A great and marvellous invention, whose roots are steeped in history, usually as a form of tribal rites of passage. The Maoris, for example, rate a person's manhood by the size of tattoo he can endure in one sitting.

But this is no longer the case, and tattoos are becoming more and more popular as a form of body art and self expression. There are those out there who don't appreciate the intimacy and personal meaning behind a tattoo. These are the ones who go out on a saturday and get an off-the-shelf tattoo of their local football team, only to regret it a year later when they don't like said team anymore.

Anyone thinking of getting a tattoo beware, if you get one you may become hopelessly hooked and get more and more. But remember that a tattoo should be something that you really want, not just something that you like the look of, and thus you are often best off designing it yourself.