Competitors bear more than their bikinis during a spring break bikini contest at Summers' in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA circa 1985. (Photo by Nik Wheeler/Corbis via Getty Images)
A dancer performs during the Gymnastics Rio Gala on Day 12 of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games on August 17, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
A Palestinian protester uses a sling shot to throw stones towards Israeli security forces during clashes on the Israeli border Eastern Gaza City, Friday, November 6, 2015. (Photo by Adel Hana/AP Photo)
A woman holds her umbrella while walking against strong winds as Typhoon Soudelor approaches Taiwan in Taipei, August 7, 2015. (Photo by Pichi Chuang/Reuters)
A leaflet denouncing South Korean President Park Geun-hye lies on the ground after it was torn at a protest calling Park to step down, in Seoul, South Korea, November 19, 2016. (Photo by Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)
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.