings, belly button piercings, and a variety of ear piercings such as cartilage or tragus piercings.

Nose piercings, like ear piercings, date back centuries. While they didn’t gain much popularity in the United States until the 1990s, nose rings were worn by Native American tribes, Australian aboriginals, and indigenous groups in South America such as the Incas and the Aztecs.

Body Tattoos

Most of us these days know about tattoos. We probably assume they’re the most popular form of body art since they’re the most visible. Tattoos are a means of adding permanent designs to the skin with colored inks that are injected with the use of a tattoo gun. 

Like many other forms of body art, tattooing can be traced throughout history to various cultures and time periods. Some forms of tattooing were even around during the Neolithic era. Our modern form of tattooing, however, dates back to around the 18th century when European explorers encountered members of native tribes with this sort of body decoration.

It’s possible for nearly any amateur to dabble with temporary tattoo options such as Henna, but for real, permanent skin artwork, you have to become a tattoo artist. This, like any other sort of artistic occupation, requires talent and training.

Body Paint

For the most part, body painting dates back even farther than piercings and tattoos, and many believe it to be the earliest form of body art. Just like many types of body art, the exact technique for painting and creating pigments varies based on culture and location.

In New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, for example, many natural pigments existed in the clay in the earth that could be used for body painting. In India and the Middle East, the practice is referred to as Mehndi, and this form of painting relies on dyes made from Henna. Mehndi is a traditional practice for brides before their weddings.

Mehndi is an example of a ceremonial body painting tradition, but the body art form can also be used for religious or even hunting and camouflage purposes.

These days, some people use body painting purely as a means of artistic expression. They use their own bodies as a canvas to convey meaningful works of art. 

The World of Body Art Forms

These different body art forms are just a handful of the most popular ways we’ve been using our bodies to express ourselves over the centuries. From paint and tattoos to piercings, humans have used their bodies as a canvas to show who they are and take pride in their appearance. 

If you found this article helpful, make sure to browse the rest of our site! You might find some interesting blogs in our lifestyle section.

Related

James Edmonton
  • Website

James is a professional marketer with TorkMedia. He has many years experience of creating original content in a variety of different niches.

Related Posts

12 Romantic Cocktails for Valentine’s Day

29th January 2023

5 Tips To Consider When Renovating Your Home

27th January 2023

Eight Interior Design Tips for Your Apartment

27th January 2023

5 Tips for Self-Improvement

11th January 2023

What is Manscaping and How Can You Do It Properly?

22nd December 2022

An Essential Guide On How to Look Good as a Guy

20th December 2022

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Trending Now
Fun Stuff

What Is A Playboy? (And How Can You Be One)

By Oli Lynch5th September 20210

Ah the Playboy lifestyle. The envy of both men and women around the world. After…

Best Places To Buy Your Tailored Suit

10th June 2021

How to Dress Like A Rock Star (Without Looking Like You’re Trying)

3rd April 2022

The Complete Guide to Planning Vacations in Africa: Everything to Know

26th January 2023

The Wildest Stag-Do or Bachelor Party Destinations

25th October 2019

Facebook is Shit: Reasons To Delete Your Profile

10th May 2022

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

Latest Posts

Do People Still Use Business Cards?

1st February 2023

Unleash the Power of Flattery: A Guide to Complimenting Women

30th January 2023

12 Romantic Cocktails for Valentine’s Day

29th January 2023
© 2023 The Global Playboy . All rights reserved.
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
 

Loading Comments...