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• A Harris Poll done in 2003 revealed that 16% of Americans had at least one tattoo. That's roughly 40 million people. That's up from 6% back in 1936 when only 10 million Americans had tattoos.

• A survey done by Esquire magazine in 2002 stated that 1 in 8 Americans has a tattoo.

• According to a study in 2005 from The American Society of Dermatological Surgery, out of the people that they treated for laser and light therapy, only 6% were getting tattoos removed.

• US News & World Report says there are more than 20,000 tattoo parlors operating in the United States and on the average; a new parlor is opening every day.

One segment of body art that is gaining popularity is the "always visible" tattoo. These include tattoos on the neck and face that can't always be covered up by clothing. Most neck tattoos are placed on the side of the neck or the back of the neck which is known as the nape. An owner of a tattoo parlor in New York says 20 - 30 percent of the tattoos he does are on the hand, face, or neck.

A question often asked when deciding on getting a neck tattoo is will it be more painful than getting a tat on other parts of the body? Because the skin on the back of the neck is thinner, the needle naturally comes closer to the bone which does make getting a neck tattoo a little more painful. Of course, it all depends on the individual's physical and psychological makeup.

A tattoo usually heals in 2-3 weeks but a neck tattoo might take a little bit longer. This is due to the motion created by the movement of the head which causes the neck tattoo to scab quickly. As a result, you might need to re-ink a neck tattoo to fix some of the patchiness. Luckily, these re-ink sessions are not as painful as the initial session.

One advantage of a neck tattoo over hand or a foot tattoo is that they are less prone to infections. Do take precautions with sun exposure as it can cause the ink to fade so it is important to apply sun screen.

The legend of the phoenix bird is known throughout the world, and has its origins in much of Europe, Middle East and Far East.

The basic symbolism of the phoenix is resurrection and rebirth by fire.

Although the legend is the same worldwide, there are subtle differences.

Greek Legend

According to ancient Greek legends, the phoenix bird lived in Arabia next to a watering well. At dawn, it would bath and the Greek sun god Apollo would stop his chariot specifically to listen to its song.

Lebanese Legend

The Lebanese claim the phoenix as central to their culture, whether it is ancient or modern. As descendants of the Phoenicians, they see themselves as "Sons of the Phoenix". This legend holds particular significance to Beirut, which was destroyed and rebuilt 7 times in its history.

Persian Legend

In Persian legends, the phoenix is known as Huma or the 'bird of paradise'. This bird consumed itself in a ball of fire only to rise again from the ashes. It was considered a bird of compassion, and would bring great fortune by a simple touch.

Egyptian Legend

In ancient Egypt, the legend was known as bennu. This bird created itself from fire emanating from a holy tree. It was believed that this bird carried the soul of Ra the sun god.

Jewish Legend

Jewish legends state the phoenix was the only bird or animal for that matter not to follow man in his banishment from Paradise (Garden of Eden)

Chinese and Japanese legends

In Chinese legends, the phoenix was known as "Fenghuang". This bird is the second most respected legendary creature. Only the dragon is more respected. The phoenix is used to represent the empress and was as the leader of birds.

The Japanese word for phoenix is "Fushichō". It is known as "Immortal Bird".

The phoenix holds a rich diversity of meanings and beliefs, not to mention a beautiful design for body art.

The lotus tattoo usually relates to different meanings such as the process of how it grows. Can you imagine how the lotus amazingly grows from down the pond? Anything that grows under the pond is something that you would not imagine as being beautiful since the pond's environment is kind of muddy and gross, but the lotus actually blooms here.

Lotus grows as a small flower at the bottom of a pond and its vine slowly grows up towards the surface of the pond. The bud facing downwards as the vine grows up towards the sunlight. Once the vine reaches the surface of the pond and the light, the lotus begins to bloom and turn out to be a beautiful flower.

How the lotus flowers blossom into a beautiful flower despite of the fact that it grows from the slimy mud of the pond and that it was able to rise from the mud towards the sunlight and bloom into a pretty flower is something that symbolizes power, strength, and life.

Here are some meanings attributed to a lotus tattoo:

• symbolizes love and sometimes the longing for love.
• signifies life, birth, and the beauty it denotes to people.
• could also mean rejuvenation or good transformation.

A lotus is not only a significant flower for some people; it is also a beautiful body art that makes it very popular floral tattoo. The rich meaning of a lotus flower as a tattoo and its beauty make most of the tattoo artists very suggestive of the design. Using this design they can easily create a very colorful and lively body art.

Certainly, the lotus tattoo design is a very remarkable symbol of your personality. If you will get a lotus tattoo design for your body art, you can wear it proudly, confidently, and artistically as a stand alone tattoo or paired with other floral or animal tattoos. With your lotus tattoo design, you can make a powerful statement of your beautiful and meaningful life, principle, and purpose.

These types of tattoos mean you are making a bold statement due to there size and complexity. This means you will need to have a through consultation with a tattoo artist you know has a good reputation for going this type of tattoo. This is not a small girly tattoo to get.

It is essential find out the time and cost for a sleeve tattoo. The time taken will depend on the complexity of the design. The longer it takes will of course mean more cost to you. You must discuss this with your tattoo artist. A typical sleeve tattoo is done over a number of sessions which last about two hours. A full sleeve design are done over multiple sessions and may involve over twenty hours of work.

Popular Chinese sleeve tattoo designs include -

• Chinese Tribal Tattoo Sleeve - These look fantastic from a distance due to their bold dark lines.
• Chinese Flame Tattoo Sleeve - The most extravagant of flames start from the wrist area then up along the forearm over the shoulder and down one half of the body.
• Japanese Designs - The Japanese are known for their detailed designs and have deep symbolic meanings. At the same time they are exceptionally beautiful. They make an excellent choice for a full sleeve tattoo.
• Chinese Celtic Sleeve Tattoos - The intricate knot work of Celtic designs often make a great design. They usually have a load of detail in the interweaving lines.

Please remember that you should not ever get a tattoo because you spotted your favourite celebrity with a sleeve design you thought was great. You should instead find a design that appeals to you by doing you own research. It should have a powerful and symbolic meaning to yourself only.

Tribals have become pretty main stream, but a tribal sleeve tattoo will always be a timeless piece. They are amazing, flowing pieces that will stand the test of time. What you don't want to do, though, is settle for the generic websites that have designs that have been plastered all over the internet. Who know how many other people have gotten those designs inked on their skin already? This is especially true with a Chinese tribal sleeve tattoo.

One of the best ways to find places with quality, original tribal art is an internet forum. Forums are a great place, filled with truthful information from people that have found what you are looking for. Remember, people love to brag when they find something they want, especially after a long search. There is no better way to get the word out about hidden treasure than a forum and this is especially true when it comes to finding quality tattoos.

When you do find a couple of designs that you like, you should always bring four or five of them and have your local artist redraw a couple of them, so that you will know that you will have an original tribal tat. Also, like I said before, the generic, cookie-cutter tattoo sites might have good looking art, but a lot of them are not really drawn to be implemented as tattoos. This is because while the artist that drew it might be a good artist, he or she does not know what it takes to draw something that will come out good once implemented as a tattoo. This is why it is crucial to find the places that have good flash tattoo artists.

This information should help you very much on your search for quality artwork. Finding the perfect tribal sleeve tattoo and designs does not have to be a chore anymore.