More people than ever before are getting tattoos — but social media has flipped the trade’s business model on its head. Zachary Crockett dips into the ink.

RESOURCES:

• "32% of Americans Have a Tattoo, Including 22% Who Have More Than One," by Katherine Schaeffer and Shradha Dinesh (Pew Research Center, 2023).
• "Tattoo Removal Business Draws Up High-Growth Potential," by Tim Clark (Forbes, 2023).
• "The Secret, Chronic Pain of Tattoo Artists," by Devon Abelman (Allure, 2020).
• The Other End of the Needle: Continuity and Change Among Tattoo Workers, by David C. Lane (2020).
• "How Instagram Revolutionized the Tattoo Industry," by Salvador Rodriguez (CNBC, 2020).
• "How Do Tattoo Artists Get Paid?" by Erica Salvalaggio (Inside Out, 2019).
• "Hey, Pro Athletes: Your Tattoo Is Going to Get You Sued," by Ira Boudway (Bloomberg, 2013).

SOURCES:

• Tyler Adams, tattoo artist and owner of Grizzly Tattoo.
• Stacey Martin Smith, tattoo artist.