Body art has been around for thousands of years, and its purpose has certainly varied. Some cultures used body as a distinguishing sign of their role within their tribe. Sometimes, body art was used to mark out a person as being a criminal. However, today body art is a way to honor certain aspects of the wearer's life, and also to make an artistic statement.
Tattoos started getting a considerable makeover when ultraviolet tattoos were introduced a couple of decades ago. In order to understand the evolution of these kinds of tattoos, it is first important to understand the club lifestyle that they sprang up amongst.
Basically, people enjoyed the music and dance atmosphere of those clubs. These clubs were often dimly lit with a black light. While these people rebelled at night, many of them had day jobs that would not allow them to have tattoos. Thus, the ultraviolet tattoos were a way of being able to have both, because the tattoos would only be able to be seen under a black light.
The ultraviolet tattoos, as innovative as they were, were also dangerous. First of all, it involved the ink being made from Phosphorous, which is a poisonous substance that could lead to skin cancer. Also, applying the ultraviolet tattoos themselves required a lot of skill, because the artist had to work under a black light to avoid making mistakes. While it was definitely a form of self expression, it was obviously far safer to get regular tattoos.
