Body art, body bling, self-graffiti, walking billboards, fashionable ink accessories are some of the terms used to describe tattoos carved onto the human body.

A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment.

With designs on different parts of the body like a hummingbird on the shoulder, flowers on the wrist or even a dog on the finger, tattoo lovers have become so much enthralled with this trend that they consider inking more designs on other parts of their bodies.

In the past, tattoos were controversial and were once associated with sailors, convicts and gang members. Now, they're more accepted than ever. It can even be termed as trendy; they are almost everywhere and appreciated.

People with tattoos more often than not, are misunderstood usually by people who are religiously opinionated. However tattoo bearers argue that their reasons for going through the painful process of marking their skins are for identification purposes, to honour loved ones, to make a fashion statement, to cover scars among many other reasons.

In Africa for instance, tribal marks are referred to as the ‘African Tattoo’. Rubbing charcoal into small cuts made with razors or thorns forms decorative patterns of scar tissues in the skin. These designs are often indicative of social rank, traits of character, political status and religious authority.

“But it's generally misleading to talk about the practice in terms of addicts and dependence”, says Viren Swami, a University of Westminster psychologist who has conducted extensive studies of people with tattoos.

“It's actually quite infrequent that people make rash decisions about them. Pain is quite a big barrier. So is permanence and affordability”, said Swami.

Some folks go in for tattoos driven by inspiration from others they admire or a mentor marked with different designs.

On the other hand, some people hide behind their tattoos especially in our society where there is a crave for individuality and self-expression.

Research on tattoos according to huffingtonpost.com revealed some interesting findings:

• Adults with tattoos have been shown to be more sexually active than controls without tattoos.

• People with tattoos have been shown to be more likely to engage in higher risk behaviors.

• Women who get tattoos are more than twice as likely to get them removed as men.

• In studying first impressions of people that have tattoos, researchers have found that avatars (neutral) with tattoos and other body modifications were rated as more likely to be thrill and adventure seekers, to have a higher number of previous sexual partners, and to be less inhibited than non-tattooed avatars. This study looked at general stigma associated with people sporting tattoos.

• And another study showed both men and women had higher body appreciation, higher self-esteem and lower anxiety right after getting new tattoos. Surprisingly, three weeks later men continued to have less anxiety but women had a sharp increase in anxiety that may be associated with concerns about body image.

The reasons for getting a tattoo may be many but it all boils down to personal taste and the end result is that it’s permanent.