The reputation of tattoos has changed significantly in the last few years. Not even 10 years ago, everyone and their mother seemed to be getting tattoos. But today, people seem to be more careful about getting tattoos, and many inked people are having them removed.
We only need to look at celebrities to see that there is a trend of going back to virgin, untouched skin. Pete Davidson, for example, recently decided to remove his impressive collection of tattoos all over his body. Some of them were truly "dumb," according to him, but others are getting burned off simply because he is tired of spending hours in movie set makeup chairs.
"You have to get there three hours earlier to cover all your tattoos because, for some reason, people in movies don't have them that much," he explained as his reasoning on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
Many non-famous people are considering getting their tattoos removed as well. In Australia, for example, 14% of tattooed individuals say they're looking into the process of tattoo removal. Still, that doesn't mean that tattoos are going out of style. According to a 2023 Pew survey, 32% of American adults have a tattoo, and 22% have more than one.
Millennials and Gen Z are leading the way when it comes to getting tattoos, but there has also been a rise in sentiments against tats. Tattoo artist Shari Wei from the Girlxfriend in LA studio believes that, for women, it aligns with an overall trend of conservative aesthetics. It's no surprise that in a world where young women are doing "trad wife curls", "soft life" makeup, and putting extreme thinness at the forefront, tattoos are out, too.
Another reason, according to Melbourne-based journalist Jason Murphy, tattoos just aren't that cool anymore. Back in the day, tattoos symbolized rebelliousness and deviance. Sailors, prisoners, and punks were people with tattoos. Now, as Murphy writes, our favorite pop stars are inked from head to toe. "Tattoos have invaded the conservative world of K-pop," he adds.
"A tattoo doesn't stop you getting a job any more," Murphy explains of why their popularity is going down. "They're kind of expensive and middle class and, unless you cover your neck or face, have ceased to effectively convey rebellion. Indeed, if you're 20 and can afford a tattoo in this economy, you're probably still living at home with your parents."
Getting a tattoo undoubtedly can symbolize one's social situation. Even a simple, non-intricate tattoo by a junior artist will most likely cost you between $50 and $150. Of course, one has to take into account the placement on the body, the design, and the location of the artist. Yet, it still might be out of bounds for many working-class people. Dazed estimates that only a portion of tattoo owners would have the finances for removal.
So, both getting and removing a tattoo can be a sign of wealth. Senior lecturer in art history and theory at the University of Essex, Matt Lodder, told Dazed that the tattoo industry exists in part because rich people wanted to get tattoos. "These rich people would go to Japan and get Japanese tattoos to show off to their friends in London," he explained. "The real connection that tattooing is a lower-class thing to be doing didn't really happen until the 1950s."
