ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Tattoos are an ancient art form with origins that trace back as far as the Stone Age (12,000 BCE). Tattoos have remained popular throughout time and across many cultures and continents. Although most psychological studies of persons with tattoos have been restricted to psychiatric inpatients, prisoners in correctional institutions, and military personnel (thus reecting only specic populations), one common conclusion is that, of all the motives for obtaining a tattoo, the quest for personal identity is central.
