When did the popularity of tattoos among British people start increasing, what do you think caused?

[LadybirdsTakingTurds]

Can you tell me when tattoos became very popular in British culture? I recently went to a new gym and noticed a large number of young people, both men and women, with tattoos covering their bodies, even up to their necks and covering limbs. I was aware tattoos are much more common now than they were in previous decades but it was even more noticeable with everyone showing more skin.

It's now perfectly normal in the UK to see a person with a heavily tattooed leg, whereas this would have been considered unconventional just half a century ago. What do you think caused it - was it influenced by pop culture or a trend? Do you think its here to stay?

Some of the designs I've spotted repeatedly include lions, clocks, naked women, prayer beads, eagles, elephants, mandalas, chequered flags, clown faces, flowers, skulls, butterflies, roses, stars, and crying eyes.

These threads are glorious. All the attempts at trying to increase the levels of disgust to the point someone would refuse treatment.

It will end with "its in my will that I am not cremated by a tattooed person" 🤣🤣🤣

They can rest (in peace) assured that the better class of funeral director would not have such a ruffian in their employ.

I've moved around and lived in lots of different areas of the UK, and one thing I've noticed is that the more deprived the area is, the more tattoos you will see. Obviously there are exceptions, but on the whole it seems to be that the less money you have, the more tattoos you need!

I don't know why it's like that, but when I see celebs getting them I often think that they are trying to look 'down with the poor people' (as opposed to looking wealthy and over privileged).

Spot on 😂😂

Megifer · Today 12:33

They are less taboo

Oh, definitely. I had my first one aged 15, in 1985 and most people I knew were pretty shocked. I was working in Sweden 5 years ago and it's absolutely massive, nobody bats an eyelid at tattooed hands and necks. I was talking to a Policeman (not in trouble!) and he had his neck covered completely, with it going up onto his cheek.

I'd like to point out that the Romans used to moan about the Ancient Britons coming to town, half naked, to show off their tattoos and to get tanked up and fight.

I always thought it was hipsters that popularised them?

I got mine before they were cool, so I assume that makes me cooler 😎

It was actually the funeral director I used for dh who first told me about tattoos with ashes in them! She had some herself, having been widowed, but until I expressed an interest, they were covered up.

Yes, I think Brits do tend to follow fashion more than other nationalities, though there is a universal European blue collar 'type' that dresses alike - trackies, sport gear, etc. British women tend to wear a lot more makeup and get more done to their hair than other western European women do, in my observation anyway. Eastern European women tend to be more fashion followers.

Tattoos are also popular in the US, though Americans tend not to follow fashion as obviously as Brits do.

I think it was only a matter of time from the late 70s and early 80s punk fashions (dyed hair, piercings) until other body modifications moved into the mainstream. Double / triple/ quadruple pierced ears and cartilege piercings were acceptable by the early 2000s, along with belly button and eyebrow piercings, tongue piercings, and pierced noses and septums. Tattoos were always a thing among people who spent a lot of their free time at gigs and festivals.

Plus ca change...

(Gets coat and scarpers)..

The funeral director who looked after my Dad had a tattoo of one of my Dad’s favourite things, barely visible but just poking out of her neckline so I asked if it was what I thought it was and she showed me, so I explained the connection. I instantly felt like it was just meant to be her looking after him, and she was truly wonderful.

When more mainstream celebrities started to have them.

The class system is Britain's Achilles heel.

It leaves DH (French) puzzled: How can a nation that gifted the world with Hitchens, Attenborough, and Newton also spawn The Atherstone Ball Game and Vicky Pollards?

I. Do. Not. Know.

I can believe they became hugely popular in the late 90's/early 2000's. Footballers like David Beckham really popularised tattoos around that time.

I've been doing OLD and the majority of men 35-45 appear to have many tattoos; lots of sleeves, leg tattoos and tattooed necks. It seems a rare person who has none (I'm in that age range and don't have any).

I like them. It gives me something to read when I’m massaging my clients. 😂

All joking aside, I do see some absolutely beautiful artwork on people, which makes me quite envious - however I wouldn’t want to have to deal with the healing time were I to have one myself. Anything on my arms would make it really hard for me to work during the healing process. And as I understand it, I’d also have to be careful about running and not swim. Also, I can’t think what I’d like to have done on myself. I’d never be able to choose!

But I can confirm that they are
much ‘normal’ than people might think, speaking as someone who sees a lot of undressed people. And there’s certainly no real divide in terms of age or social class IME.

In what way is being a professional and having seen a consultant - especially given that the poster mentioned her surgical scars - unbelievable, or even unlikely? Bizarre thing to be attempting to cast doubt on.

mathanxiety · Today 16:49

Plus ca change...

😀

The other nations also complained about British binge drinking and brawling, during Crusades. It's nice to know that, as a nation, we've been consistent for more than two millennia!

I think it was late 1980s/early 90s that popularity increased, I noticed another rise around 2018.

David Beckham is 48.

There are a lot of people in their late 40s to mid-50s with tattoos as well.

Incidentally you will also find even older people with tattoos but in more discrete places. This is because until very recently if you had a tattoo you couldn't hide with clothing, a lot more jobs were closed to you.

I am in a formal, professional role. I'm a manager with tattoos. I also have a consultant who is replacing my joints for me with tattoos. Why do you think I'm lying?

If I wanted to lie I'd lie about more exciting things than having tattoos

Didn't it start in the '90s when some models (supermodels?) got them? And then it snowballed.

Tricky in name and nature maybe? Maybe they can't get through the day without telling porky pies.

I'd also say David Beckham popularised large, visible tattoos.

It's funny because I remember when hand and neck tattoos meant you were a serious alternative, body-modification type who was into underground music and scenes and maybe into BDSM. These days someone with them is just as likely to like Taylor Swift and watching Strictly and Love Island!

It's been a bit of a snowball effect as well as they become less taboo and you see more people doing white collar jobs, teaching, medicine etc and having visible tattoos - so they're not, as they were seen when I was a kid - an absolute 'good career' killer.

I do really like a good tattoo though - my nephew has just had an excellent one as well and I'm pretty sure my oldest will have some as soon as they are old enough. DH and I have said we're OK with that but in the first instance want to be consulted so we can warn them if we think it's something they might regret/might date badly etc and they think that's fair enough.

You honestly think people are laughing at me when you are walking around with a moomins tattoo 🤣😂

Or was that a joke?! Can’t really tell 😬