{{short description|Tattoo style that became popular in the late 1990s}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{pp-move-indef|small=yes}} [[File:Lower Back Tattoos.jpg|alt=|thumb|Two women with lower-back tattoos wearing [[thong]]s]] A '''lower-back tattoo''', also known as '''tramp stamp''', is a [[tattoo]] on the [[human back|lower back]] that became popular in the first decade of the 21st century, and gained a reputation for their [[erotic]] appeal. The tattoos were sometimes accentuated by [[low-rise jeans]] or [[crop top]]s. Their popularity was in part due to the influence of [[celebrity|female celebrities]]. A 2011 study of media stereotypes criticized media portrayals of lower-back tattoos, arguing that they were unfairly cast as a symbol of [[promiscuity]].<ref name=abl/>
== History == Although historically in the [[Western Hemisphere|western world]] men are more often tattooed than women, in the early 1990s the practice gained popularity among women.<ref name="tct">{{cite news |last=Seibert |first=Justin |date=21 November 2007 |title=Once taboo, tattoos on girls are getting hot |newspaper=[[The Chicago Tribune]] |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2007/11/21/once-taboo-tattoos-on-girls-are-getting-hot/ |access-date=23 April 2012}}</ref> Prior to the late 20th century, women with tattoos were heavily stigmatized, and were rarely found in middle-class society.<ref name=fen/> Lower-back tattoos were popularized in the early 2000s, in part owing to the influence of female celebrities, including [[Britney Spears]], [[Aaliyah]], [[Christina Ricci]] and [[Pamela Anderson]]. The popularity of [[Low-rise (fashion)|low-rise jeans]] and [[crop top]]s may have also spurred the increase in lower-back tattoos.<ref name=wsj>{{cite news|last=Fong|first=Mei|title=Hipster Jeans, Crop Tops Boost Lower-Back Tattoos|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1022196931420249960|access-date=23 April 2012|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=24 May 2002}}</ref> Another appeal of tattooing the lower back is that there is little fat there, lessening the chance that images will become misshapen over time.<ref name=tva>{{cite news|last=Semenza|first=Gabe|title=Do Lower Back Tattoo Lead to More Pain in the Delivery Room?|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4Z8_AAAAIBAJ&pg=1844,3656915&dq=lower-back-tattoo&hl=en|access-date=23 April 2012|newspaper=[[The Victoria Advocate]]|date=16 August 2007}}</ref> Also, the lower back is often concealed, providing women the choice of when to reveal their tattoo.<ref name=fen/> Although some males have lower-back tattoos, including some celebrities,<ref name=wsj/> they are generally not acquired by men.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Cuyper|first1=Christa De|author2=Maria Luisa Cotapos|title=Dermatologic Complications With Body Art: Tattoos, Piercings and Permanent Make-Up|url=https://archive.org/details/dermatologiccomp00cuyp_021|url-access=limited|year=2010|publisher=[[Springer Publishing]]|isbn=978-3-642-03291-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/dermatologiccomp00cuyp_021/page/n12 5]}}</ref>
==Perception== [[Human back|Women's lower backs]] are often viewed by people as [[Erogenous zone|an erotic body part]], leading to the association of lower-back tattoos with [[Human female sexuality|sexuality]].<ref name=fen>{{cite book|last=Fenske|first=Mindy|title=Tattoos in American Visual Culture|year=2007|publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers]]|isbn=978-0-230-60027-0|pages=98–9}}</ref> Lower-back tattoos are also perceived as an indication of [[promiscuity]] by some, possibly owing to media portrayals of women with tattoos.<ref name=green>{{cite book|last1=Hall|first1=Ann C.|last2=Bishop|first2=Mardia J.|title=Pop-Porn: Pornography in American Culture|year=2007|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|isbn=978-0-275-99920-9|pages=65–6}}</ref> A 2011 study of media stereotypes criticized media portrayals of lower-back tattoos, arguing that they are unfairly cast as a symbol of promiscuity.<ref name=abl>{{cite book|last1=Salinas|first1=Chema|editor=Paul Lester and Susan Ross|title=Images That Injure: Pictorial Stereotypes in the Media|pages=247–8|year=2011|publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]]|isbn=978-0-313-37892-8}}</ref> The show ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' seems to at least have partially played a role in bringing prejudice and shaming to the placement of the tattoo. For instance, the term "[[tramp]] stamp" started gaining widespread popularity after being used in one of their May 2004 skits.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.liveabout.com/the-infamous-tramp-stamp-3189647|title=Battling Stereotypes About Lower-Back Tattoos|last=Hudson|first=Karen L.|website=LiveAbout|language=en|date=29 March 2019|access-date=20 October 2019}}</ref> In another instance, the show also satirized the practice, describing a "rub-on" tattoo remover marketed at middle-age women who received lower-back tattoos while young.<ref name=abl/> ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' once edited out [[Danica Patrick]]'s tattoo out of the magazine for her issue. ''SI'' stated Patrick was aware of the edit and responded "The Swimsuit Issue emphasizes natural beauty".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rovell |first=Darren |date=19 February 2009 |title=Sports Illustrated Responds To Taking Off Danica's Tattoo |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2009/02/19/sports-illustrated-responds-to-taking-off-danicas-tattoo.html |access-date=2023-08-03 |website=[[CNBC]]}}</ref> Actress [[Jessica Alba]] regretted her lower back bow tattoo and had it removed.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://metro.co.uk/2019/07/20/jessica-alba-regrets-at-least-two-of-her-tattoos-including-her-tramp-stamp-10430182/ | title=Jessica Alba is 'irritated' by some of her tattoos – including her 'tramp stamp' | date=20 July 2019 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/news/jessica-alba-regrets-getting-these-2-tattoos/ | title=Jessica Alba Reveals the Funny Reason She Regrets Getting 2 of Her Tattoos | date=19 July 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.yournextshoes.com/jessica-alba-tattoos/ | title=Jessica Alba's Tattoos: Why She Regrets (Or Doesn't Regret) Them | date=24 September 2021 }}</ref>
==Medical aspects== Medical practitioners who administer anesthesia have questioned whether [[epidural analgesia]] should be provided to people with lower-back tattoos. Concerns have emerged that epidural catheters may cause tattoo pigment to enter [[interspinous ligament]]s and other areas, potentially leading to health problems. There is consensus that epidural catheters should not be placed through irritated or infected tattoos. However, harm has not been clearly documented when placing epidural catheters through healthy tattooed skin; a review in the ''[[American Association of Nurse Anesthetists]] Journal'' concluded that "epidural catheter placement through lumbar tattoos is a practitioner's decision based on clinical judgment".<ref>{{cite journal| last=Welliver| first=Dawn| author2=Mark Welliver| author3=Tammy Carroll| author4=Peggy James| title=Lumbar Epidural Catheter Placement in the Presence of Low Back Tattoos: A Review of the Safety Concerns| journal=AANA Journal| date=June 2010| volume=78| issue=3| pages=197–201| pmid=20572405| url=http://www.aana.com/newsandjournal/Documents/lumbarepidural_0610_p197-201.pdf| access-date=25 April 2012| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608002142/http://www.aana.com/newsandjournal/Documents/lumbarepidural_0610_p197-201.pdf| archive-date=8 June 2015| url-status=dead}}</ref> In ''[[Current Opinion in Anesthesiology]]'', Frédéric J. Mercier and Marie-Pierre Bonnet state that the evidence for complications when placing epidural catheters is unconvincing, but advocate avoiding the practice owing to the lack of long-term evidence.<ref>{{cite journal| last1=Mercier| first1=Frédéric J.| last2=Bonnet| first2=Marie-Pierre| title=Tattooing and various piercing: anaesthetic considerations| journal=Current Opinion in Anesthesiology|date=June 2009| volume=22| issue=3| pages=436–441| pmid=19384230|doi=10.1097/ACO.0b013e32832a4125| s2cid=35215101}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Fashion}} *{{Annotated link|Dimples of Venus}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{commons category|Lower back tattoos}}
{{Tattoo}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Lower-Back Tattoo}} [[Category:Tattooing by body part]] [[Category:Back anatomy]] [[Category:Female beauty]]