About Tattoo Betty (Professional Tattoo Artist) Expertise I can answer questions related to getting a tattoo, including how to look for an artist, how to become a licensed artist/apprentice, sterilization issues, cross-contamination, procedure, what to expect, and after-care. I will not answer technical questions about giving a tattoo to anyone who is not shop-affiliated or working in a licensed and legal environment.
Experience I am a tattoo artist with several years experience in a licensed studio. I am not a doctor, but I have done much research in the areas of dermatological responses to tattoos and cross-contamination of bloodborne pathogens.
Question Hey Betty,
1) Thanks for being an Expert. You provide a very valuable service.
2) Can you explain this rash of tattoos on the small of the backs of young women? It seems to have appeared out of nowhere. Have you given many? Any idea when or how it started? Is the style exclusively for strippers? You're greatly appreciated.
Answer Hi John! The small of the back is a very popular place for women to get tattooed. Yes, I have given many. I am not sure where a lower back piece originated, I think that it is popular mainly because of its provacative nature. Most lower back tattoos are shaped in a way that compliments the female form and enhances the shape of a woman's lower back area. It is not exclusively for strippers, however, like I said, it is a provacative place for a design, therefore a stripper would be likely to choose such a spot on her body for art. There is a possibility that such tattoos are an adaptation of the Mendhi henna designs of rural India, where women often decorate themselves in a way that compliments their form. Many of those designs are arranged in the shapely areas of the body, for example, the solar plexus, lower back and lower abdomen, also including the hands, fingers and top of the feet. Contemporarily, the designs have shifted from traditional Mendhi to anything goes in Western society. Thanks for your interest!
