But she thinks there may be good reason why they have boomed in popularity during this late decade. Your body is the one thing you have ultimate control over. Tattoos are a way of committing to something permanent and stable, of recording who and what you are right now. This concept of commitment appeals to many people, but Velliquette cautions against impulsive decisions about one's body. When the permanence of a tattoo meets the transience of romance, remorse and regret often follow.
People use cover-ups when they're unhappy with the quality or size of their old design.
You can choose who you want to be through the products you consume. While many products can act as status symbols, advertising one's wealth or ideals, Velliquette said that items like cars, clothing and homes also hold significant functional value. Tattoos, on the other hand, have no practical use which makes them almost purely symbolic, she said. Velliquette's study consists of two phases. To collect information, Velliquette frequented tattoo parlors in Fayetteville, Dallas, Toronto and San Francisco.