Shan

In their mid-teens, many Shan boys get their first tattoos, usually from a sayah who uses a brass-tipped stick to inject magical ingredients in symbolic patterns. The chest, back, arms, legs, and tongue are common places for tattoos. The ink and designs are believed to give the wearer various powers against illness, evil-doers or weapons, or for cleverness.

Men may continue to be tattooed, sometimes making their entire arms and legs blue-black from the ink.