U.S. study finds women more likely to remove tattoos

William Atkins
Tuesday, 22 July 2008 20:01

Science - Health

Women were found to have tattoos removed, generally, because of pressures from others to have them removed and from the social stigma (from society in general) of having a tattoo.

According to the WebMD article “Removing Tattoos: Who Does It and Why: Study Shows More Women Than Men Decide to Get Rid of a Tattoo," the main reasons that both men and women gave for tattoo removal were:

•    58% just decided to remove it.

•    57% suffered embarrassment.

•    38% had lowered body image

•    38% new job/career

•    37% problem with clothes

•    25% experienced stigma.

The WebMD article also stated that the following are the principle reasons for getting a tattoo in the first place (as found in the 2006 study):

•    44% wanted to feel unique

•    33% wanted to feel independent

•    28% wanted to bring attention to a particular life experience

In both the 1996 study and the 2006 study, the main reason for wanting to get rid of a tattoo was that people had a "shift in their identities," and wanted to do away with the past.

Specifically, the Armstrong study concluded, “In both the 1996 and the 2006 studies, a shift in identity occurred, and removal centered around dissociating from the past. However, in the 2006 study, more women than men were notably affected by possession risks. Societal support for women with tattoos may not be as strong as for men. Rather than having visible tattoos, women may still want to choose self-controlled body site placement, even in our contemporary society.”