Sore or not, some consider tattoos art, so Weekend would like to take a moment to reflect on the diversity, colour and stories behind the ink.
Once the preserve of sailors, bikers and squaddies, tattoos were once the badge of anti establishment. Tattooed blokes (it used to be primarily fellas) were hard-cases and their ink a sign to stay away.
These days tattoos have been adopted by popular culture and are de rigeur for young hipsters about town. Women are in on the act too, with colourful beauties seen all over popular culture and the high street.
From celebrities to 40-something mums; naughty teens to dentists there is secret and not-so-secret ink everywhere. Teachers, engineers, librarians, bank tellers, shop assistants, journalists, pop stars – the list of inked people is long.
Though technology has moved on it remains as painful as ever – well it is tiny needles (rather like a sewing machine) jabbing ink into your skin 150 times a minute, of course it hurts!
Writing on the body is as old as the birth of human civilisation and for some cultures it's still a rite of passage into adulthood. Closer to home, the meaning and reasons behind the images we carve into our flesh are complex and range from just being a pretty picture to memories of a beloved mum and every other human story you could possibly imagine – there is always something to talk about when we talk about tatts.
Tattoo top ten
David Beckham
Over forty, fit and fabulous. This super dad doesn't mess about when it comes to tattoos - kids, wife and team have all got space on his well-proportioned bod
Angelina Jolie-Pitt
Bee stung lips and super slender super star figure aside, this mum of six is a rebel and a humanitarian. She has coordinates of her children's birth places among quotations in English and Latin and a tiger.
Daniel Craig
Yes, even James Bond has a tattoo, but you'd be forgiven for missing it, especially in that scene in Casino Royale where he's in his swimming pants!
Brad Pitt
eing one half of Brangelina possibly means you can't fail to get inked. This gorgeous 50 year old has Angelina's birthday (in Khmer) and a tattoo of the oldest known European human, Otzi the iceman on his back
Johnny Depp
Everyone's favourite pirate fittingly has multiple tattoos. Among the 14 are his kids names. He famously turned Winona Forever into Wino Forever after a short lived romance with Winona Rider in the 90s
Lady Gaga
Meat outfits aside, this pop diva has adorned her body with 17 tattoos including a peace symbol and a G clef according to Gagapedia (yes really!) All are on the left side of her body, apparently it's so one side is normal, whatever that means!
Rihanna
With 21 tattoos, surely she's running out of space. With tribal designs, a Maori tattoo on her wrist, an R on her shoulder and a stardust path from her neck, the umbrella star has admitted to being addicted and is showing no sign of stopping.
Julia Roberts
Possibly one of the strangest candidates on the list of tattooed celebs, this leading lady has her kids and husband's names inked on the base of her spine
Winston Churchill
We will fight them in the tattoo parlour – well not quite, but this historic cigar smoker had a tattoo of an anchor on his forearm. And his mother Jennie had a small coiled snake on her wrist. So much for polite society!
Samantha Cameron
The Prime Minister's wife has a dolphin tattoo on her ankle. Nuff said