BODY DECORATION

TREE COMMON TYPES OF BODY DECORATION ARE MEHNDI, TATTOOING, AND SCARIFICATION. MEHNDI IS THE ART OF APPLYING DYE TO THE SKIN OF WOMEN IN INDIA, ISLAMIC CULTURES, AND AFRICA. THE DYE COMES FROM THE HENNA PLANT AND IS APPLIED IN A BEAUTIFUL DESIGN THAT VARIES FROM CULTURE TO CULTURE- FINE, THIN LINES IN INDIA AND LARGE FLOWER PATTERNS IN THE ARAB WORLD, FOR EXAMPLE. A TATTO IS ALSO A DESIGN OR MARK MADE WITH A KIND OF DYE; HOWEVER, UNLIKE HENNA, IT IS PUT INTO A CUT IN THE SKIN. IN SCARIFICATION- FOUND MAINLY IN AFRICA-DIRT OR ASHES ARE PUT INTO THE CUTS INSTEAD OF DYE; THE RESULT IS A DESIGN THAT IS UNIQUE TO THE PERSON´S TRIBE. THREE LINES ON EACHSIDE OF A MAN´S FACE INDENTIFY HIM AS MEMBER OF THE YORUBA TRIBE OF NIGERIA, FOR EXAMPLE. A COMPLEX GEOMATRIC DESIGN ON A WOMAN´S BACK IDENTIFIES HER AS NUBA AND ALSO MAKES HER MORE DEAUTIFUL IN THE EYES OF HER PEOPLE. IN THE 1990S, TATTOOING BECAM POPULAR AMONG YOUTH IN URBAN WESTERN SOCIETES. UNLIKE PEOPLE IN TRIBAL CULTURES, THESE YOUNG PEOPLE HAD NO TRADITION OF TATTOOING WERE BEAUTIFUL AND WERE SOMETIMES ALSO A SIGN OF REBELLION AGAINST OLDER, MORE CONSERVATIVE PEOPLE IN THE CULTURE. THESE DAYS, TATTOOING HAS BECOME COMMON AND IS USUALLY NOT SYMBOLIC OF REBELLION.