America's Growing Love for Tattoos

Americans are becoming more and more inked. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has now confirmed that 21 percent of Americans are sporting at least one tattoo. That’s up from only 16 percent in 2003. The reasons for the upward trend aren't exactly known, but it could signal a change in the way we view permanent body art, which is still taboo in many circles. Maybe your grandpa bears a reminder of his military service, or your mom's got a flower on her ankle as a holdover from her hippie days, or a friend is working on coloring in his sleeves. Betty Rose, a New York City tattoo artist, says tattoos have become a way to fit in rather than stand out. John Stanton, Washington D.C. bureau chief for Buzzfeed.com, has also commented on the ubiquity of body art in our nationals capital, writing about inked Senators and Representatives on the Hill.