Deciding where to get a tattoo is just as important as deciding what tattoo design to get. After all, a tattoo is a beautiful, permanent artistic statement on your body, and where you get it says as much about the tattoo as the tattoo design and the tattoo symbolism itself. After all, your tattoo placement determines who will see your tattoo, when it is visible and the atmosphere when your tattoo is on view. Tattoo placement is, in many cases, as symbolic as the tattoo design, so you definitely need to think hard about where you get your tattoo and what the effects of your tattoo placement will be.
Traditionally, there are several spots on the body that indicate certain sentiments about a tattoo. Tattoos on the breast are often romantic, while tattoos on the inner thigh and other intimate areas tend to be more erotic and sexy since they are seldom on view and generally are displayed only during intimate circumstances. On the other hand, a shoulder, back or calf tattoo will be fairly visible, and these areas of the body are also more convenient canvases if you want to get a large or detailed tattoo. These areas are popular for major artistic endeavors and memorial tattoos, which are often intended as much for public appreciation as for the individual tattoo owner. The back of the neck, the ankle and the lower back are common areas of the body for first tattoos since they are easily visible, but also easily hidden if the tattoo owner is not always comfortable with their art being on display.
However, when you are considering where to place your new tattoo, the only issue is not potential for display or concealment. You also need to think about what you hope to accomplish with your tattoo, and whether this intimate and very personal form of art is mainly for your enjoyment or whether you hope to also display it to others and what other types of benefits “mental or physical” that you hope to derive from your tattoo design.
Fashion plays a major role in tattoo design and tattoo placement, despite the fact that tattoos are permanent while fashion is extremely dynamic and the rules of fashion are constantly changing. However, since fashion does dictate a great deal about tattoo design and tattoo placement, from the location to the artistic subject area, you may wish to factor the current trends in tattoo fashion into your tattoo placement decision. In many ways, popular fashion is more accepting of tattoo art now than ever before, with many extremely popular, expensive and designer brands utilizing tattoo style art and design to make the brands unique and beautiful. As a result, more and more people are enjoying traditional forms of tattoo flash and tattoo artistic design than ever before, which may impact your tattoo placement decision and cause you to get a more visible tattoo, such as one on your forearm, hip or upper shoulder or back area. Particularly if you are a woman, such tattoos can be extremely sexy and complement any outfit including formal attire as long as your tattoo artist works with you and your body to make the tattoo flow with the shape and lines of your body rather than working against your natural contours.
Tattoo placement can also make a huge statement, which is one reason that gang tattoos are so often so highly visible. However, most people with visible tattoos are not in gangs, but they still use tattoos to make statements about their feelings, views or their inner emotions. For example, personal tattoos and beliefs about inner strength might lead a person to place a phoenix tattoo on their inner forearm where they can see it when they need strength in a tough situation. People who want to place their tattoos in unconventional places like the neck, the back of the hands or the face in order to make sure that everyone who sees them knows that they are not afraid of their individuality. Membership tattoos are also often placed in visible areas, such as fireman tattoos or biker tattoos to let other people who share interests with the person who has the tattoo know that they have found a kindred spirit.
Finally, some people actually use tattoos for physical health reasons. These tattoos are largely related to holistic healing, and the beliefs behind them go all the way back to prehistoric tattoo patterns such as those found on Otzi, the iceman. Otzi's tattoos were elongated and followed the lines of his body, leading researchers to believe that the tattoos were intended to somehow strengthen his health. Similarly, many acupuncture aficionados get tattoos at major points in acupuncture either to guide needle placement or to derive health benefits from the tattooing needle itself.
