Sandra Friedman's Photo Story

A tattoo, or dermal pigmentation, is a mark made by inserting pigment into the skin for decorative or other reasons. Despite many cultural taboos surrounding tattooing, the art continues to be popular all over the world, particularly amongst young people today striving to separate themselves through bodily modification. On the upside, tattooing is more interesting and individually suited to fit the owner. On the downside, this body art cannot be removed by simply removing it from your body-it instead requires lasers, lots of money, and an incredible threshold for pain.

The most common method of tattooing in modern times is the electric tattoo machine, which inserts ink into the skin via a group of needles that are soldered onto a bar. The needles always make a mark, but definition comes from ink.

Tattoos are popular for both men and women, rather than being gender specific.

They can also be found in unconventional places, often for personal symbolism and just as something for the person to have, but not obviously display.

Areas like the head and hips are suprisingly painless, due to a lack of nerve endings. The most painful areas are the ribs and feet, as the needle goes mostly into bone.

Anyone who gets a tattoo should always think it through, or they will end up having to stare at something horrible on a daily basis, or subject themselves to the painful process of laser removal-a process 10 times more painful than the original tattoo.

But, when people take the time to think out what they want, save the money to splurge on a good artist, and stand for the multiple sittings it may take, the results can be something you love forever, and that other people will admire wherever you may go.