The Jotter - The Place To Find Stuff | Janesville-Rock County, Wisconsin, USA

February 14, 2006

Poll finds one-third of area residents sport tattoos

Butterflies, flowers, birds, stars, hearts, comic characters, sports team logos, Asian symbols, and barbed wire. These are some of the more popular tattoos you may see, or not see, on men and women in the Janesville area.

According to a JanesvilleSurvey.com poll, almost one-third of area adults have a tattoo.

Tattoos have become increasingly popular with young adults. The survey indicated that area residents under the age of 40 are much more likely to have tattoos than older respondents. In all, 44 percent of panelists under the age of 40 sport at least one piece of inked artwork.

JanesvilleSurvey.com provides feedback from a panel of area residents who volunteer to participate in research in exchange for rewards and prizes. A recent survey on tattoos was completed by 471 respondents. Panelist were asked about their tattoo experiences and were encouraged to provide details on where they got their tattoo and where on their body their tattoo was located.

According to the survey, women are more likely to have tattoos drawn on their lower back or their ankle while the upper arm is the most popular choice among men. Local tattoo artists supported survey results.

"Women seem to favor tattoos on the lower back and ankles," explained Ted of Diamond Ted's Tattoo and Piercing Studio in Janesville. "For men, it's upper arms and forearms."

Diamond Ted's Tattoo and Piercing Studio is the most popular choice for area tattoo seekers with 33 percent of tattooed panelists having their tattoos done at Ted's.

With such a growing popularity in tattooing, it's no wonder that there are at least six tattooing businesses operating in the area. Since 2002, three new businesses have begun advertising their artistic talents in the telephone directory.

Panel responses seem to support that tattooing is a growing business. When panelists who don't currently have a tattoo were asked if they would consider getting one, 37 percent of them responded they would. Butterflies and flowers were also popular with this group.

People are motivated to get tattoos for different reasons.

"The majority of those who come here are most likely to request a tattoo representing a life interest, like a first-time Harley rider," explained Ted. "We also do a tremendous amount of tributes for those who have lost loved ones."

"About half of our customers choose to get tattoos for the person in their lives," added Nancy Miller of Dreamline Tat2 who also supported survey results indicating that women are most likely to get tattoos on their ankle or lower back while men are most likely to choose their arm.

The JanesvilleSurvey.com poll found that eight percent of respondents' tattoos represented a current spouse, four percent were linked to an ex-spouse and another three percent to good ole mom. Other interesting discoveries from the survey panel responses include:

Pleasures of Youth: The average age to get a tattoo was 25, and for those who had regrets, the average age was 38.

Going Stag: Those with tattoos are almost twice as likely to be single than married

Who Votes Tattoo?: Republicans are 33 percent less likely than Democrats to have tattoos and those survey respondents who are not politically active are 50 percent more likely to have tattoos.

Tattoo mi Amor: 12 percent of the Janesville area respondents said they would consider having their significant other's name etched on their body as a Valentine's Day gift.

Look for advertisements in this edition of the Jotter from two tattooing businesses. Ink Addicts Cosmetic Tattooing, located at 1503 West Court Street in Janesville and Ink Dermagraphics tattooing business located at 220 W. Milwaukee Street in Janesville are advertising their services.

In addition to this survey on tattoos, look for future polls on burgers, fish fries and bowling. You can read about the results of these surveys in future editions of the Jotter.

Say it with a tattoo.