Tattoo Johnny Tattoo Wiki: Tattooing Methods and Tattoo Designs for Health

Tattooing Methods and Tattoo Designs for Health

Friday 20th of February 2009 01:18:34 PM [Add To This Article]

Prehistoric people used their tattoos not only for decoration, but for health and protection as well. It is believed by many researchers that Otzi, a heavily tattooed iceman found mummified in a bank of snow and ice thousands of years after his death, got most of his 57 tattoos for health or religious reasons. This is because his tattoos were in lines that adhered to the lines of his body and appeared to be some sort of support structure for his physical or spiritual well being. Today, most people in the United States and Europe view tattoos as a form of self expression and do not stop to think much about the health ramifications or potential for a tattoo outside of making sure that the tattoo salon where they get their tattoo design inked is clean and following standard health protocol. However, in many other parts of the world, getting tattooed for health reasons is still a very common practice.

People who practice various forms of holistic and energy-based healing are particularly likely to get these types of â€œhealthyâ€ tattoos, as are people who view their physical health and their spiritual health and beliefs as intricately and inherently intertwined. Tattooing for health and well being is far more common than you might expect, and many people do it almost without realizing it even in the United States. When a person gets a Japanese symbol tattoo or a Chinese symbol tattoo on their body, they are following an ancient tradition of many traditional, folkloric or holistic healers who would ink temporary designs onto the body of a person suffering from major or minor ailments. These designs could help the bodyâ€™s energy begin to flow in a positive manner again. Reiki tattoo designs include Japanese symbols that are part of this holistic method of healing and may be placed at specific energy points along the body to help a person maintain a positive and beneficial balance of energy in their body.

In Tibet, large portions of the population get sacred mantra tattoos, mantra wheel tattoos and mantra flag tattoos. These tattoo designs are believed to help the person achieve inner and outer balance. The inner balance is spiritual and the outer balance is oriented toward physical health and well being. Tibetan mantras are groupings of words that are believed to create spiritual transformation when spoken. In addition to preserving and promoting health, these mantra tattoos can also be used to accumulate wealth, defend against enemies and avoid danger. Many people also get tattoos and tattoo designs along certain acupuncture points. Acupuncture itself is used to promote spiritual and physical balance, and can help people deal with physical problems like migraines and psychological issues like depression. People who find acupuncture particularly helpful for their ailments and health issues may get tattooed on points of the body where the needles are inserted to try and help their body retain the effects of the treatment when it is not actually going on. Some holistic tattoo artists will mix medicinal herbs into the tattoo dye itself to try to promote health and well being. Always be very careful if you wish to get this type of health oriented tattoo because some types of herbs that may be harmless when ingested, but create serious skin problems if they are injected into the epidermis. Another common health tattoo practice is to tattoo pictures of gods onto the body. In this way, many worshipers hope to claim the protection of their personal deity and stay healthy and fortunate in life. This practice is strikingly similar to the practice of tattooing saints onto the body in hopes that the saints will help a person with troubles relating to that patron saintâ€™s specialty. Ainu women, members of a tribe originally from Japan who now reside in many parts of Asia, often mark themselves in manners similar to that of their goddess in hopes that disease and other ills will be avoid them because they can be mistaken for the goddess herself. Finally, tattooing is used by Maori tribes in New Zealand, who are the originators of the most popular forms of tribal tattoo designs, to preserve and reclaim youthful health. When women are young, they tattoo their lips and chins. Once they have grown old, they re-tattoo the areas to try and regain youthful abilities like eyesight. While the locations of these tattoo designs are certainly unique, the emotional process behind the tattooing is nearly universal, as many people get tattoos to try and reclaim some of the reckless abandon and feeling of invulnerability of their youths.