Leg tattoo pain no more!!

 

Across the globe, leg tattoos and other types of tattoos can be dated back as far as the Neolithic and Paleolithic eras - starting mainly in Japan and other islands such as Polynesia and Tahiti as well as many areas of Europe. Leg tattoos have different cultural significance across the world. In both Eastern and some Western cultures leg tattoos through history have been the reserved symbols of warriors. In other parts of the world, tattoos on the thighs and calves are applied slowly over time as symbols of spiritual growth.

As the culture or subculture varies, so does the method in which tattoos are applied. The most common approach is that taken is the use of the modern tattoo gun. Other less common methods include:

The Samoan and Polynesian method called tatau uses indigo ink and handmade wooden tools wherein the artist “double strikes” with one instrument (which looks a lot like a small-headed gavel) onto a smaller wooden spike which inserts the ink below the surface of the skin. This method is primarily found in Hawaii, Native American cultures and Polynesia. A similar form of tatau is the Maori tattoo method which uses natural dyes and tools almost identical to those used by Polynesians.

 

It’s kind of amazing how the mainstream acceptance of tattoos has grown in recent history. A hundred years ago, the only place you’d find ink was on grizzled soldiers, Polynesian warriors and Japanese yakuza. Now it seems like everybody has at least one tattoo, and maybe more. I have been studying tattoo art and culture for many years now, and in this article I want to focus on a certain body part – the leg.

   The first thing to consider when you’re planning a leg tattoo is position. A leg is composed of two major muscle groups – the thigh and the calf. I would strongly advise against getting a tattoo on your thigh, for a number of reasons. First, many women have concerns about the size and shape of their thighs, especially as they age. Putting ink on the thigh does nothing but draw attention to it, and that attention may not be good. Once you’re above the knee, hotness is all about symmetry and shape, and not necessarily decoration. Besides, if you get a tattoo up there, your opportunities to display it are extremely minimal – the beach or the bedroom. If you do decide to go against my advice, stick to something small and subtle, preferably on the inner thigh.