Importance of TattoosIn the past, tattoos were generally considered trashy or bad. They are often associated with bikers, rock and heavy metal stars, pirates or gangsters. This has changed significantly over the years. According to Swan, “In 2003, approximately 40 million Americans reported having at least one tattoo.” Today's culture is still fascinated by tattooing. In the 1990s, tattoos were the sixth fastest-growing retail industry, behind the Internet, paging services, computer and mobile phone services. 28% of adults aged 30 to 39 were tattooed and this figure rises to 36% in the 25 to 29 age group. 31% of the gay, lesbian and bisexual population, regardless of age, were also tattooed. Tattoos are important because they represent and symbolize different things to many people. Erika Aldama. (February 8, 2007). The story of the permanent trend. Retrieved January 13, 2008 from http://media.www.thetraveleronline.com/media/storage/paper688/news/2007/02/08/LifeStyle/Tattoos-2706864-page2.shtml The word tattoo is said to have two origins- from the Polynesian word “ta” which means to strike something and from the Tahitian word “tatau” which means “to mark something”. The history of tattooing began more than 5,000 years ago. Many past cultures included tattoos in their tradition. Tattoos were used for different reasons, such as communication between spies, marking criminals and slaves, culture, religion and ceremonies, or social status. The first permanent tattoo shop in New York was established in 1846 and started a tradition in tattooing. soldiers on both sides of the civil war. Samuel O'reilly invented the electric tattoo machine in 1891. O'Reilly's machine was based on rotary technology...... middle of paper ......ge2.shtmlDesignboom. (2007). A brief history of tattoos. Retrieved January 14, 2008 from http://www.designboom.com/history/tattoo_history.htmlKaren Hudson. “Choosing your tattoo design and where to put it”. 2007 http://tattoo.about.com/cs/beginners/a/blwhatwhere.htm (December 14, 2007) Karen Hudson. “How bad are they really hurting?” » 2007 http://tattoo.about.com/cs/pafterabvneck/a/090103.htm (December 14, 2007). I love knowing. (2007). Inking and skin infections. Retrieved December 14, 2007, from http://tattoos.lovetoknow.com/Inking_and_Skin_InfectionsTattoo. (January 10, 2008). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved January 14, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TattoosLyle Tuttle. (June 23, 2007). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved January 14, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lyle_Tuttle&oldid=140156691