My Japanese Tattoo Can Be Yours

Is it surprising to you that so many people have tattoos? If so, it should not be! Why is that, you ask? Human beings have been tattooing themselves for centuries. The form of body art is a type of self expression that for hundreds of years has enabled individuals to express their uniqueness, make a statement with the tattoos and look good in some instances. Especially today, tattoos can be great cosmetic additions to your body.

One company that can help with your quest for a good tattoo is My Japanese Tattoo. Specializing in Kanji tattoos, that is, tattoos that are characters from the Japanese language and culture, My Japanese Tattoo can offer you something that not many people have. This type of tattoo is certainly appropriate and sufficient for the many reasons why you're getting a tattoo, and it says something that the Kanji tattoos have been a part of Japanese culture for so long. It must be something about them that appeals to us.

While a Japanese character or symbol tattoo might not be your kind of thing, one does make for a good tattoo. Expressive in and of themselves, the tattoos express both their symbolic meaning as well as many characteristics of yourself. By studying and researching the Kanji tattoos, you are sure to come up with one that fits you will both theoretically and physically in terms of cosmetics and overall appearance. My Japanese Tattoo is able to help you in this area of getting a suitable tattoo.

Withdraw From the American Tattoo Bank

You've seen many tattoos in your life. Who has not seen so many tattoos? It is not surprising. Tattoos are a form of self expression; a type of body art that predates our modern times and goes back centuries. If people have been getting tattoos for this long, surely there must be a good reason. On the same token, you may have considered getting a tattoo. Here are a few things you should know about getting one.

In recent years, there have been artists and companies who offer a pre-designed selection of tattoo designs. One such venue is the American Tattoo Bank. Self-proclaimed as the "biggest tattoo bank", American Tattoo Bank contains over 4,000 tattoo designs. With such a high number of tattoo designs, you will be sure to find a design that is right for you, one that reflects your personality. The sheer number of designs available almost ensures that you won't wind up getting the same tattoo as many other people who choose from American Tattoo Bank.

While designs already made can be limiting in some forms, not everyone has the ability to envision the kind of tattoo they will look good with. American Tattoo Bank and its large selection of designs give you the right amount of choices that any potential tattoo wearer should have. With such an important and life changing decision to make, it is important to make a choice with professionals and the folks running American Tattoo Bank are most likely your best bet in the field.

Tatto Designs - Kanji Style

Tattoos are used for uniqueness, religious reasons, and also for good luck, happiness, and love. When you decide to get a tattoo for luck, happiness or love, you always think of foreign languages. Everything we do in todays life is related to our culture, so, for a change, you think of foreign words that give you luck and more. One of those foreign style is called Kanji that contains Japanese text. If you think about it, there is a stereotype about getting Japanese letter printed as they look cool and very different from the everyday tattoos. The Kanji style tattoos are always written in vertical manner because there is no other way to write Japanese.

All different kanji tattoos have different meanings. You can get a tattoo describing your personality, something that brings you luck or even just your name in Japanese. Finding what kanji tattoo is the best for you is the hardest part. You can find some kanji designs on the internet, but if you want the real deal, you can always go on to the Tattoo Review site, where they offer the reviews of the best tattoo design sites that offer your unique Kanji Style tattoo design. The site also compares the prices and quality of the site, so that you can get the tattoo design at the best deal.

Famous celebrities from all around the world get these Kanji style tattoos, so they can be more lucky, happy and more in love. One of those many famous celebrities is Victoria Beckham, wife of David Beckham and the owner of Victoria's secrets. She has a Kanji style tattoo on the back of her neck. Another world famous celebrity with a Kanji style tattoo is Britney Spears, who has a kanji style tattoo on the back of her neck. One last, but not the least, celebrity who has a kanji tattoo is Pink. She has a kanji tattoo above her left ankle for luck.

After learning this much about Kanji Style tattoos, I believe that now it is time for you to get your own tattoo. The best part after getting a kanji tattoo is that everybody is going to start asking you for the meaning of your tattoo and you can tell them anything you want.

Tatto Removal - Be Careful and Stay Safe With This Information

Are you about to decide on a tattoo removal method? Want to know what method is safest and most effective? Do you want to know if it's something you could even do at home, on your own?

If you need accurate answers to these questions and more about the process of removing a tattoo, then you need to continue reading this. You are about to discover the safest and most effective way to remove a tattoo without spending much or harming yourself.

For so many years people getting tattoos had no way of effectively and effortlessly getting rid of such tattoos. But all that has changed. There are now several ways to remove those tattoos. Some ways are safer than others.

Some are really simple while others could leave a permanent scar on you. Please note that it's very important that you choose the right tattoo removal method that suites you.

The first thing you need to do is learn about the different methods of removal available to you. This is a very vital stage. It would be wrong of you to select a method of removing your tattoo without first educating yourself about the different methods and any risk involved.

You need to know the pros and cons of each method. Don't make the fatal mistake of simply following the recommendation of a friend or family member. Learn more yourself.

There are both surgical and non surgical methods of removal available to you. Some of the well known surgical methods include; laser tattoo removal, Cryosurgical tattoo removal, Dermabrasion removal, Salabrasion methods include, Excision method, Plastic surgical, tissue expansion method e.t.c.

Non - surgical methods include; TCA tattoo removal, Glycolic acid method, Hydroquinone method, I.R.C. (Infrared Coagulation) method, Chemical extraction method, the tattoo fading cream method e.t.c. The list goes on and on.

The tattoo removal method you choose shouldn't harm you and should be effective and affordable. I really urge you to begin by finding out the best method for you.

Tattos for Women? You Bet!

It's not really known how long tattooing has been around but it's quite possibly as long as 12,000 years ago and we do know the ancient Egyptians practiced the art of tattooing.

One may think the art of tattooing has its history mainly with men. Not so. Women from various cultures tattooed their bodies for a variety of reasons. Take the women from Borneo. They would mark themselves to show what they were skilled at, such as weaving or a gatherer of medicinal herbs. This communicated their rank as marriage material. In western Asia, girls were marked in such a way as to show their place in society.

Tattooing has gone through its ups and downs over the centuries, has even been banned many times in different cultures for periods of time. It appears that tattooing will never really go away. During periods of a ban it seems to go underground until such time it is free to resurface.

Tattooing, (which is a Tahitian word meaning "to be marked") in some cultures, has only the women being allowed to do the markings.

Today's women are free to make their own choices in regards to tattooing. It is becoming more and more popular to have artistic designs placed just about anywhere on the body. You commonly see tattoos adorning an ankle, or husbands or boyfriends names on a forearm. Some women like to have a private tattoo for their spouse only.

Even celebrities are getting them such as Pamela Anderson and Christina Applegate.

Even twenty years ago, you did not see tattoos on women very much. Now you can go to any beach and see a design on the lower back of young girls tanning in the sun.

There are many types of tattoos to choose from such as gothic or Celtic design, Polynesian or Tahitian. Our current day artists are becoming more creative in their custom patterns. You can choose from the old or new designs

Should you choose to get a tattoo, make sure you are dealing with a reputable shop that is safety conscious.

Celtic Design Tattoos - Pure and Powerful Art

Celtic design tattoos, both because of their ancient historical symbolism and because they are simply among the most beautiful tattoos in the entire tattoo universe, are among the most requested of all tattoo designs. Both men and women of all ages have become intrigued with the aura surrounding Celtic design tattoos, and are hoping some of it will rub off on them.

The inspiration for Celtic design tattoos originated in Great Britain, dating as far back as drawings from the sixth century which appeared in manuscripts of Scripture which was copied in elaborate calligraphy by the Christian monks of the period. The manuscript decoration was extremely ornate, but Celtic design tattoos can be as intricate or as simple as their wearers desire.

The Monks responsible for the Celtic manuscript had the responsibility of combining the pagan imagery of the Celts with their accepted Christian symbols, to aid in the evangelization of the Celtic peoples. The Celtic design tattoos which most clearly illustrate this blending of symbolism is the Celtic cross tattoo, which is a traditional Christian cross with a circle at its center said to represent the ancient Druidic symbol for the sun.

Celtic design tattoos are most often known for their fascinating knots and interlacing, or "plaitwork" which will entertain viewers endlessly as they try to unravel them. The Celtic knot is another Druidic symbol, evoking the unending cycles of life and death, and the perfect and eternal circle.

The universal appeal of Celtic design tattoos, in fact, many lie in their abstract nature. With flowing spirals, squares, and geometrical forms, they are more of an attempt to create an emotion in the viewer rather than to be representational art.

One of the most delightful elements of Celtic design tattoos, in fact, is in their portrayal of animals. The animals in Celtic design tattoos are as complex as the Celtic knots; cats, deer, dogs, lions, tigers, birds and dragons are portrayed when the lines and thread of plaitwork, instead on forming eternal knots and loops, end with the depiction of animal heads, feet and tails. Many of the animals are inspired by medieval depictions of animals, and have a highly appealing air of whimsy.

The shamrock, of course, is one of the oldest Celtic design tattoos; while for the Irish it signifies excellence, and even has religious significance as a sign of the Holy Trinity, it is most widely known as a good luck charm. Those of Irish descent are especially fond of using an Celtic Shamrock tattoo to display their pride in their heritage.

The one drawback to having Celtic deign tattoos done is that they demand a tattoo artist with an exceptional amount of skill. Their symmetrical designs require a precise outline and steady had in the inking process, and some of them can take hours to complete. But done properly, Celtic design tattoos are true works of art!

Design Tattoos - Create Using Oriental Lettering

One of the cool things about many of the newer online tattoo sites is they offer you the ability to design tattoos to meet whatever message you are trying to convey through your body art.

Sites like Chopper Tattoo offer the ability to use traditional oriental lettering in whatever arrangement you desire to create an original message, statement or work of art you would like to have tattooed at your local shop. This is a far cry from the old days where you would go into your local shop and they would only have the standard selection of oriental phrases that millions of other people have as well. Not very original and you also run the risk of getting something that may not really mean what you think it means.

Being able to take the wording and symbols from a online resource and assemble them yourself allows you to design tattoos that you know what they mean and are exactly what you want to say. You can also design tattoos for personal work by requesting certain designs in detail and have them made up and placed on the site for you to download and carry in to your local artist to have done for you.

I personally love what the new online sites have done for those that want to design tattoos either for their own, as a gift for someone else or even a young artist trying to build up a portfolio of designs for his customer base. Any artist that can design tattoos has a distinct advantage over one that is stuck with using whatever artwork they can find out there that every other artist is using as well

I recently had some artwork done on my lower leg in Japanese symbols and in searching through tons of pages I founds various symbols that all seemed to mean the same thing. Using my Chopper membership I was able to verify the correct symbol, make modifications to fit the look I wanted and print it out for my local shop. It turned out exactly how I wanted it to look and it made me feel like I had a hand in the design tattoos process.

The Allure of Star Design Tattoos

When deciding what type of tattoo to get, a good choice is always star design tattoos, because you have many different possibilities with this type. There is a wide range of areas where you can put a star tattoo art. These range from the lower back to the hip and even shoulders or arms.

There are many different types of stars that you can get, giving you a multitude of choices. If you are leaning towards getting a star, first decide what type you want and then decide location because there are some stars like a shooting star that would look better as a shoulder star tattoo rather then on your lower back.

Another thing that you need to decide on is how many points you want your star to have, especially if you are only planning on having one star instead of a cluster. You need to decide what you want the star tattoo meaning to be. You also need to take into consideration the direction that the star will be pointing. The reason for this is that different directions mean different things. An example of this would be the pentacle. The pentacle is a five pointed star where the top point is facing up and it signifies the Wiccan religion and represents energy and life. Now if you accidentally turn this upside down it creates an entirely different meaning. This type is actually the exact opposite and represents satanic meaning and a darker side. So make sure you know the origin of the direction and you have it pointing the way you really want it.

There is other star tattoo art as well. Like the Star of David which has six points and another star that's used as a magical symbol which also has six points called a hexagram. There is also a seven pointed star that is often placed inside a box to symbolize finite and a fairy star or septagram. This one is also a symbol of magic. Most star tattoo ideas hold a religious meaning to them like the eight pointed star known as the Star of Redemption or Regeneration.

Now that you know stars by themselves hold a lot of meaning and can be quite beautiful, you need to decide if you want a single star or a combination. Well, the star is great by itself it can also be combined with other symbols like the sun and/or moon. When putting different shapes together it can take on a more fairy tale appearance so take that into consideration when deciding. Another option is using various size stars together in designs like shooting stars. Regardless of the reason behind the star, if you are going to have a multitude of stars in one area it is always a good idea to use different sizes. This makes the star design tattoo more appealing. Some really good locations on the body to consider are star arm tattoos and star ankle tattoos.

Stars hold a truly magical meaning regardless of the religious meaning behind them and are extremely beautiful to look at. They are often called the diamonds of the sky and for good reason. They are often times associated with dreams and draw in our attention. They allow you to really express yourself as an individual and can be quite powerful.

Design Tattoos - The Beauty of Body Art

Once reserved for bikers and promiscuous women, tattoos are now found on millions of people - regular folks like you and me. Getting a tattoo is almost becoming commonplace, and it has opened a whole new field of employment, as well. If you are the artistic type, you may want to consider the possibility of learning how to design tattoos. Many people consider their tattoo a work of art, and many tattoo artists are reaping the financial and emotional rewards of having living canvasses. In recent studies, people who design tattoos report a very high satisfaction rate with their chosen profession, and a good tattoo designer is worth his weight in gold to any tattoo parlor.

How do you learn to design tattoos? You should start with paper and pencil as early as you possibly can. When you are in school, take art classes and practice drawing as much as possible. If you have a love of art and a talent for creating beauty on paper, you may be just the person someone needs to design tattoos.

If you have already gone through school and have a flair for art, you too can learn to design tattoos. Contact a local community college for classes in art or even in tattoo art specifically. They are becoming increasingly more common. Check out some books and websites devoted to the art of tattoo design. Go to a local tattooist and ask about the possibility of submitting some of your work or learning under his tutelage. You never know, maybe you were meant to have your art walking around every day. Maybe you were meant to design tattoos.

Dolphin Tattoo Designs - Tattoos For Both Men and Women

Dolphins have always been a favorite animal tattoo because of the friendliness and the warmth that it exudes. It is a loving and adorable creature that the mariners worldwide considered it as their protector and guide in the ocean. They are not actually a fish, but a member of the mammal family and one of the only few that are blessed with such playfulness and compassion for the humans.

For the ancient Greeks, dolphins are regarded as symbols of both the divine and wisdom since Apollo himself took the form of a dolphin. As a tattoo design, it can represent one's love for the ocean and everything related to it such as surfing, sunny beaches and pretty women. It can also symbolize a fun, carefree personality as how the dolphin itself is portrayed. A dolphin tattoo design can even mean freedom, lightheartedness and happiness.

Dolphin tattoos can be represented in a variety of ways and they are equally favored by both men and women. They can be inked in colors with shades such as blue, green and gray. They can also be tattooed in plain black and combine with other symbols such as waves or surfboard. They can be highlighted with tribal lines or Celtic art just by adding these touches. There are also tat enthusiasts who has dolphin tattoos as armbands or anklets.

Dolphins are also flexible and adaptable as a tat design as they look great whether inked small or big especially if a skilled tattoo artist does the work. They can placed almost anywhere on the body - on the arms, upper back, lower back, foot, ankle rib or lower stomach.

Cool Henna Design Tattoos

One of the coolest displays of art that I have seen was henna design - no, really. It was a really cool nature design and was utilized in the form of giving a tattoo. Tattooing is simply using what nature has to offer and using it as a form of expression on the human body. In many cases the natural ingredient is ink. But there is something so quaint and ethereal about henna design that I find it to be simply breathtaking.

The first time I had the opportunity to see henna design in action was during my trip to Rajasthan, India. It was quite an exotic odyssey. The state is located in the desert and is known for its large community fairs. It is a central meeting point where people from the neighboring villages gather to celebrate and they can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. The longer the duration, the bigger the fair. And the bigger the fair, the more mammoth the attendance.

I was there for the Fall fair. It was a four-day event and the energy there was absolutely astounding. The people were simple and their wants simpler. The colors and spirit found there were something that never before even remotely have come before these eyes. This is where I saw my first henna design, and I must say it was quite impressive.

I happened to notice the henna design as I was walking around the fair trying to capture the color of all that I saw. I saw two women sitting on the on ground and were totally engrossed in their task. When I moved closer, I saw that it was a henna artist and that she was applying one of the finest henna designs I have ever witnessed.

I just kind of stood there in a daze admiring her work in launching a much joy she spread by artfully sketching her henna designs on people's hands. It was a very simple operation and there were not a lot of implements require for her to create her art. Just a tube of henna and her active imagination. She had a book of designs that the customers can browse through to choose one they wanted. And she would set to work to draw the design in all its glory on their hands.

That's all that I needed to give me hooked on the art of henna designs. Now I'm actually compiling a book of henna designs. Guess who is going to be on the cover? My henna design muse of course! She is the perfect choice and I'm thrilled to include her.

Don't Pay for a Tattoo that Millions of People Have - Get a Unique Custom Tattoo Design

Recently it was reported that tattoo related terms received more searches per month then most adult related keywords. This has spawned a huge growth of websites selling flash tattoo designs. You can go and visit these sites and for $10 or so find a tattoo design. You can then download this design and take it to your local tattoo parlor and get a new tattoo.

Well, for many this has become the Achilles heel so to speak of the tattoo art industry. Buying tattoos this way is definitely contrary to the main reasons people get tattoos. Tattoos and the tattoo industry has always held that tattoo art was the last bastion of personal expression and freedom in America. You see most tattoo enthusiast feel that the tattoo they get are very uniquely theirs and a tattoo, being something you have to live with for a long time, should say something about yourself. So these huge flash tattoo sites come along and sell thousands of the same tattoo to people. These same people go to their local tattoo parlor and get a new tattoo and soon they are sporting it around town feeling proud to assert their individuality. However in reality they have just copied a bunch of other people and probably ended up with a tattoo that says nothing interesting or unique about them. They just bought the design because it was popular.

The other sad part of this phenomena is that most tattoo artists are on the loosing end of the proposition. The big websites that sell tons of designs often have had some graphic designer just create a bunch of low quality tattoo designs to sell. The designer was not even a tattoo artist in the first place. However, the tattoo artists out there are now losing tons of business to these larger companies. That is not to say all tattoo sites selling tattoo designs online are doing this. Of course there are some that have taken this into consideration have have worked hard to value the artists for their original ideas and work.

However it still leaves the tattoo enthusiast who just got the same tattoo as thousands of other people out in the dark. Think about what is going to happen when that person is at a concert of some large public event and a guy comes up to him and says, :hey cool man nice tat." The guy turns and the notices that the speaker is sporting the same exact tattoo. Here he thought he was unique and individual and doing something really cool. What is one to say in that kind of situation? Other then start looking at all the tattoo removal adds online there is not really much.

It is for these exact reasons that a few websites have started popping up on the internet that have solved these basic problems. At the time of this writing there are in fact only two sites on the internet that have effectively dealt with both of these problems. They are custom designed freelance tattoo art websites. That is kind of a mouthful so I will explain what each of those terms means. It means that a person wanting a unique tattoo design can go to the site and post a job. Then tattoo artists from around the globe can come and bid on the job to design a great custom tattoo to the individuals specifications.

This is really the best of all worlds as it encourages tattoo artists and pays them fairly for their abilities and skills. It also create a unique tattoo to the exact specifications and desires of the person getting the tattoo done. It is a really great way to solve the problem and these sites have had a high rate of customer satisfaction and repeat business from both the tattoo artists and the tattoo enthusiast.

How To Avoid Vital Mistakes Of Chinese Character Tattoos

Chinese Characters have a complex beauty as well as individual meanings. People who get Chinese Character tattoos are often drawn to this. Unfortunately, the flip-side is that there are a lot of Chinese tattoo Mistakes. I have personally seen such elementary mistakes as Chinese Characters being tattooed backward and meant something else other than intended. My goal is to help people explore the beauty and complexity of Chinese Characters safe in the knowledge that they are dealing with the professional.

The typical mistakes of Chinese Character tattoos as below :

• Missing Strokes and Poor Script Western tattoo artists always add their own artistic flair, which is fine with English letters, but their script would deface Chinese Characters and make them meaningless. Missing strokes are common mistakes and thus making the tattoos meaningless, and the poor handwriting defaces the Chinese characters and makes Chinese Character tattoos look ugly. Wearing meaningless Chinese Character tattoos is embarrassing.
• Chinese Characters Being Tattooed Backwards A much more common mistake is that the Chinese characters are flipped horizontally or vertically and thus is a mirror image of what it should be. I think this might be the problem when people use temporary tattoos or work from those because after a while they might get confused as to which side is the correct one. To have a Chinese Character tattooed on you backwards is also embarrassing.
• Mistranslation of Chinese Chinese are complex and can easily be mean something other than intended. Get the wrong one and your new Chinese character tattoo will be a permanent source of embarrassment to you! A lady has told me her Chinese character tattoos experiences: After deciding to ink a Chinese character tattoo, She went to Chinese restaurant and pull over a Chinese waiter and asked him to write out the word "free" in Chinese characters for her, free has two meaning in English dictionary, the first one is free of charge and the second meaning is freedom which was the lady wanted, the waiter wrote down the first meaning in Chinese for the lady. The lady ended up with the sign "free of charge" on her skin and then later it was wind up with spending US$900 to remove the tattoos.
• Do not Know the Meaning of Chinese character tattoos I have come across many western people who do not know the meaning of their Chinese character tattoos .Tattoo is a way of self expression. if anyone curiously ask you the meaning of Chinese character tattoos, answering them either do not know or make up the meaning is quite awkward.
• Choosing Kanji from Tattoo Parlors. Some Tattoo parlors present some dozens of Kanji either on the wall or on the binders for their customers to choose, Most of these Kanji are either missing strokes or being mistranslated, you would make mistake from the right beginning if you choose them from Tattoo parlors. Moreover, do you think you can pick up your dream tattoos which would express who you are from a handful of kanji.

Here are the advice when planning to get Chinese Character tattoos:

Getting Chinese Character tattoos right at the first time Your tattoo will be with you for the rest of your life, please make sure you get a right character tattoo at the first time. Yes, you can remove it later on, but it is extremely painful and very, very expensive. A $100 tattoo "mistake" can cost several thousand dollars to remove.

• Do not Pick up Kanji From Tattoo Parlors Many people have gotten what they thought were Chinese Character tattoos only to find later that the characters were drawn wrong, or in one case, the mirror image of the character was tattooed. You would make the mistakes mentioned above if choosing them from tattoo parlors.
• Do You Own Research Before you run off to the tattoo parlor to get one done you should do your own research. Selecting Chinese Characters deserve careful study and attention.
• Consulting With a Chinese Many words in English can be translated in several different Chinese characters. Each of these may have a slightly different meaning in Chinese. Consulting with a native Chinese to get a exactly CORRECT characters for your intended meaning.
• Choosing Meaningful Words Tattoos are forever. If you're planning to get a Chinese Character tattoo soon, be sure to choose the right and meaningful characters. It is important to choose something of lasting appeal not something faddish, and it also needs to be a cool design you'll love tomorrow just as much as you love it today.
• Getting Them Look Right Western tattoo artists' script usually defaces Chinese Characters and makes them meaningless. Again, take the time to do some research and find someone good at Chinese calligraphy to write out your design. Chinese calligraphy is a classic ancient art. The brush strokes must have a certain shape. Each part of a character must be in precise relation to the others. Chinese Characters can be written in a wide variety of calligraphy styles.
• Getting a stencil Outline of the Proposed Design. Every tattoo design has a matching "stencil". It is an exact copy of the tattoo design, but without any color or shading -- just the black line work that makes up the design. Your tattooist will transfer stencil directly to your skin prior to beginning the tattoo process, thus the tattooist will ink the tattoo which is exactly the same as the proposed design.

Tattoos-Popular Tattoo Designs for Girls

Girls are always asking me what tattoos they should get or what I think are the hottest tattoos for girls. Unfortunately there is no clear cut answer simply because there are as many different types of tattoos are there are girls. What one person might find sexy another might consider unattractive or very unfeminine.

Certain styles of tattoos might not suit the image you want to project. For example certain work environments may not accept highly visible tattoos even though tattoos are becoming more and more accepted. It may be wise to hold off getting that sacred heart tattoo emblazoned across your chest if your boss is going to flip out if (s)he sees it!

So in saying that what I hope to do in this short article is offer my insight and experience within the tattoo industry for the past 9 or 10 years and point out the current tattoo trends and what the most popular styles of tattoos are for girls. At the end of the day you want a tattoo that has lasting appeal and not a tattoo that was done on a whim. If I give you some good ideas for your next tattoo all the better...

Trends come and go. What was cool ten years ago is no longer cool. In the nineties certain types of tattoos such as cartoon characters like Betty Boop, barbed wire armbands and dolphins were in. Looking at them now they appear very cheesy and basic.

Tattoo art has come such a long way in the past few years even. Certain styles of tattoos have become perennial and have risen to a point where they are getting the respect and acknowledged they deserve for their intricacy and artistry.

Styles as diverse as Japanese tattoos, Indian/Hindu tattoos, Anime, Traditional American and Floral designs are raising the bar higher and higher and becoming increasingly popular.

Alongside that is the fact that people are beginning to see their skin as a human canvas and not just settling for random tattoos placed haphazardly on a part of the body that is hidden. Nowadays more and more girls are getting larger tattoos and more of them.

This may explain the popularity of Japanese tattoos. In traditional Japanese tattoos each character has a meaning and interacts with the other tattoo designs as part of the whole.

The same is true for Traditional American tattoos. Previously what were once done as individual tattoos from disparate elements of American culture are now being woven into an organic and is more like a story unfolding.

Top Five Most Popular Tattoos for Girls

Irezumi - Traditional Japanese tattoos - More and more girls are asking for large tattoo designs such as koi fish, dragons on their hips, back and arms.

Traditional American tattoos - Old school 'Sailor Jerry' tattoos and images such as classic American cars, pin-ups, swallows and nautical stars are becoming more popular on girls chests, abdomen, back and legs.

Floral tattoos - So many girls are getting flower tattoos as full sleeve tattoos or covering their entire back or legs with floral designs. Flower tattoo designs such as lotus flowers, peonies, orchids, chrysanthemums and flowering vines are the most popular.

Anime - Japanese animation has become massive and doesn't show any sign of disappearing any time soon. As a result Anime tattoos have become popular in the past five years or so. The only risk with Anime tattoo is that unlike other styles will probably age much quicker even though it looks great now.

Indian / Hindu tattoo designs - Like ancient Indian texts and spirituality being rediscovered by people in the West since the 1960's it has been reflected in the demand for Indian tattoo designs. They say everything old become new again.

Design Your Tattoo - 6 Tips For You Before Getting a Tattoo

Want to find a tattoo design? When you have started the search, you may now feel a bit worried. The reason is obvious. The tattoo you choose will be staying with you forever. If you finally dislike the tattoo, you will regret definitely.

So, here are 8 top tips for your entire "tattoo journey", from the selection of the tattoo design to the after-care procedures.

Tip 1: Be Aware of the Tattoo Trends

People get inked for different purposes. Some may want to express a certain meaning while others want to follow trends. If you are in the latter group, you may want to pay attention to your choice carefully, especially the tattoo designs and tattoo placement.

In the tattoo industry, there are lots of trends arising. For example, the chain link design was popular in the past. People liked to ink this design around the ankle, bicep or wrist. However, most people regard this tattoo outdated now. You will never want to have an outdated tattoo on your skin.

For the placement, people especially women like to have the tattoo on the lower back. This is very popular until now. As there are more and more people choosing to get a lower back tattoo, a term "tramp stamps" has emerged. Some people think it is just for categorization. However some may consider the term offensive because it is sometimes used to mean a woman just follows the trend without thinking.

Of course it is completely alright to have whatever tattoo on wherever you like. As long as it meets your personality, no one can criticize it. Remember, do not make yourself regret after being inked.

Tip 2: Spend Time Finding the Best Tattoo

Finding a favorite tattoo design takes time but it totally worth it. There are ways for you to choose the tattoo.

The most convenient way is to choose from an online tattoo design gallery. You can search a number of this kind of websites over the Internet. Some of them are free while some require you to pay a small amount of one-time membership fee. Considering the importance of getting a tattoo that you will never regret, it is acceptable to join the membership programs because their tattoo designs are normally more creative and unique.

If you are tired of browsing the Internet, you could enter a local tattoo parlor and you will be given some books on tattoo designs. You may feel embarrassed that you have read their books but you finally do not ask the tattoo artist to do the job. However, do not think in this way. Go to more tattoo parlors and read more tattoo designs. The one who will wear the tattoo is you.

The third way to get a tattoo design is to DIY. You can draw one with your imagination. Just draw what you want to represent and then take it to the tattoo artist. You will then have a very unique tattoo.

Tip 3: Choose the Appropriate Part to Get Inked

Consider how painful you can tolerate during the tattoo procedure. If this is your first time getting a tattoo, you may want to choose a part that you are comfortable with.

It will be more painful if you choose to have the tattoo on bony areas like neck, ankle, spine, shoulders and hands. You will feel more comfortable if your tattoo is inked on thighs, buttocks, stomach or upper arm.

Tip 4: Test the Tattoo Design First

It is strongly advised that you get a henna design of the tattoo you choose on the part you want before getting the permanent one. This will allow you to wear the tattoo design for 1 to 2 weeks. You can feel if you really like the tattoo or not so that you will not regret in future.

Tip 5: Ask Others for Opinions

It is a good idea to ask your friends your family members how they feel about your tattoo design. But you also need to bear in mind that you are the one wearing the tattoo. Their thoughts should not play the most important role.

Tip 6: Be Careful of What to Take Before Getting the Tattoo

Some people say that drinking alcohol is helpful to reduce pain. I am not going to say it is wrong but it would be risky for you. Since alcohol can thin your blood, it will make you bleed more during the tattoo process. Also, some tattoo artist will refuse the tattooing once you have taken alcohol because it makes their job more difficult and risky.

If you really need something to reduce pain, you may ask the tattoo artist for advice. Normally, pain relievers like Motrin are allowed. But the best option is to ask the professionals, your tattoo artist.

Tip 7: Learn Tattoo Etiquette

Yes, you may not have heard this kind of thing but it is a good idea to keep yourself up-to-date with the tattoo etiquette. For example, your tattoo artist may ask if you are a tenderfoot. If you do not know the meaning, you may feel confused and your tattoo experience may be not the happiest one.

Tip 8: Pay Attention to After-care Procedures

Once you have the tattoo job done, listen carefully to the tattoo artist how you should take care of the tattoo. Ask them any question if you are not sure. It is important for you to keep the tattoo nicely.

We hope the above 8 tips will make your "tattoo journey" more enjoyable and comfortable. Remember that it is worth spending time on the small steps. Do not give yourself any opportunity to regret.

Tattoo Designs, Tattoos, Tribal Tattoos. Choosing Your Tattoo Design Has Never Been Easier

Tattoo Designs are something you need to think about seriously. Do not make one of the most important decisions of your life an embarrassing mistake. Your choice on tattoo designs, which will be permanently inked into your skin, has to be some sort of tattoo designs that YOU are comfortable with, one that truly rocks and makes heads turn in awe.

It can be difficult making that important decision on tattoo designs. It is something you do not want to rush then regret later on.

What you need to know about tattoo designs is that in this day and age tattoos are very common, in fact a study done in 2006 by the American Academy of Dermatology, estimated that roughly 1 in 4 people between the ages of 18 and 50 had at least one to two tattoo designs. Even with tattoos being so common, many people do not know much about them. Tattoos are sometimes still considered odd, questionable and even taboo.

Tattoo Designs are patterns, pictures or markings made by dye inserted into the pores of the skin by perforating the skin with immense caution. People in the Tattoos industry refer to them as tats, work, ink or art. In scientific terms, tattooing is actually micro-pigment implantation.

Globally this type of art practice is gaining approval and many mainstream art and design galleries hold expos of tattoo designs and tattoo pictures. The popular name for tattoo designs is Flash.

Tattoo Designs more often than not reflect the personality of the person wearing them and so they should, they are on your body. Often people search for the tattoos they want in the actual parlor for something that will suit them. It would be hard to choose your tattoo designs from only what is on display in the chosen tattoos parlor. You should do extensive research on tattoo designs first. I have found numerous sites online that offer a plethora of tattoos, tattoo designs, tribal tattoos, pictures and information. The time it took to find as much information and ideas that I could was massive, but worth it in the end as we can be very specific to what we want when deciding on tattoo designs and location to place the tattoos.

Weather it be an extreme concern for your cultural roots or something of significant importance to you, the tattoo designs that you choose will be one of the most important decisions of your life.

I have heard countless horror stories of bad decisions related to tattoo designs. People excited to rush out and get those 'Perfect' tattoos that they saw on their favorite celebrity like Britney Spears, Alyssa Milano, David Beckham or Robbie Williams. Or even seeing some tribal tattoos in a movie like Blade, only to realize after coming out of the parlor that the tattoo designs just do not suit them, or wasn't what they expected. The fact then hits that they are stuck with those tattoo designs for the rest of their lives.

Their problem was a lack of research in tattoo designs and tattoos in general, because the excitement of actually getting some tattoos finally, blurred their judgment and made them hasty to rush out and get those tattoo designs that they saw or thought up and then trying to describe it to the artist. Definitely not the smartest thing to do.

Also the location of your tattoos is key. You must consider some things when thinking of the location of your tattoos. Will others see it easily? Do I want my tattoos to be easily seen by others? Do I want my tattoos in more of a private place so only those close to me would be able to view them? Which body parts hurt more than others? Generally, places that have thinner skin tend to hurt more. These places include, but are not limited to, due to differences in all of our bodies, the ankles, head and the lower back.

Less painful places include the upper arm, back of the shoulder and the chest. And it also depends on your pain threshold when getting tattoos on how bad it will actually hurt.

I bet you have heard of or been with some people who just rock up to the tattoo parlor, look through the tattoo designs in the books and all the pictures of tattoos on the walls, pick something that looks cool and jump right into the chair to get what should be meaningful tattoo designs inked into their skin. They either want to go the extremely cheap option and choose simple tattoos, (more common tattoo designs are generally less expensive and take less time) or they have just been out on a heavy night on the Britney Spears - (Beers) and just stumbled into the parlor, only to wake up in the morning wondering why they have a Superman tattoo pic on their butt.