In today’s twenty-first century society many people actually tend to misjudge tattoos, and the wearers of tattoos. These people who see someone bearing many tattoos will automatically think negative, pre-conceived, even stereotypical thoughts. Those who have tattoos are the same as you or i, except for the fact that they wish to visually stand out and broadcast who they are. They do this because the majority of them have a strong sense of who they are. Those with tattoos aren’t afraid to show them, as they put them on their body to let others know who they are and what they are about. They wear their “tatts” with pride!

Most who decide to look into the psychology of those with tattoos seem to associate them as criminals and study them with this blinkered, society-conceived view. Contrary to the opinion shared by many so-called experts, those who have tattoos aren’t stereotypical type of people, but are often times actually quite independent. They are out there expressing their freedom of expression. Whether they are expressing what they believe, showing that they belong to a group or clan, or paying homage to the dearly-departed - there are always meanings behind the choices of and displaying of tattoos.

The psychologists who attempt to study those with tattoos normally try to get into their frame of mind to answer why they choose to have tattoos - which in itself is hard to do. For hundreds of years tattoos have been debated from a psychological standpoint; with most people associating tattoos, and the wearers of those as bad people, or criminals. Even though criminals may have tattoos, there are just as many if not more people out there who are some of the friendliest people in the world who have them as well.

To look at tattoos from a psychological standpoint can sometimes be hypocritical. Although those who don’t have tattoos will try and figure out why someone would want them, it can still be considered a psychological point of view. Those who have tattoos almost always have a reason for getting them, rarely are they got for no reason.

No matter where you look these days it’s a common thing to see someone with at least one tattoo. This doesn’t mean that society is less moral in any way, nor does it mean that mankind is becoming branded with a herd-like mentality. Tattoos have built there own reputation over the years, and are in fact gaining in popularity. Over the years more and more people have decided to get them - which only goes to show the age-less phenomenon that are tattoos.

When you decide to look at the psychology of tattoos, you must first try and understand some of the meanings behind them. A tattoo can tell you a lot about the individual who is wearing it, and his past. Although some tattoos may be a somewhat offensive, that individual may have got the tattoos in the past when they were a different person maybe going through a ’stage’. They may not be anything like that now. As with others out there - the tattoos that were obtained in the past may be left as a reminder for the future.

Celebrity tattoos are becoming more and more visible and socially acceptable in mainstream pop culture these days. Angelina Jolie recently voted most sexy woman has plenty of tattoos and is probably the most famous and desirable celebrity with tattoos in Hollywood. Her tattoos to date consist of tribal dragons, a Thai tiger, and various Latin sayings across her shoulders and arms.

This surge in popularity of celebrity tattoos began in the 1960s. Lyle Tuttle the forefather of American tattooing tattooed Janis Joplin. Time was when tattoos were the preserve of those on the fringes of society but now it is not uncommon to see celebrity tattoos. Even super models such as Kate Moss and Sarah O’Hare strut around flashing their body art on the cover of glossy magazines or on the cat walk.

Actor Johnny Depp ranks as heavily tattooed for his caliber of talent and breadth of acting work. His tattooed arms are as often painted to be blank flesh as left with their own tattoos showing and incorporated into the character.

Vin Diesel is covered with a mix of modern tattoos styles, as befitting an underground government secret agent in the movie xXx. The character he plays agent X has one full sleeve, one partial sleeve, chest work and tattoos on his stomach.

As vampire slayer BLADE, Wesley Snipes has tribal blackwork on his arms, chest and back, as well as the sides of his head and the back of his nect. Pamela Anderson had her arm tattooed for real with a barbed wire armband for her role in the movie BARBWIRE. Following her split from husband Tommy Lee, (who is heavily tattooed) she had the “Tommy” tattoo on her finger edited to read “Mommy” in reference to her two sons. She also has tribal tattoos on the small of her back and a tattoo on her ankle.

Musicians have traditionally enjoyed more freedom than actors when it comes to body art. For movie stars having to transform into a different character each time they shoot a movie can be limiting especially if they are playing historical figures. But that has not stopped a lot of actors from getting tattooed in very visible places.

Historically rock stars were renowned for getting tattoos. The band Red Hot Chili Peppers are an example where the band members have a well-developed collection of tattoos. Singer Henry Rollins began his tattoo collection as the lead singer of Black Flag. Eminem continues to add to his tattoo collection but some critics have claimed that it will inhibit him if he wants to play a bigger acting role. Eminem’s tattoos are a combination of a style that is typical of Hip Hop and R&B artists such as Justin Timberlake, 50 Cent and Pharrel.

Of all the celebrities with tattoos sports stars tend to sport more tattoos than most especially basketball players. You can be big in sports and be tattooed, but the clean cut type still seems to be favored amongst Madison Avenue advertising gurus.

The methods for removing tattoos have come a long way.  There was a time, not too long ago when getting rid of a tattoo meant surgery or processes that involved sanding or even acid. Ouch!  Well technology has advanced and the two most popular methods today involve using fade creams and lasers.

While the fade creams are popular, their effectiveness remains a big question.  That leaves laser technology– which is considered the safest method and produces the best results for most people. But laser tattoo removal does not come without its drawbacks.  It can be expensive, very uncomfortable and still comes with the risk of possible scarring.

How painful is laser removal?  That is different for each person, because every person has a higher threshold for pain.  It also depends on the parts of the body where the tattoo being removed is located. Areas like the toes and feet can be much more painful than other parts of the body.   The feeling having a tattoo removed by lasers is said to feel like a rubber band snapping over and over again in a very concentrated area.  To minimize the pain, some people prefer to have a topical numbing cream applied over the tattoo prior to the treatment.   The laser procedure actually goes pretty fast-just takes a few minutes for each visit.

The cost of having a tattoo removed with lasers will vary depending on the size, the type and color of ink that was used, how deep it has penetrated the skin, age of the tattoo and skin type.  More than one application is normally needed.   After each treatment you will need to give several weeks for the wound to heal before returning for follow up visits.  For complete removal it can take anywhere from just a few visits to more than a dozen.   This is only meant to be an estimate, but a 3 inch square tattoo, requiring 9 visits, can cost between $800 and $1,000.

Scarring associated with laser tattoo removal used to be more prevalent than it is today.  This procedure does not come without its risk for scarring, and you should always consult a dermatologist or medical professional first, but with the newer lasers the risk for scarring is much less common today.  The one factor that comes into play with scarring is the skin type of each individual.