Many people who have had even the smallest education of history, are aware of the sometimes-barbaric procedures used to thwart criminals from repeating offenses. In some countries like the Middle East and Africa, such practices are still utilized. If a man is caught and convicted of rape in the Middle East, two large rocks are used like cymbals to smash around his genitalia. Gives new meaning to The Clapper, doesn’t it? (Hmm – maybe the US should look into implementing that one. Oops, I digress.)
In the early 1700’s, the Japanese decided to rid themselves of such practices as amputation of ears, nose, and fingers, and instead adopted the idea to “mark” convicted criminals. for each offense, a ring tattoo of certain significance was etched around the offender’s arm. It was not until about 1870 that the tattooing of criminals was abolished in Japan. So, for all of those thinking about (or are already sporting one) armband tattoos, you may, once again, thank the worldwide penal facilities for the idea.
Although it seems tribal designs have overtaken the armband tattoo genre, there has been almost any character or creature imaginable that has been stretched out to entwine the upper bicep. Mystical creatures like dragons, fairies, and yes, I have seen a unicorn, make up just a few I have come across in recent years. In addition, the combinations of several subjects seem to make an even more interesting and intriguing armband. Lately, I did come across a man who had added skulls to stretched-out bones, perfecting a complex maze that – from far away – looked like the average, boring tribal armband. Up close, however, the artwork was astounding!
I look forward to my husband getting a new one. He has great interest in constructing his own armband tattoo. His tastes run to more Celtic in nature, and he would like an armband of Celtic lattice design. However, within the crevices of the latticework – just here and there – he would like faces of wolves peering through the shadows of the Celtic design. As interesting as that sounds, perhaps he will change his mind when he finds out what armbands used to symbolize. Oh, he would still get the tattoo, but it may be a more significant work of art. If anything, it could look like an average tribal from afar, but up close, you could read our wedding vows finely printed around his bicep. Can anyone say, “Ball and Chain”?
Tattoos last forever, so you'll want to be sure you've chosen the perfect one before you get inked. Did you know there may be up to 500 different styles for the tattoo you are thinking of getting? Flipping through hundreds of tattoo parlor books can get a little tiring. Why not just browse through a web site instead? You can see 1000s of a tattoo styles, ideas and pictures by Clicking Here. You can even create your own custom tattoo!
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My answer simply was: let them think what they want, I like it.
The tattoo culture seems to have made a complete circle. It's origins are from ancient cultures as a mark of privilege or royalty, as seen in the native Hawaiian culture. As it moves through the centuries, it becomes somewhat of a negative image, of something of the past, as something "pagan," for those that had tattoos were thought of as being savages. Later in it's progression, tattoo were portrayed as an expression of rebellious strength, in the sense of being a 'bad-ass'. Today tattooing has reached a point in our culture where it, once again, has become stylish and a symbol not so much of recklessness, as in our parents generation, but of conformity to certain ideas and beliefs, a symbol of belonging. Where once people who had tattoos were either powerful, like the ancient Hawaiians, or criminals, now everyday Joe's are walking around in their business suits with Tasmanian Devils tattooed on their hips. This isn't necessarily a male pastime either; some of the women walking around downtown in your own city are hiding intricate art works on their bodies. The people that have tattoos are the same ones taking your deposit at the bank or helping you at the local department store. 
Tattoos are unique decorations in the sense that individuals can keep them with themselves until death. While rings, like paintings, may be destroyed or lost, a tattoo can not be taken away from the individual. The individual can ascribe personal values and meanings to the art work, without the fear of ever losing it. Each moment can is eternalized by tattooing, it remains as a mark of the emotions and happenings that the individual experiences when getting the tattoo. 
Are tattoos a show of conformity? In many cases, yes. A majority of the people on the street today have the tattoos that only twenty years ago, scared parents. Yet, the reason for tattooing is not always for the appreciation of tattoos as works of art. Look at the music videos on TV today - the celebrities in the movies with their painted - on tattoos. Why are so many people getting tattoos? Peer pressure, the power of the media to influence our mind, these are parts of the reason that tattoos have become such a part of the mainstream culture in the United States. 
