Fuse TV VJ's Marianela and Juliya attend the store opening of “Nigo's A Bathing Ape” with Pharrell Williams January 11, 2005 in New York City. (Photo by Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images)
An orangutan named “Pacquiao” dressed in a Santa Claus costume reacts as he joins an “Animal Christmas Party” at the Malabon zoo in suburban Malabon, north of Manila, Philippines Monday, December 21, 2015. The Malabon Zoo is one of the largest private collections of exotic and endemic animals in the Philippines. (Photo by Aaron Favila/AP Photo)
Tattoos are commonly used among criminals to show gang membership and record the wearer's personal history—such as his or her skills, specialties, accomplishments and convictions. They are also used as a means of personal expression. Certain designs have developed recognized coded meanings. The code systems can be quite complex and because of the nature of what they encode, the tattoo designs are not widely recognized.