Body Art: A Guide To The Historical And Cultural Significance Of Tattoos - The Dermatology Review

People all over the world have been decorating their bodies with art both temporarily with paint and henna and permanently with tattoos for millennia. The practice is just as common today with around 40% of the population worldwide having one or more tattoos. Some tattoos, whether permanent or temporary, are purely decorative, other times they hold more personal, cultural or spiritual significance. Love them or loathe them, tattoos as body art are a common thread throughout human history. The following guide explores the history and cultural significance of tattoos as well as providing more general information on this form of body art including skin health. History Of TattoosIn 1991 the remains of a Neolithic human were discovered in a glacier near the Austrian-Italian border; the body was 5300 years old and had horizontal and vertical lines tattooed on his skin. This is the oldest known example of human body art. In 2018, researchers studying 5000-year-old Egyptian mummies discovered...