Soccer star David Beckham, voted “Sexiest Man Alive” by People magazine, has more than 40 of them. Actress Reese Witherspoon has an image of a star with blue swallows. Even the British Prime Minister’s wife, Samantha Cameron, has one decorating her ankle. Tattoos are no longer the sign of a sailor, soldier or criminal. They are wildly popular. In America today, lots of people are getting tattoos especially younger people. Forty percent of men and women aged 26 to 40 have at least one tattoo, according to Astanza, a laser technology company.

As a result, the American tattoo business is booming. In 1960, there were only about 50 professional tattoo artists in the United States, reported The Atlantic. By 1995, that number had soared to over 10,000. Today, IBISWorld reports there are almost 55,000 people working as tattoo artists in the U.S.

In Britain, tattoos are also surging in popularity. The Guardian reported that a fifth of all British adults have been “inked”.