Leg Tattoos

Leg tattoos are not as common as arm tattoos but are catching on as a major trend. Many people who opt to get a leg tattoo are often looking for a way to get the art they want without such a conspicuous display — the tattoo is more for their own benefit than for an audience. Getting a leg tattoo, especially a sleeve is a process and can takes weeks or months and in some cases even years.

Large Japanese thigh tattoo

Across the globe, leg tattoos and other types of tattoos can be dated back as far as the Neolithic and Paleolithic eras - starting mainly in Japan and other islands such as Polynesia and Tahiti as well as many areas of Europe. Leg tattoos have different cultural significance across the world. In both Eastern and some Western cultures leg tattoos through history have been the reserved symbols of warriors. In other parts of the world, tattoos on the thighs and calves are applied slowly over time as symbols of spiritual growth.

Large leg and buttocks pieces are common in Iremuzi designs.

As the culture or subculture varies, so does the method in which tattoos are applied. The most common approach is that taken is the use of the modern tattoo gun. Other less common methods include:

• The Samoan and Polynesian method called tatau uses indigo ink and handmade wooden tools wherein the artist “double strikes” with one instrument (which looks a lot like a small-headed gavel) onto a smaller wooden spike which inserts the ink below the surface of the skin. This method is primarily found in Hawaii, Native American cultures and Polynesia. A similar form of tatau is the Maori tattoo method which uses natural dyes and tools almost identical to those used by Polynesians.
• Irezumi is an ancient method of Japanese tattoo that can be traced back as far as the Stone Age. This primitive method is still practiced today. If you don’t want to travel all the way to Japan, one of the most highly respected Irezumi parlors is Irezumi Body Art, located in Kansas City, Missouri.
• The Dövme method originates from Turkey. Very little is known of this method. It is an ancient style mainly used in both men and women warriors. Dövme is known to be extremely painful; those who partake are often noted to go into a state of heightened consciousness and may experience shock. If this is a type of leg tattoo that you are interested in, finding an artist that specializes in this art form while be extremely difficult to locate anywhere outside of Turkey.
• Ashing is also an ancient form of leg tattoo that is performed by inserting black soot or other types of fresh, black ashes into fresh battle wounds. Ashing is mainly known in the Native American cultures but there is evidence that suggests that it was also performed in prehistoric Europe in the Celtic and other Germanic cultures.
• The prison method in which the artist uses a homemade gun which generally consists of a Bic™ pen casing, the motor from a face razor or other small household appliance and the ink extracted from the pen used as the casing. This method obviously has its dangers and can result in serious infection. Prison tattoos are part of a subculture and the symbols are generally religious and spiritual, gang symbols or simple etchings of surnames or the names of loved ones.

A fresh leg piece in the healing process

Naturally, there are dangers to be concerned with any tattoos, and body art on legs is no exception. Generally, leg tattoos tend to be larger than other pieces on other parts of the body with the notable exception of back pieces. Given that these are larger pieces, the risk of infection and permanent scarring goes up significantly. The following are some steps you can take to avoid infection and scarring on your thigh or calf art:

1. Immediately following each installment of tattooing, keep the piece covered with saran wrap to keep heat and moisture in.
2. Upon removal of the saran wrap (about two hours later,) take a shower as hot as you can tolerate without burning. Focus the shower head on the area of the tattoo with light water pressure.
3. Never scrub your new leg art or any other fresh tattoo. Scrubbing or rigorously washing a new piece will almost assuredly result in scarring and/or require touchup work down the road.
4. Once out of the hot shower, apply the salve or ointment provided to you from your tattoo artist or whichever product they recommend. If you are allergic to antibiotic ointment, be sure to let your artist know this so he or she can recommend an alternative lotion or salve.

Your leg tattoo, given that it is likely a larger piece, should hold a certain level of significance. Regardless of whether it is a religious tattoo or a tattoo that holds personal meaning, such as a military tattoo, artwork of this caliber will be a way to record an era in your life or a daily reminder of your personal values.

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