Some kids who want the look, if not the pain, opt for false tattoos. Tattoos, once limited to bikers, sailors, outcasts and miscreants, are becoming a tribal ritual for mall kids. Body art, body painting and tattooing began thousands of years ago in the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia and India, according to an April 1994 issue of Mademoiselle. But these days, if you're under 18 in Ohio, you need a guardian's OK to decorate your body in this ages-old way. The law hasn't hurt the local business.
Tattoos are in.
Still, he stays busy with young clients. Some of them want tattoos because their friends have them, while others say it's just something they've always wanted. He is now the bearer of two American Indian-related tattoos on his upper arm. Purdum said it was because he has always been interested in American Indian heritage and art. Despite the beauty of most designs, tattoos are not the most comfortable form of personal expression.