32% of Americans have a tattoo, including 22% who have more than one

Pew Research Center ^ | Aug 15, 2023 | Katherine Schaeffer and Shradha Dinesh

[where's_the_Outrage?]

Tattoos have become a more common sight in workplaces around the United States, even making appearances among members of the U.S. House and Senate. Amid this shift, a large majority of U.S. adults say society has become more accepting of people with tattoos in recent decades, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. And 32% of adults have a tattoo themselves, including 22% who have more than one.......

Gender: 38% of women have at least one tattoo, compared with 27% of men. This includes 56% of women ages 18 to 29 and 53% of women ages 30 to 49.

Race and ethnicity: 39% of Black Americans have a tattoo, compared with 35% of Hispanic, 32% of White and 14% of Asian Americans.

Age: Adults under 50 are especially likely to have a tattoo. Some 41% of those under 30 have at least one, as do 46% of those ages 30 to 49. This compares with a quarter of adults ages 50 to 64 and 13% of those 65 and older. Education: 37% of those with some college or less education have a tattoo, compared with 24% of those with a bachelor’s degree and 21% of those with a postgraduate degree.

Income: 43% of lower-income adults have a tattoo, compared with 31% of those in middle-income households and 21% of those in upper-income households. Religion: 41% of religiously unaffiliated adults have at least one tattoo, compared with 29% of those who are affiliated with a religion.

Sexual orientation: Around half of lesbian, gay or bisexual Americans (51%) have at least one tattoo. The share is especially high among women in this group: 68% are tattooed, including 55% who have more than one tattoo. By comparison, 31% of straight Americans have at least one tattoo.

[metmom]

I doubt many think of what all those tats are going to look like when they’re in their 70’s or 80’s.

Besides, there’s the health issues with using that amount of ink.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Question: What motivates a person to have a permanent mark installed on their body?

Answer: Not a single ounce of humility, but tons of self-interest.

[TexasFreeper2009]

I hate them.

I have always thought they were a permanent reminder of temporary insanity. And also an easy way to spot trash because it chooses to mark itself, making it easy to avoid, especially for dating.

[metmom]

People often get Chinese tattoos without knowing the actual meaning. That doesn’t often go well for them. My wife is Chinese. While out at a restaurant she suddenly burst out laughing, bur wouldn’t tell me why. On the way home she told me that one woman’s tattoo said, “I am a filthy whore”.

Probably not far from the truth.

[nopardons]

Then WHY would others, here, object?

Okay, I am confused.

Everyone is, or should be allowed to have an opinion, UNLESS someone's "opinion" is used as a "fact", when it is actually 100% wrong! Anyway, that's my OPINION! LOL

[Obadiah]

Similarly, at its peak about ~30% of the population smoked cigarettes. The masses are sheep. They follow the herd whether it’s smoking or tattoos.

[sonova]

Never considered getting a tattoo. And my body had the right number of holes in it right from the factory..

[wjcsux]

“Body “Art” displays never change, but do deteriorate over time.

Choose Wisely....”

Yep, that hummingbird tat that you got in your early 20’s is going to look like a turkey vulture when you get into your 50’s.

[metmom]

It’s like the purple/blue/green hair fad.

It’s especially revolting on 60+ year old women. Nothing screams *Look at me! I have insecurity and self-esteem issues* like drawing attention to yourself by acting like a ditzy teenager.

But on the bright side, thanks for the warning ladies. I now know what to expect and who to avoid.

[metmom]

LOL!!!

[sonova]

“Leviticus 19:28 New Living Translation (NLT)

“Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the LORD.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++

I have seen a few guys with bible verses tattoo’d all over them. I guess they missed that one..

[BatGuano]

I am sure that the tattooed folks are trying to warn me that they are idiots who think that pouring ink into their derma cells is cool.
70 years ago, I saw man that had a tattoo of dashes around his neck and under the dashes it read “Cut along the dashed line!” Tempting statement, for some?
Tattoos have a long history. If you are tribal and stupid, you extend the history.

[wetgundog]

I have never seen a tattoo on a woman that improved their looks.

[rellic]

As I prepared to go into he military, My Dad knowing my “quirks”, told me do not get any tattoos, it makes it to easy for cops to visually identify you at a distance.
Never got any.

[healy61]

I shake my head when I see people who let themselves go, and gain a lot of weight. It looks horrendous on a fat upper arm with a faded tattoo.

[T.B. Yoits]

"Lydia the Tattooed Lady" by Groucho Marx, first shown in the movie "At The Circus" (1939)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4zRe_wvJw8

Lydia the Tattooed Lady

Oh Lydia, oh Lydia, say have you met Lydia?
Lydia, the Tattooed Lady
She has eyes that folks adore so
And a torso even more so

Lydia, oh Lydia, that encyclopydia
Oh Lydia the Queen of Tattoo
On her back is the Battle of Waterloo
Beside it the wreck of the Hesperus, too
And proudly above waves the red, white, and blue
You can learn a lot from Lydia

When her robe is unfurled, she will show you the world
If you step up and tell her where
For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paris
Or Washington crossing the Delaware

Oh Lydia oh Lydia, say have you met Lydia?
Oh Lydia the Tattooed Lady
When her muscles start relaxin'
Up the hill comes Andrew Jackson

Lydia oh Lydia, that encyclopydia
Oh Lydia the queen of them all
For two bits she will do a mazurka in jazz
With a view of Niagara that nobody has
And on a clear day you can see Alcatraz
You can learn a lot from Lydia

Come along and see Buff'lo Bill with his lasso
Just a little classic by Mendel Picasso
Here is Captain Spaulding exploring the Amazon
Here's Godiva but with her pajamas on

Here is Grover Whalen unveilin' the Trilon
Over on the West Coast we have Treasure Island
Here's Najinsky a-doin' the rhumba
Here's her social security numba

Oh Lydia, oh Lydia that encyclopydia
Oh Lydia the champ of them all
She once swept an Admiral clear off his feet
The ships on her hips made his heart skip a beat
And now the old boy's in command of the fleet
For he went and married Lydia

I said Lydia (He said Lydia)
They said said Lydia (We said Lydia)
La La!

[Fester Chugabrew]

My OPINION about tatoos is rooted in the FACT no one is born with them.

[gitmo]

We attended a wedding recently. All the women were from a fairly large church that the bride attended. Every one was covered with tattoos, everywhere except their faces. Some of them would have been quite attractive if they weren’t all marked up.

[tet68]

I never got a tattoo.
I figured I already had too many identifying scars...

[healy61]

In my 45 years as a probation officer, I saw a lot of tattoos. One guy came in with a new $110. tattoo but couldn’t pay his fine. I told him he 45 minutes to return with $110. or I would walk him right into court. He made it back in 43 minutes out of breath. Our tough Judge would have jailed him on the spot and tat boy knew it.