Here are 16 surprising facts about tattoos: 

1. To get a tattoo, the skin is pierced between 50 and 3,000 times a minute by a tattoo machine.

2. Black tattoo ink is usually made of burnt animal bones and sometimes the resin of shellac beetles. However, a vegan tattoo is much more than just vegan ink. It also includes ointment, soap, stencil paper, razors and aftercare.

3. Alfredo Meschi is the most tattooed vegan ‘artivist’. According to him, tattoos carry a political connotation and their permanent nature signifies a sense of strong commitment. Alfredo calls this “Artivism”. He has decided to fight for the liberation of animals by using his own body that is adorned with no less than 40,000 tattoed X’s, a passionate acknowledgment and moving commemoration of all the animals killed every second worldwide, just to satisfy our palate.

4. Early tattoo methods included using chisels, rakes, or picks. The soot-covered thread was also used. The thread would be sewn through the skin.

5. The world’s longest tattoo session took place on July 1st, 2015. Fremantle tattooist Krzysztof Barnas worked for around 72 hours. In all this time he was given a small, 5 minutes breather after every hour. This session was recorded as the longest session of tattoo performed by one person only who worked continuously through all the 72 hours. He decided to prepare himself for the world’s longest tattoo session and donate all the earnings to charity.

6. Glycerin is a derivative of animal fats. It functions in tattoo ink as a stabilizer and makes the ink easier to deal with. Vegetable Glycerin- used in replace of animal glycerin. This type of glycerin is plant-based and also called Glycerol.

7. In 2012 on ‘World Farm Animals day’ in central Tel-Aviv animal rights activists performed an act of solidarity and empathy towards abused animals exploited by the human race.  Activists got branded with a hot steel brand, in the same way, farm animals are branded on farms all over the world. The number 269, which was burned on their skin, was the designated number of a calf they have encountered on one of Israel’s dairy farms. The calf’s story has inspired a worldwide tattoo movement.

8. The top 10 most popular spots for tattoos are 1) lower back, 2) wrist, 3) foot, 4) ankle, 5) armband, 6) back-piece, 7) arm, 8) chest, 9) breast, and 10) neck.

9. Among women who have tattoos, 27% say they prefer the ankle area while 25% opt for the upper back. Men overwhelmingly choose a more noticeable spot, with 75% getting ink on their arms.

10. Berlin is the most vegan tattoo-friendly city with more than 15 tattoo studios.

11. The most tattooed man in the world is  Lucky Diamond Rich (born Gregory Paul McLaren 1971) who has spent over 1,000 hours having his body modified by hundreds of tattoo artists. He is 100% tattooed, including the inside of his foreskin, mouth, and ears.

12. 17% of those who have tattoos, regret them. The most often reason for regret is “It’s the name of another person”.

13. The most searched language as an inspiration for tattoos is Japanese.

14. When looking to get a tattoo 49% of those who get a tattoo consider the reputation of the tattoo artist or tattoo studio as the most important factor, 43% need a tattoo with personal meaning, and only 8% consider a price as a most important factor.

15. 42% of people think that tattoos don’t make people any more or less attractive. 24% think that they make and 22% think that they don’t.

16. 32% of people with tattoos claim that they are addicted to ink.