America's booming tattoo economy: By the numbers

To ink or not to ink? This week, the American Medical Association published what's considered to be the first scientific survey of tattoo removal, detailing which tattoos are hardest to remove (blue ink) and what factors reduce the odds of erasing the damn thing (smoking). The report is a sure sign that tattoos — once the province of rock stars and ne'er-do-wells — have become thoroughly mainstream. Indeed, today not only are tattoo artists enjoying a robust growth-industry, their counterparts — the tattoo-effacement experts — are busily tending to Americans who regret that faded tribal design encircling their biceps or have discovered that the Chinese character on their wrist has an unwelcome meaning. Here, a numerical guide to America's tattoo obsession:

$2.3 billion

Annual revenue of the tattoo industry

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15,000

Tattoo parlors in America

21

Percent of Americans who have a tattoo

23

Percent of women who have a tattoo

19

Percent of men who have a tattoo

36

Percent of 18-to-25-year-olds who have a tattoo

38

Percent of 30-to-39-year-olds who have a tattoo

11

Percent of 50-to-64-year-olds who have a tattoo

50

Percent of people who think having a tattoo is rebellious

$80 to $100

Average per hour cost of a tattoo

$150-$350

Per hour cost of a tattoo in Brooklyn, N.Y.

$200

Cost of a laser tattoo removal session

10-15

Sessions needed to remove a tattoo

32

Percentage increase in tattoo removals over the last year

Sources: Harris Interactive, Mental Floss, The Motley Fool, NBC News, Pew Research Center, Tattoo Info, The Wall Street Journal (2)