[Photo: Last Year's American Idol winner David Cook showing off his tattoo.]

ARE tattoos an expression of who you are as a person?

Not always, it seems. According to tattooists interview by The New Paper on Sunday, people want tattoos for all sorts of reasons, ranging from the sentimental to the downright ridiculous.

The No 1 reason? To beautify themselves.

Ms Sumithra Debi, 28, the resident tattooist of Exotic Tattoos and Piercings said: 'The recent rise in the number of celebrities getting tattoos has made more people see tattoos as something sexy and trendy.'

A seasoned tattoo artist, who wished to be known only by his artist name, Chuck Tat, said: 'A lot of younger women, aged between 18 and 25 often come in holding magazines and ask for the exact same tattoo as one of their favourite stars.'

Mr Jerri Tan, 31, who has been a tattoo artist for nine years added: 'Right now Rihanna's star, David Beckham's angel and Chester Bennington's flame tattoo are rather popular.'

The tattooists The New Paper on Sunday spoke to estimate that roughly 70 per cent of their clientele consists of those who want a tattoo for decorative purposes.

Chuck Tat, of Johnny Two Thumbs tattoo studio, said: 'We've been getting a lot more people coming in to do remembrance tattoos. I've had customers who do portraits of their dead children, while others want their partners' names on their bodies.'

But some do tattoos for entirely different reasons.

He said: 'I once had a woman bring her husband to us so he could get a tattoo saying, 'I will not cheat on my wife'.' It was inked on his chest, thigh and hip.

Mr Tan, who specialises in customised tattoos, said that some people see getting a tattoo as something similar to purchasing a piece of artwork.

Ms Sumithra said: 'These are the ones who prize individuality very highly, they spend anywhere between two to five years planning their tattoos and would rather die than let someone else copy their designs.'

Mr Tan said: 'I haven't had anyone call in to say that they want to have their tattoos removed but we do get two or three requests for cover ups a month.'

Ms Sumithra says that her shop handles four requests for cover up tattoos a week.Chuck Tat explained that tattoo designs can go in and out of fashion just like any other fashion trend.

- Naveen Kanagalingam, newsroom intern

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This article was first published in The New Paper.