Gang Tattoos.
Face tattoos (1):
For gang members, however, tattoos are a
way of both
asserting membership in the gang and flaunting their lack
of
membership in straight society. For this reason, street
gang members will often
get tattoos on their hands and
faces so as to permanently bar them from being a
part of
normal society. The larger and more prominent the tattoo,
the harder it
is to hide, the more impressive it is to other
gang members. For this reason,
two of the most widespread
gang tattoos are often found on the most visible parts
of
the body: the hands and the face.
(Source: Gang Tattoos: Signs of Belonging and the Transience of Signs by
Lina Goldberg)