As long
as man has been
around they have used tattoos and other body markings as a sign of what
they
believe in, what tribe they belong to and in a more modern setting what
club,
biker club, or
even what their
gang affiliation is.
No longer are
these
the majority of people getting tattoos there are many everyday people
getting
them also
There is a world
of
difference
between the way home made or prison tattoos are applied to the skin and
the
sanitary precautions of the process.
Gangs
use tattoos for many
different reasons, but the main reasons is so that other members will
recognize
their gang loyalty at a glance.
Some use
many different tattoos to accomplish this while others will just use a
few.
The types of
tattoos can very
greatly.
Some gangs may
use a symbol;
some may have the actual name of the gang while others may use a
combination.
Some of the
members may have a teardrop or
spider web under their eye to represent that they have done time in
prison.
Of course, gang
members get
these tattoos to show their colors so to speak, but there are some
people who
will get them because they think that it looks good or is cool, but
this
decision can be a deadly one.
There are
stories of gang members in prison actually peeling the skin off another
inmate
who is displaying an unofficial tattoo.
Over
time, tattoos have
become more widely accepted by people in all occupations.
They
are no longer just for gang members or
prison inmates.
One of the
differences
between an average Joe and a gang member getting a tattoo is that a lot
of gang
members will have tattoos put on their face and hands whereas a lot of
everyday
people would not consider those locations due to how an employer or
other
people may look at them.
Another key
difference is how the tattoo is applied. Prison
tattoos
will be done with guitar string or whatever else can be
found to pierce the skin, and there will be very little if any thought
given to
sanitation, several people may be tattooed with the same device. The
ink used in this type of tattoo is
generally from an ink pen, which can be toxic with long exposure. These
types of tattoos pose a risk to the
person, getting an infection or other disease due to the lack of
sanitation.
Another draw back
is that
after you go through the pain and risk of this type of tattoo it most
likely
will not last for more than a few months. So
if you are
considering getting a tattoo have it done by a
professional it will be less painful, last longer, look better and you
will be
much less likely to have any medical troubles as long as you follow the
instructions that you will be given for the care of your tattoo.