The world of tattooing has changed greatly for tattoo artists. No longer are they solely found in the run down and unsavory areas of a city or in prisons, even though there are still those who do their tattooing work in such places. Tattoo artists are now working in the better neighborhoods as well.

More people than ever appreciate the beauty of tattoos, and the tattoos themselves have become more colorful, more professional and more realistic. There are shows on television about the lives of tattoo artists and most states have one or more tattoo conventions each year. There are also professional schools to train future tattoo artists.

It may be hard to believe, but a tattoo can say many things about someone's personality. Tattoo designs found on different individuals can signify various important events in a their life, such as a graduation, an engagement, or the birth of a son or daughter. Sometimes a tattoo celebrates a love relationship as well.

In the past, the best an aspiring artist could hope for was to be trained by another artist in the business. The designs were usually simple and done by hand or using homemade machines. The sanitary conditions were abysmal. Antibacterial precautions were not known about so plenty of people suffered from ink poisoning due to badly prepared dyes and inks.

Nowadays tattoo artists have achieved a new respectability. There are gatherings where tattoo artwork can be appreciated and magazines devoted to this art form. The tattoo "joints" where things are done as quickly as possible are now being challenged by an increasing number of upscale salon-type tattoo parlors. A tattoo is for life, so people want a quality design rather than something rushed.

People who choose to use these upscale tattoo parlors usually want something more exotic than just a plain butterfly tattoo. They want someone with great artistic skills to tattoo their skin. Nowadays, people often demand tattoos of pretty much anything, including the most intricate pictures and drawings of people and animals.

Some people want to get tattoos and others prefer to get a piercing. Some want both, which is why many tattoo artists are also certified to pierce various parts of the body. Piercing often is not permanent, unless it is an extreme type of piercing. Tattooing, on the other hand, is for life.

The world has changed in its values and opinions a lot over the past quarter of a century. People have become more broadminded, and tattoo artists are seen in a much better light than before. They have gained a good deal of respect and acceptance of their artwork. As more people decide to have tattoos, this once frowned upon practice will be accepted even more in the future.