Tattoos have been around for hundreds of years and while the reasons for people acquiring them may have changed somewhat over the years, one thing still remains the same, people get tattoos to express something. In earlier days tattoos were mainly used for identification purposes or to mark a rite of passage, but today it has grown into an art form.

In today's society people get tattoos to express things like their love for someone or something, to mark their loss of a loved one, or to symbolize an event or period in their lives. Today tattoo is finding its way into corporate offices, classrooms (on the teachers and students) and a myriad of other places that would have considered the art deviant and anti-social not too long ago.

One of the most asked questions by people considering a tattoo, would have to be, "does it hurt?". Every person has different experiences with the pain and no two stories will be the same. The best way to determine if this is going to be a factor for you is to consider your pain tolerance and things that have taken place in your life and how you reacted to them. Everyone has a different level of tolerance when it comes to pain and only you can determine how you would rate yours. One thing to remember is to stay calm and relaxed, if you are uptight and nervous then the pain will be worse.

When making the decision to get a tattoo, don't be shy, ask questions, lots of them if necessary. Think about why you want a tattoo and let that help you in deciding which design that you get. The design that you decide on will be with you for the rest of your life, so you want it to be something that expresses your individuality and uniqueness. Be imaginative and it will be something that you indeed will always be happy with.