24 November 2011

Body Arts, the Trends of Google

Google Trends result shows that people still prefer to get their body inked and appears more and more are becoming addicted to it rather than getting pierced. That is, piercing of the navel or bellybutton. It is so rare to meet someone without any of these two forms of body arts, almost everyone (especially young adults)


Tattoos and Body Piercing have been present since the ancient time and today the most common forms of body arts among other types include scarification, branding, scalpelling, shaping (i.e. tight-lacing of corsets), full body tattoo and body painting.

Tattoos back to over 4,000 B.C. have big differences compared with today’s though. Most tattoos long time ago were only made up of simple dots and lines and no real symbolism could be made out of those designs but were just part of medical or spiritual healing process. Tribal tattooing is believed to be the second form of tattooing, some tribes use it on their warriors to show bravery and strength but others use the tattoo as a form of recognition for becoming a man. 

Different piercings have different heritages and backgrounds. Ear lobe piercing is the most common and the oldest type of piercing, while tongue piercing was first practiced as part of rituals of the ancient Aztecs, Mayas, Kwakiutul, and Tlinglit tribes and nose piercing were first discovered in the Middle East about 4,000 years ago. Roman soldiers and warriors would pierce their nipples for mainly two reasons. One was to show strength, courage, and bravery, and the second was for the use of hanging their capes off of their leather breastplates while in battle.

Tattooing today has changed since it first began. It is believed that a lot of people use it as their way of expressing themselves, or rebellion. So as body piercings, and surprisingly, there is a piercing that does not date back to ancient culture. That is, piercing of the navel or bellybutton. It is so rare to meet someone without any of these two forms of body arts, almost everyone (especially young adults).

Google Trends result shows that people still prefer to get their body inked and appears more and more are becoming addicted to it rather than getting pierced.

I have nothing against these body decorations or body arts, I even argued once which is better between the two. Not everyone has to get a tattoo or may want to add more holes to their body and it is every individual’s choice to make I believe, but, if you do, please learn the health risks of it (I’m sure we all know what those are) before doing so. 

Body Arts, the Trends of Google