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Women 'more attracted to men with tattoos', app data suggests

The most tattooed city in the UK is Birmingham, followed by Norwich

Fiona Keating
Sunday 24 September 2017 17:32 BST
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Women are said to find men with tattoos more attractive - but it also depends on the motif
Women are said to find men with tattoos more attractive - but it also depends on the motif (Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

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A survey has found that two thirds of women are attracted to men who have tattoos. The research carried out by dating app Type, found that 64 per cent of women who stated a preference were looking to date men who have had some kind of permanent ink body art.

This also holds true for those who are looking for a same-sex partner, with women and men stating that they view “some” tattoos as an added attraction in a love interest.

“We’ve been surprised just how strong the trends are when it comes to tattoos. So many of our users are looking for someone with a bit of body art – it’s clearly a turn on for both men and women,” Benno Spencer, Type’s CEO said.

Previous research has also found that women tend to look more favourably on men with tattoos, associating them with "good health, masculinity, aggressiveness and dominance,” according to one study.

Type’s recent survey also found that only 39 per cent of men were attracted to women with tattoos. However, the dating app’s company Steve Bryson bucks this trend. “I’ve always fancied girls with tattoos ever since I dated a girl at college that had a massive tattoo across her back,” he told Metro.

“I think it says something about their personality that they’re fun, friendly and up for a good time," he added. "I’ve only got one small tattoo myself, but I like girls that have lots of tattoos. It makes them unique – no two tattoos are exactly the same.”

Tattoos are losing their social stigma, a far cry from the belief that skin ink indicated a criminal nature, according to 19th-century criminologists.

Today, the most tattooed city in the UK is Birmingham, according to motorbike insurance brokers, Carole Nash.

One in five adults in the UK now have tattoos, with bastions of the British establishment having little qualms about visiting tattoo parlours. David Dimbleby was 75 when he had a scorpion indelibly inked on his shoulder. Dame Judi Dench had the Latin phrase carpe diem (seize the day) tattooed upon her wrist as a present for her 81st birthday.

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