Let me start with some history and terminology: the word Tattoo comes from the Samoan term tatau, literally meaning "two handed drawing", but actually meaning "drawing in two layers" (probably referring to traditional tattooing practices in the Pacific). Tattoos have been present among the tribes of Southeast Asia and the Pacific forever, it seems - but tattoos were present in other parts of the world as well - in fact, the frozen mummy of a man (nicknamed "Frozen Fritz" or "Otzi the Iceman") found in 1991 in the Austrian Alps, which dates back to 3300BC, had dot and line tattoos on various body parts.
Now, in 2008AD - more than 5000 years later - it's evident that tattoo art has gone through a transformation over the past several years. As far as public opinion goes, tattoos have become a trendy, hip sort of thing, and have been enjoying a major surge in pop culture and popularity among the general public. As far as regulation and safety goes, new rules are enforced to ensure safety and hygiene in the process of engraving the tattoo. From the technological point of view, tattooing equipment has improved, and so have the color pigments used for the tattoos.
Wait, I left something out: the artistic side of tattoo designs. The huge surge in popularity tattooing has had over the past years has been causing a boom in the tattooing industry. The amount of people in the tattoo business has increased substantially, and so have their skills - A good tattooist today is an artist and a designer, in the true meaning of the words. According to the US News & World Report, there are more than 20000 tattoo parlors in the United States alone, and the intricacy and diversity of tattoo art and tattoo designs has grown exponentially.
