Gen Z and Millennials have driven the rise in mainstream popularity of tattoos ; what used to be reserved for sub-cultures is now popular for anyone and everyone. The gens before them viewed tattoos as a highly serious, permanent decision, but young people have a more light-hearted approach to getting inked. For them, getting a tattoo can be something to do for fun, or to make themselves feel more excited about their appearance, though plenty are getting them for extremely meaningful reasons, too. But no matter why they’re joining in, the stigma around being inked has all but disappeared for these gens.
Has been asking young people if they have tattoos for years, and our data shows they’re only growing more popular . When we ask 13-39-year-olds in our Personal Care and Beauty Shopping report this year, their responses show the main demographic fueling tattoo popularity is different than you may think:
Nearly half (46%) of young people older than 18 have tattoos, and the older they get, the more likely they are to have them. In fact, the young people most likely to be tatted now are Millennial parents, 62% of whom tell they have tattoos. This may come as a surprise, as in the past parents might be the most scrutinized for having tattoos. But now, Millennial parents are breaking out of traditional expectations in many ways.
Closeup Of Young Caucasian Millennial Hippie Woman With Painted Rainbow Flag In Heart Shape Painted In Wrist. Rainbow Stock Photo
For those who aren’t ready, or want to make sure their idea will look good, 11% of young people tell they’re interested in trying semi-permanent tattoos, and 18-24-year-olds are the most likely to say so. These products are a step up from the classic temporary tattoo, there’s several brands out there that give them the opportunity to try out tattoos before committing to them. Popular ones like Inkbox let users try on a design, or make their own, and have it fade away in a few weeks. Others even give them the chance to have the full experience (and pain) of a tattoo, but with ink that fades in about a year . While 37% of 18-24-year-olds already have real tattoos, Millennials in the 25-39-year-old age group are significantly more likely to—so semi-permanent might be the first step to these young people committing to more ink.
Data shows the spike in tattoo popularity is fairly recent: in 2019, data shows only 21% of young people said they had tattoos, and that overall number has jumped to 40%. Several reasons play into this trend —on one hand, tattoos have become increasingly popular with mainstream celebrities, from musicians of all genres to actors and athletes. On the other, online influencers don’t adhere to the traditional standards mainstream media has created for celebrities, and we know young people care about and trust these influencers more other public figures . So, as everyday users become influencers, the sub-cultures they represent get put on the main stage, and it fosters acceptance for “alternative” looks.
Data shows 20% of young people say endorsements from online influencers are most likely to influence what personal care and beauty products they buy, and it seems what tattoos they get are also subject to trendiness. On TikTok, the hashtag #Tattoos has 30.7B views, and is a catalog of the most popular looks and style. Recently “micro tattoos” have gained a buzz on the app; the tats are tiny and made of fine lines, and the hashtag #TinyTattoo on TikTok has nearly 400M views of people showing off their itty-bitty designs. The tattoo artists who do the work can be influencers, too, as is proof by New Jersey artist Sydney Smith, who says she gets most of the clients for her signature micro tattoos from recognition on TikTok (where she has 900K followers ).
Millennial Tattoo Studio
Given the popularity of styles like these, it’s clear that not all young people getting tattoos are getting heavily covered (or in many cases, even visibly). Instead, they’re using it as a fun activity to do with friends, or treating it as inconsequentially as dyeing their hair. Some even say getting tattoos is a way they take care of themselves…
We know from our What is Wellness? trend report that Gen Z and Millennials are putting their own spin on self-care. It’s not just bubble baths and meditation, and 17% of young people say they get tattoos as a form of personal care. The number who say so is even higher for the tattoo loving Millennial parent demographic (25%). This concept is especially popular on social media, TikTok of course being a main platform to talk about it. One audio made specifically for this trend comes from user Delaney Bailey, who created a song saying “Don’t be sad, go get a tattoo, ” and has been used in nearly 300K videos. Creators share their day and tattoo process, ending the song proudly showing off their finished product. data shows that 79% of young people agree “The way I feel about my personal appearance affects my mental health, ” and this trend openly encourages others on the platform to embrace changing their appearance as a way to spark joy and excitement. Evidence seems to be growing that body art is not as much of a hurdle to employment as it was once thought to be, says one observer from the Financial Times.
In 2015, nearly half of US millennials owned up to a tattoo, as did 30 per cent of Britons of similar age. Those figures have almost certainly risen since, judging by the number of tattoos brought out into the open during the UK’s recent heatwave.
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I do not wear, listen to, or believe in the same things that I swore by when I was in my twenties, so I struggle to believe that when they reach 50, millennials will want to be judged by the Minnie Mouse they had inscribed on their bicep when they were a student. Hence my backing for tattoo removal, a sector that one forecast suggests will be worth a spuriously precise US$2.85 billion by 2021.
But hold the laser removal-pens. Evidence also seems to be growing that body art is not as much of a hurdle to employment as it was once thought to be — and this is good news for the inked and uninked.
Many colleagues I consulted said they were gradually uncovering tattoos and even piercings at work, if they had hidden them in the first place.
Why Tattoos Are So Popular
One said she had concealed tattoos for nearly a decade with plasters, trousers or thick tights until she realised it made no sense — particularly as her job included advising people to bring their “real selves” to work.
If it matters that much to someone to see ink on my wrist that it would overshadow their opinion of my personal or professional self, then they are probably not someone I would respect, or seek the respect of anyway.
Body art is more than just a fashion choice. People choose tattoos to mark turning points, remind them of their core values, or shore up their identity: I ink, therefore I am.
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Adam Peaty, the UK swimming star, has a lion tattooed on his left bicep, visible whenever his body rises from the pool en route to another medal. Jill Abramson, former editor of The New York Times, had a T tattooed on her back in the NYT’s font.
UK scientist Matt Taylor chose to ink the Philae robot on to his right thigh to show his dedication to the Rosetta space project.
The stigma over tattoos has long faded in the West, with everyone from college kids to celebrities and athletes happy to display their body art in public. (File photo: AFP/GOH Chai Hin)
Tattoos Phone Images, Stock Photos & Vectors
Most tattoos do not line up so precisely with an employer’s mission or brand. But research just published in the journal Human Relations suggests that despite perceptions, people with tattoos no longer face any actual wage or employment discrimination in the US.
Tattooed men may even be slightly more likely to find a job. Co-author Andrew Timming of the University of Western Australia’s business school says he is struck how rapidly attitudes are changing. Tolerance, he told me, is increasing alongside the growing prevalence of body art.
This is positive not just for closet tattoo-wearers but for anyone wishing to express themselves at work. It suggests as younger generations advance into management, they will have the power to change behaviour by shrugging at things that made their predecessors frown.
How Workplaces Are Phasing Out The Tattoo Stigma
This goes for other forms of difference. The use of “blind” recruitment, which concentrates first on qualifications for the role rather than physical appearance, should accelerate the shift to a more diverse workplace.
At the Academy of Management annual meeting on Monday, academics will present the results of a smaller-scale experiment that found female candidates with tattoos or extreme piercings were offered lower starting pay than those without body art. Those with extreme tattoos were seen as less competent.
It is also possible that one form of discrimination will simply be replaced by another. The same study suggests managers with no or few tattoos are less likely to hire applicants displaying extreme body art, such as neck tattoos
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