But just how many people regret their tattoos? According to a new YouGov survey, nearly a quarter of Americans (24%) and around a fifth (19%) of British adults have ever been “inked” (plus 2% in America and 1% in Britain who “prefer not to say”). Of those, 22% in the America and only 14% in Britain have any regrets – in other words, the vast majority of people with tattoos have no regrets. 

The survey finds tattoos continue to be something of a taboo for many people, despite or perhaps because of their popularity with celebrities like actress Angelina Jolie and Justin Bieber. While 49% of American adults say they would think no differently about someone if they noticed he or she had a large tattoo, people are much more likely to think less positively of the person than more positively, by 29-5%.