When one thinks of tattoos the first vision that springs to mind are the elaborate designs worn by many very popular celebrities these days. However the history of tattoos can be dated back as far as 5000 years. In fact Europe's oldest naturally preserved mummy dating back to the Copper Age was found to have at least 57 tattoos on various parts of his body.

Certain mummies from Ancient Egypt have also been found to have tattoos.

Tattooing is widespread amongst many tribes across the world, Maori tribes in New Zealand use their intricate tattoos to denote a coming of age and in Taiwan certain tribes use tattoos to show that the man is capable of protecting his homeland and the woman is qualified to weave cloth and do house keeping.

Tattooing in the western world had its origins in Polynesia after their tattoos became popular with 18th century European sailors who visited there. For centuries after this sailors would continue to tattoo themselves to make identification after drowning easier. Tattoos are still a common practice among members of the Royal Navy even today.

Tribes in Cambodia and Thailand still use the yantra tattoo, a sacred form of tattooing that can only be performed by a wicha or magic practitioner. The Cambodians especially believe that this tattoo helps to ward off evil and keep you from hardships.

In the Philippines traditional tattoos are used to document the bearer's accomplishments or rank in the tribe.

Of course tattoos also have a darker connotation, who can forget the forcible tattooing of Holocaust prisoners by the Nazis for identification in the concentration camps?

In recent years tattoos have mainly been used for decorative purposes or sentimental reasons but they have many practical applications as well. For cosmetic purposes tattoos can be used to hide dark skin pigment and even out your skin tone. Permanent make-up is also becoming more popular where tattoos are used to define the eyebrows, lips and even the eyes with a permanent 'eyeliner' being tattooed onto your eyelid.

The medical fraternity often uses tattoos to ensure that medical instruments are properly located for repeat procedures such as radiation. They also use it as a method of identification for burn victims, as tattoos are impregnated deeply enough into the skin to be undisturbed by a lot of burn wounds.

There is no doubt that modern tattoos can be works of art with stunning colours and intricate details, with more and more celebrities, both male and female sporting them some of the stigma surrounding tattoos seems to be lifting.

So the only question that remains, is would you be brave enough to have one?

To answer that question, we'll have to tell you how they are done!