Tramp Stamp Tattoos

There's a lot of talk about tramp stamp tattoos, some of it good and some of it bad. If you're not already familiar with this term, learn what it means right here.

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The derogatory term "tramp stamp" actually has less to do with a particular kind of tattoo design and more to do with the actual placement of the tattoo. This kind of tattoo is located in the small of a woman's lower back, an area that isn't always on view depending on which type of clothing she's wearing. Although plenty of men also choose to get a lower back tat, you'll rarely hear the term "tramp stamp" used in reference to anyone but a woman sporting this tattoo placement. It's unfair, but it's true.

There's an unfortunate social connotation sometimes attached to tramp stamp tattoos by certain segments of the population. To some people, the very placement of these tattoos means a woman is promiscuous and advertising that fact with seductively placed ink. While it's true that the lower back can be a very sensuous place for a tat, it would be rather ignorant to make assumptions about a person that you don't really know. It's up to the individual woman to decide what her tattoo means to her; if you ask her, she'll likely let you know.

Still, it's difficult to escape the judgement of strangers, so it's important to understand that the so-called tramp stamp can, right or wrong, leave a certain impression on people. You just have to be prepared to deal with whatever kind of attention your body art draws.

There are good reasons to locate a "stamp" tattoo on this portion of the body regardless of how a woman chooses to express her sexuality.

In a world where tattoos are not always accepted and appreciated, lower back tattoos offer people a way to wear their ink without letting the general public know about it unless they choose. This definitely comes in handy in the career department. Many places of employment place restrictions about the style and number of tattoos their employees can have, and some companies require tattoos to be completely covered while you're on the job. This is basically within their rights to do so since tats would fall under the company's grooming and dress codes. In a perfect world, you could be who you are and still keep your job, but for now that just isn't the case, and company rules must be followed if you want to remain employed.

This is a good example of how a lower back tattoo has an advantage over other tattoo placements. The average job isn't the place to display your torso with low riders and crop tops, so you can safely get a tattoo on the small of your back, and your employer need never see it or worry about how it will affect a customer's impression of the business. Your tattoo is there when you choose to expose it, and it's discretely tucked away when you want to keep it under wraps.

Lower back tattoos can also be a good choice for people who are a bit shy about sharing themselves with the public at large, but don't mind allowing their close companions to get to know them better.

These examples are not meant to imply that this tat placement is totally about hiding your body art. While you can choose a lower back tat for this reason, you can also choose it to express yourself out loud to the world and sport it proudly whenever you choose. However, it's nice to have both options.

Other strong reasons to get tattooed on the lower back include:

• This area presents a great canvas. It's fairly flat, and you can choose a small or large design.
• Although your body might change as you age, the lower back changes less than other parts of the body. A tattoo that might begin to look a bit distorted on a sagging tummy will probably change far less over time when it's placed in the small of your back.

Regardless of what anyone feels about the infamous tramp stamp, one thing is certain. People have always used tattoo designs to help define themselves in some way, and a well thought out tattoo should express something about you. It's the design itself that is the important thing, and it's a bit unfair to make assumptions and judge someone's character based on where she chooses to place her tattoo. Just keep that in mind.

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