tattoed chest
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Three in 10 of us — 29 percent to be exact — now have at least one tattoo, up from roughly 21 percent just four years ago. What’s more, only a few of us stop at one. Among those with any tattoos, 69 percent have two or more according to The Harris Poll of 2,225 adults.

Who has a tattoo?
• Tattoos are especially prevalent among younger people with nearly half of Millennials (47 percent) and over a third of Gen-Xers (36 percent) saying they have at least one.
• Just 13 percent of Baby Boomers and 10 percent of Matures have a tattoo.
• Rural (35 percent) and urban (33 percent) folks are both more likely to have a tattoo than suburbanites (25 percent).
• Those with children in the household are much more likely than those without kids to be sporting at least one tattoo (43 percent vs. 21 percent).

How does a tattoo make you feel?
• Sexy: 33 percent
• Attractive: 32 percent
• Rebellious: 27 percent
• Spiritual: 20 percent
• Intelligent: 13 percent
• Respected: 13 percent
• Employable: 10 percent
• Healthy: 9 percent

Meanwhile, the non-tattooed have a word or two to say: People who don’t have tattoos look down on those who do, saying they are not only less attractive (47 percent), sexy (44 percent) and respectable (34 percent), but also less intelligent (29 percent). And they think those with tattoos are less healthy (28 percent) and less spiritual (25 percent). In addition, nearly half (45 percent) of those without a tattoo say people with tattoos are more rebellious. Despite these feelings, tattoos are going mainstream. Large majorities of us are perfectly comfortable seeing a person with visible tattoos serving in a variety of professions:
• Athletes: 86 percent are comfortable with this
• IT technicians: 81 percent
• Chefs: 78 percent
• Primary school teachers: 59 percent
• Judges: 59 percent
• Political candidates: 58 percent

I guess Bob Dylan is still right…”The times…they are a changin'”