Artistic Tattoo Designs

Once upon a time, the cross tattoo was used to depict Christianity and other religious groups. However today, cross tattoos have expanded across the world because people are attracted to the cross, and not for religious reasons.

The reason cross tattoo designs have grown so popular is that they are the most flexible of artistic tattoo designs. In fact, first time tattoo users tend to choose the cross tattoo design in reverence on the loss of a loved one.

However there are some cross tattoo designs that are used for depicting religious crosses like the Latin, St. Andrew's cross and the Celtic cross. The crosses selected for non-religious reasons are the Ankh and the Gothic Cross.

So when you choose to have a cross tattoo design, it is important that you first inform the tattoo design artist the reason for the tattoo, so that they can let you choose the right design from their collection of tattoos.

Gothic Cross tattoos depict pain and anger:

The most popular cross tattoo is the Latin cross which comprises of a vertical line that is intersected at right angles by its shorter, horizontal line. This line is found about 1/3 the length of the vertical line, starting from the top of the cross. This cross is usually associated with Christianity and is also used as a form of tribute to others.

The Celtic collection of crosses is one of the more attractive crosses, with its knot found in the space where both lines cross. Some people choose to have an intricate border that has Celtic knots found in a series.

The St. Andrew's cross is a cross that is very different from the traditional design of a 'T' as the cross here depicts an 'X'. On looking at the Gothic Cross, you can find its German origins in it with the elaborate wrought iron work displayed in it which was prevalent during the Edwardian and Victorian periods.

The Gothic Cross is usually worn by a person to express pain, anger and the Goth culture which is signified by the dark imagery of the cross like barbed wire and daggers. Of the many Celtic tattoo designs, the Celtic cross tattoo is the most popular one. It is found in a variety of patterns where you generally find a circle situated at the point of meeting of the horizontal and vertical lines of the cross.

Tribal cross tattoos depict affinity to sects:

The Celtic cross is popular because it is worn to represent faith and heritage in a person. This artistic tattoo design is a very beautiful work of art and its value is known only to the person who wears it. Of late, tribal tattoos have started gaining popularity in the past decades.

These tribal tattoos are used by people to either signify attachment to a particular cultural group or a religious sect. these tattoos are comprised of symbols that have special meaning to the people who wear them.

So don't be worried if you find people having grotesque tribal tattoos as these are mysterious and unsettling tattoos that have a hidden and personal meaning to these artistic tattoos!

The practice of wearing tattoos is something that humans have been doing for quite some time now. The different people of the world wear tattoos for different reasons; some cultures need their people to wear tattoos for religious reasons, some wear tattoos as followers of some cult or group some wear it to impress others and some wear it just to show that they are strong enough to bear the pain and brunt of tattoos.

Basically, a tattoo is done by injecting colored pigments into the skin of the person. On injecting the tattoo pigments in the skin, the tattoo becomes permanent. However there are many people who for some reason or the other have to remove a tattoo. The removal of a tattoo is an important part of tattoo art, which can be done through any of these traditional methods.

* Dermabrasion is one famous method of tattoo removal where a small portion of the tattooed part is sprayed with a solution that freezes the area. Once the area is frozen, an abrasive instrument is used to make the tattooed skin peel. The area is then dressed up to prevent bleeding in the area.

* Small tattoos are best removed using excision method. By using the excision method, the tattoo can be completely removed. However if you want a large tattoo to be removed, it has to be done in a phased manner. When opting for excision, local anesthesia is used to numb the area after which the tattoo can be removed surgically. Once the tattoo is removed, the edges are brought together and stitched to ensure minimal bleeding.

* Salabrasion is a tattoo removal technique that is centuries old. Here a local anesthetic is used on and around the tattoo. Then a solution of tap water dipped in table salt is applied to the tattoo after which an abrading instrument or a wooden block covered with gauze is used to remove the tattoo. The tattooed area may become red in color after a while so dressing is applied to stop bleeding.

* One of the best tattoo removal methods is laser surgery. In this method, a cream is applied to the skin to make it numb. After this, pulses of light from the laser are directed to the tattoo. It is these pulses of light that break up the tattoo pigments. In a few weeks' time, you find the body's scavenger cells removing the treated pigmented areas. However to remove all tattoos, you will have to sit through more than one sitting of laser surgery.

The choice of the tattoo removal method is best decided by the physician. However before you consider tattoo removal, it is important to remember that tattoo removal often leads to scars, wounds and skin diseases. The success of a tattoo removal depends on the size and location of the tattoo, the person's healing process, how long the tattoo has been on the skin and how the tattoo was applied.