Tattoos have been around for a long time, it is probably one of oldest traditions for adorning the body. During the pre-modern times, people get tattoos as a form of social status or rank in the community or as part of a ritual. Tattoos back then were more than just a body adornment; they have a deeper and more significant meaning.
Today, tattoos are carved as a matter of fashion and self expression. No matter what the reason is, getting a tattoo presents some decision challenges, the biggest decisions to make are; which part of the body will you have it done and most importantly, what designs to go for.
Technically, you can tattoo any part of your body that has skin, but that doesn’t mean you should. There are certain parts of the body where it makes sense to put a tattoo on, and then there are parts of your body where it might seem foolish or silly to get a tat. Here are some ideas on where to put tattoo on your body.
Your back has a big expanse of skin which makes it a really good candidate for big, bold and complex tattoo design. If you are planning to have angel images, full tribal art, car tattoos, chery tree (perhaps), then the back tattoos are the best theme to go for.
The chest area is another part of the body which can give the tattoo artist a lot of playground. While not as big as the back area, it still has plenty of skin which makes it a perfect canvass for moderately sized tattoo designs such as bird and animal images, ships, cars, phoenix, crosses and perhaps portraits. You need to know that the chest tattoo can be more very sensitive and getting a tat on this part of the body stings a bit more because there aren’t a lot of soft tissues between the skin and the bone.
Neck tattoos are not very common, and that is for good reasons. The neck is one of the most pain-sensitive areas to put a tat on, also, neck tattoos are not easy to conceal from public view unlike tattoos on your chest, shoulder or back which can be easily hidden by a shirt. The neck area also presents some challenges to the tattoo artist because the surface area is cylindrical, only a few designs makes sense. Chinese characters or Japanese characters can be good designs for neck tattoos. Celtic crosses and knots area also good ideas because of their diminutive sizes. Traditional or old school tattoos (skull, heart, anchor, rose, star) which seem to be making a comeback these days are another good options because of their simplicity.
Rib cage tattoos, just like chest tattoos can also accommodate a moderately sized design or image. Just like the chest area, this is also a highly sensitive body part for a tattoo because it’s bony. Some people get rib cage tattoos which are themed closely with the chest tat, this strategy makes it possible to carve complicated and immense tattoo themes because the chest area and rib cage area are combined.
Arm and shoulder tattoos are very common because these areas not very sensitive to pain, so this is a good entry point for tattoo newbies. The canvass area is a bit limited on these areas so it’s best to choose designs that are quite slender and with overflowing lines or curves. Snake tattoos, dragon tattoos and Koi fish tattoos are some of the most common designs you might encounter for arm and shoulder areas. Tribal tattoo patterns such as the Polynesian and Hawaiian tribal patterns are also good fit for arm and shoulder areas.
The wrist area is probably the one of the smallest area of your body where you can carve a tattoo. Because the canvass is small, not all tattoo designs can be accommodated. Some designs you might want to consider for the wrist tattoos are nautical stars, heart shapes, a faux bracelet. You can also carve names or word phrases from your favorite book or author–you can use fancy typography to add to the art work.
