Interesting Tattoo Fact #1

In recent years, tattoos seem to have become more socially accepted compared to a generation ago. Among young people, the number of individuals who view tattoos as a form of fashion appears to be increasing every year. In this article, we will introduce some facts about tattoos that have occurred around the world, which you probably never knew about.

It is possible to get tattoos on your eyeballs.

Literally, tattoos can be applied to the eyeballs. Generally, ink is injected beneath the surface of the eye with a needle. This creates a tattoo on the eyeball by coloring the white part of the eye, called the sclera. Achieving full coloration of the eyeball requires more than 20 punctures, so the procedure can span several days. Also, since the ink used on skin is too concentrated for the eyeballs, a diluted ink, thinned with saline solution, is used.

It's easy to imagine that tattooing such a delicate area as the eyeball carries extremely high risks. There have actually been cases of blindness and vision loss. Nevertheless, some people still undergo this procedure, and if successful, they might achieve beautiful, almost CG-like eyes.

The oldest known tattoo evidence dates back over 5000 years.

Ötzi is a mummy discovered in the glaciers of the Italian Alps. Traces and evidence of numerous tattoos remain on the body of this ice man. It is speculated that these tattoos were applied to injured areas in an attempt to promote healing. Additionally, a male mummy found around the same period reportedly had tattoos depicting several animals, while a female mummy had tattoos with a design featuring multiple S-shaped patterns.

The country with the most tattoos in the world.

New Zealanders are said to be the most tattooed people in the world. This is primarily because the Māori people of this island still practice traditional Polynesian tattooing. These traditional tattoos, inherited by the Māori, are collectively known as "Ta Moko," and they represent people's "identity." There are nearly 100 tribes currently existing in New Zealand, and it is said that unique tattoos have developed as a result of expressing their respective cultures and roots.

Depending on the tribe, tattoos are not just designs; they also represent one's status, rank, or occupation (of course, not by directly engraving pictures or words of occupations, but by using unique designs that convey this information). Some tribes have tattoos that allow people to immediately understand who does what and what their social status is.

Māori tattoos are designed through dialogue with the person who wants the tattoo. Handing a completed design to a tattoo artist and asking them to apply it is contrary to Māori tattoo practices. These tattoos can also be applied to individuals outside of the Māori tribes.

The tattoo designs uniquely created by the Māori, who are intimately connected with nature, are truly impressive.

The world's first tattoo shop.

In 1846, Martin Hildebrandt, an immigrant from Germany, opened New York's first tattoo shop on Oak Street, beneath the then-unfinished Brooklyn Bridge. A few years later, the first electric tattoo machine, based on Thomas Edison's punching pen invention, was patented. In New York, tattooing was illegal until 1997, but activity continued secretly. Today, nearly 50% of 18-to-30-year-old Americans reportedly have tattoos.

We hope you found the global records and tidbits about tattoos interesting and captivating.

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Reference

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