At an early age of fifteen, a teenager would love to get a tattoo. The reason? Simply because this form of body art symbolizes individuality and independence, which are common purposes that teenagers try to achieve.

But tattoos are more of an expression of one’s self, rather than a key to break free from social norms or to gain personal independence. Through tattoos, a person finds himself, and represents himself with the designs and patterns he opted to be placed on his skin. Somehow it is a way to empower oneself, especially when emotional oppressors are sinking in.

Many people experience happiness through tattoos, and no one can take it away from them. Some people may not understand why there are those who would love to stain their selves with body art, but then again its happiness and it only needs a little understanding.

Describing tattoos

Tattoos come in different sizes, shapes, forms, colors, and patterns. Some are huge and are overwhelming with lines and curves, while others are quite miniature and cute. Others have an actual picture, but others would seem puzzling, and only the tattoo owner can understand what it is all about.

Choosing the tattoo designs is the most challenging part for many tattoo fanatics. It takes a long time to get decided, because these forms of body art are permanent and can only be removed through laser. Some may cost more bucks, especially if it entails a complex pattern. Tattoo shops have designs that are ready to be applied, and the customer does not need to do anything but to choose. But if the customer wants to make his own design, tattoo artist would examine first if it is possible and of course how much it will cost.

Designing tattoos

Some of the famous tattoo designs that are usually chosen by tattoo enthusiasts are tribal tattoos. Actually, there are dozens of tribal tattoos to choose from, and many of these came from unique tribes and cultures, such as the Maori tribe of New Zealand, the Aztec tribe of Mexico, and the Celtic tribe of Europe. There are also tribal tattoo designs influenced by Asian cultures.

Another set of designs of tattoos are butterfly tattoos. These are the top choices of women. Butterfly tattoos are very attractive to look at, especially if the wings are multi-colored. These tattoos symbolize femininity, independence, and freedom.

Heart tattoos symbolizes romance and passion for love. These are top picks of lovers or of persons in love. Heart tattoos are fun, especially if the name of one’s crush or admiration is written inside it.

Angel tattoos would usually represent religious beliefs, but tattoo artist nowadays have created designs of angel tattoos to represent romance and seduction. But no worries, ladies who adore an innocent angel can always opt for happy and childlike angel tattoo designs.

There are dozens more of designs to choose from. These include dolphins, fishes, flowers, guns, flags, and horses. In fact, anyone can even personalize his name. Just present to the tattoo artist how the name would look like as a tattoo and he will do the job.

Breaking onto the tattoo scene during the late 1990’s, lower back tattoos are still very popular a decade later.

Designs for lower back tattoos range from small or large symbols or designs that are placed centrally on the lower back, to large oblong designs that follow the curves of the lower back and buttocks.

Although any design can be placed on the lower back, there are some designs that are specifically created for the lower back. Some of the most popular designs incorporate flowing lines that follow the curves of the back. Common designs include flowers, tribal designs, dragons, angels, suns and hearts.

As popular as lower back tattoos are, it’s disappointing to note that tattoos on the lower back have become a subject of controversy and speculation.

Lower back tattoos became popular in part because they are a powerful symbol of female sexuality. There was just something about the placement that was very intriguing both to the women who were getting them, and the men who admired them. The designs that were used swept over the curves of a woman’s back, creating a surprisingly sensual appeal on an area of the body that was previously considered unimportant.

Unfortunately, there was a period of time when this new symbol of female empowerment created a huge backlash for the women who had them. Instead of merely being admired for the strength they were intended to convey, they were rumored to be a symbol of loose morals and sexual impropriety. Lower back tattoos began to be called “tramp stamps.” Because of this malicious label, women who wore them suddenly found their reputations being called into question merely because of where they chose to have their body art. This was especially difficult to understand, because women who had tattoos on other areas of their body didn’t experience the same type of vicious accusations.

Like female-created symbols of power throughout history, women have been able to take back lower back tattoos as symbols of strength and femininity. This was due in large part to tattoos becoming acceptable in mainstream society. Tattoos no longer need to be hidden from view except in the most corporate and conservative of environments.

Lower back tattoos are also a topic of medical controversy. There is a concern among some physicians that the ink in lower back tattoos can cause problems during epidural anesthesia, which is a common procedure to help women with pain control while giving birth.

A search of several well-known medical websites reveals that this is generally an urban legend. It should be noted that there is a theoretical possibility that if the epidural needle passes through tattoo ink that there could be some neurological complications; however, there are no reported cases of this happening. Anesthesiologists can easily avoid this theoretical possibility simply by inserting the epidural needle through an area of skin that doesn’t contain tattoo ink, or making a small incision in the skin before introducing the needle.

Lower back tattoos are certainly a surprising source of controversy, from medical studies to social backlash. Regardless of that, the lower back is, and will continue to be a powerful and sensual location for body art.

Just a look at search engine figures for tribal tattoo design would be enough to tell you that it is one of the most sought-after designs. There is however, more to getting a tribal tattoo design than just picking a generic set of unidentifiable curves and lines. If you are interested in getting a tribal tattoo, you should take note of a couple of things.

Tribal Tattoos

Before you get a tribal tattoo, ask yourself first what a tribal tattoo design really is. The term “tribal” is already a clue to the nature of this particular tattoo category. A tribal tattoo design is most often an original figure or a modified one that draws its roots from real tribes today or of long ago. Since tribes that perform tattooing were or have been around for centuries in different continents, this particular category can have a very broad scope. A tribal tattoo design can therefore trace its origins among tribes belonging to the Maori, American Indian, Samoan, Incan, Aztec and Hawaiian traditions. Of course, these are not the only tribes in the world. There are countless more with their own unique tribal tattoos.

In other words, an original tribal tattoo design is supposed to identify an individual as a member of a particular tribe. Within a specific tribe, there can also be variations to a tattoo design. Differences in designs and placement of tattoos in a tribe can tell such things as social status, role in the tribe, skill and family affiliation.

Why People Get Them

Now, anyone can simply get a tribal design for various reasons.

- One common reason would still be to mark oneself as a member of an ancient or old tribe. Some young American Indians for example would want to get a traditional tattoo associated with their tribe to identify them as modern but true members of that tribe. A tribal tattoo design is therefore a link to an individual’s historical and cultural identity.

- For some people who do not really belong to a specific tribe, tribal designs are a way for them to express their own sense of style, fashion, freedom and individuality. For some, tribal tattoos communicate who they feel they truly are.

- Tribal designs are also known to be simply exquisite and beautiful. A tribal tattoo design has strong bold lines and curves that makes it eye catching. You can pick designs that are intricate or simple.

Design Categories

Here are the three major categories of tribal tattoos:

- Authentic – These are original tribal designs coming from actual tribes. Some designs are difficult to find especially if the tribe of origin no longer exists. If you want one you may have to perform some extensive research first.

- Adaptations – Many tribal designs are really just adaptations of original ones. An artist may have been inspired by an ancient pattern and created his own unique tribal tattoo design.

- Custom Designs – These days anyone can make a tribal tattoo design that is based on original patterns and figures. Online sites now offer templates from which you can easily make your own unique tattoo.