Tattoos are extremely popular; a survey in America found that around 36 percent of people aged between 18 and 25 have a tattoo in the USA. Tattoos are considered by many as a means of expressing yourself, a form of art and a decorative way of enhancing the body, while others use them to remember lost loved ones, proclaim their love for relatives, children or partners. Many people also have tattoos to show support for a team or demonstrate their love of a particular hobby or pursuit.

If you are thinking of having a tattoo you need to consider the long-term consequences of your tattoo; think about future events, your professional life and how it will look when your skin ages, for example. For many professions, it is now considered appropriate to have tattoos, which are clearly visible; doctors, for example are not encouraged to have tattoos on their forearms. If you are getting married you need to decide if you’ll be happy for your tattoo to be visible when you wear your wedding dress; for example if you have a tattoo on your chest or arms, this will be very obvious.

If you choose to go ahead and get a tattoo, make sure you choose a reputable tattoo parlour as the risk of infection is relatively high. Tattoos should be considered as permanent, although tattoo removal is possible; the most effective method is laser removal, which works in a similar way to laser hair removal. This procedure is the safest and least painful and there is no risk of infertility.