An incredible 20 per cent of Queenslanders have tattoos, new research reveals, but the percentage of men and women getting ink has totally turned on its head.
But Rich is the most tattooed man in the world - so he's used to getting a reaction. Australians are some of the most tattooed people in the world, but even here, Rich stands out. He's covered head-to-toe in black ink and has so many tattoos that parts of his body have been tattooed three times over.
1 in 5 Australians has a tattoo
Our latest research surveying 1,013 ordinary Australians reveals that 1 in 5 (20%) individuals have one or more tattoos.
Words almost as popular as symbols
While for the majority (72%) of tattooed Australians their most recent tattoo was a picture or symbol, for 1 in 5 (19%) it was a phrase or a word. The biggest growth in tattoo design is in the phrase or word category which has seen a massive increase over the last few years.
1. Miami Florida Coming in at number one is home to TLC's Miami Ink and the famous South Beach, this party town has a ton of tattoo shops.
Reasons for getting a tattoo
Tattooing is most popular among Australians in the 20 to 39 year age group. According to McCrindle Research, by 2009, one in four Australians of the Gen Y group— those born between 1982 and 2001—considered having “body art” as an ideal way to celebrate their coming of age.
According to a list compiled by Singulart, the most popular tattoo in all of America is the butterfly. "With a very impressive 165,000 monthly searches, rose tattoos are in second place, with flower designs in joint third, at 110,000 searches.
Australia is experiencing growth in the proportion of people becoming 'inked'. Our latest study shows one in four Australians has a tattoo (25%) – a record high.
Being one of the most heavily tattooed people in Australia doesn't come without its controversies. With 600 tattoos and counting, over 99 per cent of Amber Luke's body is covered in ink. Being such a heavily tattooed woman, it's not unusual for Luke's appearance to turn heads when she's out and about in public.
Yes, as a teacher you absolutely can have a tattoo. BUT. Some schools will require you to hide them. The only way to know for sure is to speak with the principal/head of the school.
It is usually not unlawful for Australian employers to discriminate against employees with tattoos. This means some employers will continue to have in place dress or appearance codes which, for any number of reasons, reject what seems to be a growing movement to allow visible tattoos in the workplace.
General perceptions
Whether tattooed or not, 3 in 4 all Australians (76%) would discourage or strongly discourage their adult children from getting a tattoo.
Tribal Style Designs
Tribal style tats ranked as the most regrettable content choice overall, according to a survey of 600 people by Advanced Dermatology.
The most difficult form of realism in tattooing is probably portraiture, because it requires the artist to capture both the likeness and character of a real person.
Men were more likely than women to report a tattoo, but the highest rates of tattooing were found among women in their 20s (29.4%). Men and women ages 20-39 were most likely to have been tattooed, as were men with lower levels of education, tradesmen, and women with live-out partners.
Men and women ages 20-39 were most likely to have been tattooed, as were men with lower levels of education, tradesmen, and women with live-out partners.
Participants reported reasons such as “to keep my mother's memory,” “a way of honoring my first child,” and “presented what I was going through at a certain time of my life.” Some participants (12%) also felt that their tattoos were an extension or expression of who they were.
So many of our users are looking for someone with a bit of body art - it's clearly a turn on for both men and women.” Previous research has also found that women tend to look more favourably on men with tattoos, associating them with “good health, masculinity, aggressiveness and dominance,” according to one study.