Used as a form of expression for centuries, man has tattooed his skin to signify life changing transitions, status and wealth and of course has used ink of many types to make a strike for individualism.  Originally it was plant dyes that were used and above all of the products that were used there were two that rose to the fore as being excellent as skin staining pigmentations, one was indigo and the other Henna. Henna Derived from the plant Lawsonia Inermia henna is commonly found in regions of North Africa, Egypt, areas of the Middle East and of course India.  The leaves of the plant are dried and ground up then mixed with carrier oil or binding agent to make excellent dyes in shades that vary from pale woody browns to the deepest, richest reds.  Over the centuries a variety of uses have been found for henna.  It has been found to be an excellent hair dye, nail tint, mild astringent and even has a use as a sedative.  However it is better known for its prolific use in body art around the world. History Evidence of henna tattooing has been found to date back more than five thousand years.  Henna tattooing was a practice that was thoroughly embraced by the ancient Egyptians.  Having gained a reputation throughout history as being quite a vain culture, they found ways of using henna to enhance their natural features to make themselves more attractive.  It was used to alter their hair colour, stain the skin and nails and mixed with other pigments to form designs for the body. Different Cultures The process of receiving a henna tattoo is believed to have spiritual significance, connecting the body with the soul and the universal energies that surround it.  For the Indian Bride however the process of receiving her henna tattoo’s or Mehndi show that she is to be idolised and revered.  Once they are in place she is not permitted to take part in any work until the designs have disappeared from her skin. In the poorer countries of the world henna was and is still used as a safe and inexpensive method of body adornment.  Again in the Middle East it is brides who receive the delicate henna work on their skin and countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq consider the application of henna to provide good luck to its wearer. Pregnant women in Morocco have henna designs pained around their ankles as forms of protection, with families having their own sacred designs that are passed down through the generations.  The henna designs that are seen in Africa are more geometrical that designs seen elsewhere, nothing like the flowing ornate designs used in other cultures. Though Celtic designs are quite complicated with intricate knot work they too can be perfected by a henna professional, and look stunning when completed.  Modern artists draw on cultures from all over the world to provide the perfect henna tattoo for their clients adding a subtle twist of their own to make their designs truly unique.

Also known as permanent make up, cosmetic tattooing was once used only in a medical capacity to offer clients the chance to recreate or enhance features lost through illness, accident or surgery.  Now, this provision of permanent make up has caused an increase in the number of regular women that venture into a tattoo parlour, searching for eternal beauty.  Lip lining, eye lining and other procedures are now being performed regularly around the world. Procedure Just as with any other tattoo the procedure involves the introduction of pigment into the dermis, to enhance lips, eyebrows and any other facial feature.  The procedure was pioneered in the 1930’s by a tattooist named George Burchett.  Many women actually received the procedure without their knowledge.  Told that they were going to receive some beauty enhancing treatment by the staff in their beauty salon they were actually injected with vegetable based dyes that would enhance the colour and tone of the skin.  One of the most common modern procedures is to the eye area where eyebrows and top lid eyeliner are permanently tattooed.  For clients wishing to make their existing brows fuller and better defined, a ‘powdery’ technique is used rather than hairline strokes.  The top eyeliner acts as enhancement to the lashes so that though the eyes look shaped and defined whilst the overall look remains natural. Lip Tattooing Lip tattooing gives lips definition and shape and of course restores colour where the natural pigmentation has been lost.  Lip tattooing eliminates the need for lip pencils and liners and reduces the need for application of regular lip cosmetics.  It can restore symmetry to the mouth and for clients that have had reconstructive facial surgery for example to correct a cleft palate, lip surgery can hide scarring and restore regular balanced features.  Techniques vary from a blended lip line, which looks like regular lipstick that has started to wear off, to fully coloured and contoured lips which, with a slick of gloss look like regular lipstick. The initial lip tattooing procedure will take approximately three hours and you should take with you your favourite shade of lipstick and liner to aid in choosing a colour matching your tattooing pigment.  Lips are numbed with local anaesthetic and a template design is drawn that is agreed with the client before any permanent marks are made. Following the procedure the lips will be swollen and tender, occasionally with bruising and at first the new colour may look shocking and harsh, though it will lighten once your lips have peeled and the colour will soften over the next couple of weeks and the pigments stabilize.  The tissue of the lip is different to the skin on other areas of the body and a lot of the initial colour will be lost which is why a second application is often recommended to adjust any areas you feel need reshaping or more colour added.  The common recommendation is that you have your lip tattoo ‘topped up’ every two to three years to keep your lips looking at their pouting best.

It would appear that Neolithic man or indeed Otzi, the Iceman living 3,300 years ago knew all about tattoos as he was found to have least fifty seven of them, ( including around his ankles), that could have been for treating arthritis.  We can’t be sure.  We do know however that Egyptian mummies were also tattooed and evidence has been found that tattooing was popular in Chinese minority ethnic groups several thousand years ago.  Paleolithic man and woman, (10,000 BCE) certainly decorated their bodies, not only as adornment but as an expression of spiritual belief. In Japan, the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East and North Africa, tattooing was and is still popular. Why did this Practice come to be so Widespread? Penetrating the body with sharp, invasive instruments, and introducing minerals below the skin is what tattooing involves. Imagine a Samoan adolescent boy subjected to over 50% of his body being cut into and soot inserted.  The bleeding and pain would be so great that it took ten days to complete this ‘rite of passage’ into manhood and high rank. Failure to endure this torture meant lifelong humiliation and shame. Better to have died, which so often was the outcome. Fortunately for women they didn’t have to suffer the same ordeal. However, tattooing could display a girls’ skills and so increase her chance of a good marriage. A ‘rite of passage’, a sign of rank, decorative adornment, commitment or rebellion, all these diverse messages could be visible and understood by communities throughout the ages. Sometimes, heavily tattooed armies such as the Picts, scarified with blue woad, (copper based) so terrified the Romans that mention of their appearance was made in Julius Caesar’s account of the Gallic Wars! The influence of Christianity as it slowly spread throughout Europe and the western world, also spread the idea that tattooing was a pagan activity and must be banned.  Muslims and those of the Jewish faith have never allowed tattooing believing the practice to be a desecration of the body, which is a gift from God. What better symbol for rebellion to be taken up by dissenters throughout the ages than the tattoo? It was adopted by many sects including the Samurai warriors and their descendants, the Japanese “Yakuza” mafia.  A tattoo cannot be seen without arousing conflicting emotions. Pictures imprinted on your body make a powerful statement. Nowadays Today we have relatively painless and hygienic methods of tattooing.  The instinctive urge for body and facial enhancement has resulted in the skill of tattooing booming into big business. Cosmetic tattooing has entered the modern world allowing women to perfectly shape their eyebrows, eyeliner their eyes, have well-defined lips which never feel a lipstick and enjoy long luxurious eyelashes.  Thread veins can be removed; and don’t think it’s only women who have a ‘little job’ done to boost morale!  Cosmetic tattooing can help rebuild a life following surgery. There is so much choice in tattooing for the expression of adornment, faith, commitment, rebellion and renewal.  The tattoo has a remarkable history and endures as a fascinating expression of our creativity.