In the times of Ancient Egypt, tattoos weren't created to be simply worn on bodies as just art, they had a lot of symbology as well as religious beliefs attached to them. The first tattoos were probably worn by women on their legs in order to brig protection during childbirth. The practice spread from Egypt to different other areas such as Africa and even Polynesia from where it was then introduced to the West.

Some scientists say that certain marks on the skin of the Iceman which is a mummified human body from way back in 3300 BC indicate that maybe the earliest evidence of tattoos existed then. More widely recognized are tattoos found on Egyptian and Nubian mummies dating from about 2000 B.C.

From this time on, various cultures have engaged in the practice of tattooing in one form or the other for various reasons, such reasons include spirituality as well as protection strength and history. However tattoos are also more than a symbol of pride, for some people they have been a depiction of a way of life and a culture. The Polynesians permitted both men and women to have tattoos but in most other cultures it was only normal for mean to bear tattoos. The Japanese people have been practicing the art of tattooing as far back as 400 BC not only for ornamental or narrative purposes but also in order to mark criminals and identify them.