I have a confession to make; Since gathering all this hot info from my Tattoos and Sex Survey and writing Part I and II of Erotic Ink, I can’t stop thinking about tattooed bodies.

I never discriminated between tattooed and plain skin in lovers. Indeed, I was an equal opportunity fucker. I only required a strong vocabulary and shared distaste for John Grisham novels. That’s it. I’m a card carrying ACLU member (seriously, I have the card) but I’ve fucked Republicans –– if only to help them work out masochistic tendencies by beating them silly to the cries of drill, baby, drill.

But, now I'm married to a big tattooed badass, my appreciation for inked skin has deepened. The physiques turning my head (only lookin, honey) these days are those emblazoned with skulls, dragons, and a Koi fish or two. The unadorned ain’t doin it for me. OK, I wouldn’t kick Adrien Brody outta bed, but in general, I’m finding that the more tattooed I get, the more I like to envision intertwined artwork on arms, legs, and all parts in between. Preferably writhing and sweaty.

And, ya know, I’m not alone.

In this installment of Erotic Ink, we discuss the mutual attraction of those with tattooed bodies (questions 4 & 5 of my Tattoo and Sex survey). We also get dirty with sexuality professor and sex vlogger Audacia Ray (author of Naked on the Internet) and find out why alt porn is becoming the big XXX money shot.

But first, the stats:

Do the tattoos of (potential) sexual partners play a role in whether you are attracted to them?

• Often 36.8%
• Sometimes 52.5%
• Never 10.7%

Here we’re talking about the aesthetic draw of someone with tattoos over someone who doesn’t have any.

Margaret Cho of The Cho Show weighed in on this question. "I am very attracted to tattooed people," says Margaret. "They are the most beautiful. I am always pawing heavily tattooed people, pulling off their clothes, wanting to see more ink, more flesh, wanting to hear the stories that are written on their skin."

Yes, Margaret is one horny bitch. But we love her.

Tracy of Florida answered “sometimes” qualifying that the tattoo had to enhance not detract from the body. She says, “If they're well done, well placed and add to someone's looks, then yes. By the same token, if they're poorly done or don't add to the overall aesthetics of the person, then they're a turn-off.”

For one guy from the Bronx, the tattoos were attractive because they spoke to a woman’s personality: “I find that I prefer girls that are tattooed. It kind of gives me some insight into them. Girls that are moderate to heavily tattooed seem more free spirited, and extremely sexy.”

The “tattooed woman as wild sex goddess” plays a big part in money making alt erotica. Like, um … Suicide Girls. To delve deeper into this, I talked to Audacia Ray, a wild tattooed sex goddess herself, and asked her what the deal was with increasing presence of really heavily tattooed porn stars and their mainstream appeal.

"Though people who challenge societal norms are punished for it in overt and subtle ways, mainstream culture fetishizes and eroticizes the act of being different, because being different is naughty," explains Audacia. "And being naughty is hot. So while there's a definite 'by tattooed people, for tattooed people' piece of the sex industry, I think the bigger picture is all about 'by tattooed people, for gawkers, wankers, and other conforming chicken shits.' Different is sexy, living on the edge is sexy –– and tattoos are definitely symbolic of that."

I love it when a fancy university professor uses the term “conforming chicken shits.” That said, Audacia qualifies that the “alt porn” label will never dominate the industry, despite its popularity.

"I think the meaning of working in the sex industry and having tattoos has changed a lot in the past ten years or so –– not just because of the advent of Suicide Girls and alt porn –– but also because there is a very definite high end part of the industry," says Audacia. "It used to be OK for sex workers to have tattoos because both sex workers and tattoos were considered to be 'trashy.' Now being a tattooed sex worker can mark you as trashy in a bad way. Lots of the high dollar, multiple hour escort agencies want their escorts to not have tattoos and body piercings. At the same time, there are very definite niches for people with body art...There's definitely room for lots of different kinds of expression, but I think that women without significant tattoo coverage will always get the top jobs. Porn consumers want their porn stars to be a little naughty (or a lot) but that girl next-door thing is so prevalent."

While my gut reaction was to lash out at the trash label for the heavily tattooed, I thought about my own “high snobiety” when it came to tattoos. Even my fifth survey question reflects this when I asked, not only about the presence of tattoos on potential lovers, but their design and subject matter:

Does the quality of a sexual partner's tattoo work affect your attraction to that person?

• Often 49.8%
• Sometimes 37.9%
• Never 12.3%

While Jason of Florida reprimanded me by saying, “A person is who they are, not what they wear on their skin,” it seems that the majority of y’all are just as shallow as I am.

But is it really being shallow? Because if one considers tattoos as expression, then what you put on your skin permanently could be a clear indication of your values and ideals. Most obviously, is it shallow to shun someone with racist or sexist tattoos?

On the other hand, what about the dude with the finger mustache tattoo? As Beck from Boston said, “I can't take someone seriously if they can't take the permanence of body art seriously. A horrible tattoo means they don't value their own skin, so why would they value mine?”

Barbi from Maryland added, “Tattoos can show a certain depth that a person may have. A truly creative, one of a kind, well thought out tattoo is going to be crazy sexy, a Yosemite Sam flash tattoo, not so much.”

And Melissa from Ontario related bad art to being a bad lover: “If the only effort a guy can muster in putting artwork on his body forever is a crappy Taz on his bicep, how much effort is he going to put forth in bed?”

Celina from California summed it all up: “Bad tattoos = I'd rather be single.”

On the other hand, good tattoos may help attract a lover as 40-year-old JD of New Jersey hints: “If I meet someone with artistic tattoos, I usually find that they have thoughts and interests similar to mine. We have more of a chance of having something in common.”

Although sometimes, you just never know what’s under someone’s clothes. Rachel from Australia says, "Some partners don't reveal their tattoos until they've got a certain amount of clothing off, and by then it's too late! Having tattoos leaves one more open to the judgment of others, definitely. I've certainly had the experience of taking someone's shirt off, only to find myself holding my tongue because the linework is shoddy. That's when you laugh it off inside thinking, "Christ, I'm a snob."

However, for 12% of respondents, the art doesn’t matter, just the marks on the skin.

One kinky guy from the Netherlands said, "I primarily like the concept of permanency and moving and stretching with the body in a sort of erotic sado-masochistic sense, and also the concept that a person has chosen to have tattoos. For both of these the quality is not that important (self-hand poked would do). However, if a tattoo is well placed (in the sense that it moves nicely with the body) or a very individual peace of artwork, that is certainly a plus!"

And so it seems I’m not alone in my tattoo attraction. Still, I never actually had an orgasm in a tattoo chair. But will get to those who have next Wednesday. For now, let me know what’s on your filthy mind below.

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Marisa DiMattia is co-founder and editor of the multimedia tattoo site and blog Needled.com. She thinks Belgian tattoo artists are sexy.

For more of Margaret Cho’s beautiful views on tattoos, check back here on September 22 for her SG column. Also check out my Needled.com video interview with her by clicking HERE.

It’s Wednesday, commonly referred to as “hump day,” and thus, perfectly suited to talk about sex in this second installment of Erotic Ink, an intimate look at the relationship between tattoos and sexuality.

In last week's column I revealed the results of a sex survey conducted through my Needled.com blog. The survey covered tattoo taboos and asked for sex secrets. The results were pretty hot. Respondents shared their tattoo erogenous zones and talked about achieving orgasm mid-inking.

Today, we’re digging deeper into the first issue raised by the survey: attractiveness in tattoo decision-making. We’ll be going into detail on the questions that deal with tattoos and self-perception, exploring if and how tattoos (and the act of tattooing) make one feel more or less attractive, and whether the issue of attractiveness frequently plays a part in the decision to get tattooed in the first place.

Before we get into it, however, I want to address a tattoo study that made huge headlines in July: "Motivation for Contemporary Tattoo Removal in the Archives of Dermatology."

The press (see LA Times story) went nuts over a small sound bite that stated that more women get tattoos removed because of the social stigma, and that, ya know, these women felt their tattoos might as well be a bull's eye. Reportedly women felt stigmatized by their tattoos, enduring negative comments over the indelible dolphin they got over spring break. The study was conducted in dermatology clinics in Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and Massachusetts. You can just picture the ladies of Amherst, Mass biting down on their pearls as they laser away their sorority letters and try to forget that they ever entered a sexy banana-eating contest.

But here’s the problem with the media coverage –– most outlets only read the abstract that decried those juicy details. The few that actually read the full survey came away with a far less salacious picture. For example:

Happy people make for less drama. And don’t we all wish our lives were like Gossip Girl.

Considering that result –– that the vast majority of individuals like their tattoos –– let’s now turn to my own survey and see how feelings of attractiveness fit in with the tattoo picture, starting with Question 1:

Did sexual attractiveness play a role in your decision to get tattooed –– that is, did you get tattooed to be more attractive to (potential) sexual partners?

• The majority, 54.5% said “Not at all.”
• Only 10.1% admitted “Definitely.”
• And the rest, 35.4% were in the middle with “Somewhat.”

Of the stories people told, feeling more attractive with tattoos was not a motivation but a by-product of the art.

Kathleen, a 22-year-old from Barcelona encapsulated the feelings of most who answered: “I consider ‘sexiness’ to be something completely reliant on a person's self-confidence and attitude. Being tattooed has made me feel a lot more at home in my body, which I think has a corresponding effect on how confident I feel, both in life and with lovers.”

Body image for women also played a big part as April from Chicago explains: “I decided to get tattooed and pierced as a way to gain more self-acceptance of my body as a woman. Taking something plain and adorning it was a to create celebration of my form and of specific areas of my body that I was sensitive about.”

Even the fabulous Margaret Cho of VH1’s The Cho Show weighed in on her recent and numerous tattoo collection. “I want to be tattooed because I think it looks sexy, " says Margaret. "It is like lingerie that you never take off. It enhances the body and it gives the beholder a view into your rebellious heart. It is hot!”

Indeed, hotness and the desire for a certain sexual response factored in for those who answered “definitely” to whether attractiveness was a motivation for getting tattooed.

Jake, a 37-year-old straight male from Colorado says, “I believe at some point everything we do is somewhat driven by the desire to be more attractive to the opposite sex. I think in my case it was more to attract a certain type of girl.”

Others got a little more explicit: “My ex-partner was heavily tattooed and I very much enjoyed seeing his tattoos in the bedroom. I also loved to finger his tattoos. He has a leopard on his chest and when I used to finger his leopard and his nipple he used to growl at me and pretend to bite me. Ohhh, makes me all excited thinking about it. I guess having fun with my partner through his tattoos helped me along with my decision to get tattooed; it kinda forms a whole package for me.”

(In collecting all the steamy responses, I think I licked my computer screen once. Ok, maybe twice.)

Though most did not primarily get tattooed to be more attractive (though many found it was an added benefit after-the-fact), some experienced the opposite effect, like 29-year-old Justin who said, “It's a video game-related tattoo. If anything, I hurt my chance of getting laid instead of increasing.” I guess it depends on whether you have a portrait of Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft or Nintendo’s Super Mario.

Even if sexiness didn’t play a part in the initial decision to get tattooed, for many, it became a hot bonus post-needling, as seen in the responses to Question 2:

If sexual attractiveness did not play a part in your initial tattoo decision, has it ever become a factor afterward? For example, did you later find that more people were attracted to you or that you felt more attractive being tattooed?

• Now that “Definitely” response jumped from 10% to 39.3%
• The “somewhat” response also increased to 44%.
• And “Not at all” went down to 16.7%

The anecdotes were especially delish. Many noted that tattoos were an instant icebreaker allowing people to make that all-important first approach in a much cooler way. “Who's your artist?” is the new “What’s your sign?” at the local bar. It applies to both men and women.

Kevin, a 26-year-old from Atlanta says, “Once I had my full sleeve, I could tell a noticeable difference in the way women interacted with me, and whom was attracted to me. The visible tattoos give a perfect excuse for anyone (sexual or not,) to walk up and start a conversation.”

Meanwhile, one California woman says it helps with the flirting: “I have my tattoo on my hip, so whenever someone asks about it, I get to sexily tug down my jeans just half an inch so it can peek out. And I definitely feel like a lot of guys find it sexy because it takes a certain amount of confidence about who you are and your body.”

Another important part is the intimacy created by the tattoo reveal. Maxime from Switzerland gets to the essence of it: “People want to look close at tattoos –– closer than they'd usually look at your skin. Tattoos break a certain perception of intimacy and of the natural spatial limits people usually respect between them.”

There’s also the allure and mystique of a hidden secret as explained by one 40-year-old New Yorker: “My tattoos can't be seen when I'm covered up, and people react to the idea of them –– they're enticing, and people want to see, and if someone were to have a limited conception of who I was (in a seemingly straight job, married, with kids) the notion of tattoos means they have to adjust their worldview, which can be intriguing to them.”

Of course, not everyone has purely positive experiences. Soraya, who is 54 years old, speaks of the pros and cons tattoos have played in her sex life: “My tattoo and piercing history stretches back over 30 years. I started with a couple small tattoos over a period of a few years, and then it was maybe 20 years before the next, and I then started getting heavy coverage. Right from the beginning, I found that I enjoyed the act of getting tattooed. It sort of aroused me (I now know that is endorphin-related), and I felt very sexual after getting tattooed. As time went on, I became even more aware of the sexual aspects of tattooing for me. My tattoos became a part of my sexual play with my husband, and I used them to 'entice' him. He finds my tattoos to be very attractive. Going back to my early experience, however it was a mixed bag, and the partners I had generally didn't share my view of tattoos being sexually attractive. Before I met my husband, most of the guys I was with viewed me as something of a freak, or at least a curiosity.”

The freak thing goes both ways. As one person put it: “I attract more weirdos.”

Beyond how others view the tattooed sexually, the most important issue is probably how we view ourselves, as raised by Question 3:

How do you rate your own attractiveness with tattoos?

• A huge 67.7% said “more attractive with tattoos.”
• It made “no difference” to 31.4%.
• And less than 1%, only 5 people, said their tattoos made them feel “less attractive.”

While the Archives of Dermatology tattoo removal survey highlighted the opinion of the minority, my focus is going to be on that of the majority –– those who answered my survey by stating that tattoos made ‘em feel like sexy mothafuckers.

Soraya sums up the sex factor well: “Oh, I’m absolutely more attractive! While I think the untattooed body is beautiful, it is mostly undifferentiated. It is sort of like the Sahara Desert –– beautifully featureless. Tattoos add focus and bring identity to specific areas of the body. If you are heavily tattooed like me, almost every spot has some identifier associated with it, the spot by the peony or the cherry blossom on my arm. I think when you call out or bring attention to a part of your body, you enhance its overall attractiveness. I'm not young anymore, but I look in the mirror and think that I really look hot for a woman my age, and I think the tattoos actually help draw attention away from the inevitable effects of age!”

Here’s another favorite quote, this one from 22-year-old Anna of Santa Cruz: “On my worst day my tattoos are still beautiful. They're beauty is not lessened by my bad mood, bloated tummy, or bad hair day.”

But it’s also the attitude of “owning” your tattoos and the way you look that gives many the freedom to feel beautiful. One 29-year-old New Yorker explains: “Having to stand up to constant judgment by a tattoo-unfriendly society has made me more confident and assertive, which in itself is attractive. They've helped me be more comfortable in my skin. Plus, my ink itself is lovely and accentuates my body. It's flattering; how it flows and fits my body is a major part of designing each of my tattoos.”

At the end of the day though, a good, healthy self-confidence will definitely help get you laid either way. Rachel from Pittsburgh says, “I'm just hot, with or without tattoos.”

Come back next Wednesday when we talk about the mutual attraction of tattoo collectors. Meanwhile, leave your own sexy comments for me below.

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Marisa DiMattia is co-founder and editor of the multimedia tattoo site and blog Needled.com. She thinks Belgian tattoo artists are sexy.

For more of Margaret Cho’s beautiful views on tattoos, check back here on September 22 for her SG column. Also check out my Needled.com video interview with her by clicking HERE.

From ancient tribal cultures to San Francisco's leather boy scene, tattoos have been inextricably linked with sex for many. Yet, while the art form continues to reach heights of popularity, sex gets left out of tattoo talk, largely in lieu of pop culture ... like, say, Kat Von D's colon cleanse.

So, it's time to kick it old school, Salt-n-Pepa style, and talk about sex in its relation to tattoo art and the act of tattooing.

And this ain't just one conversation.

Sex and tattoos evoke an orgy of issues, and untangling the multiple limbs is surely fun but can get complicated because they range from how tattoos play a part in sexual attractiveness (whether it be the wearer's self-perception or how tattoos factor in choosing a lover) to the intimate relationship between tattoo artist and client (and the development of sexual attraction in the tattoo chair) to even people achieving orgasm during tattooing.

Yes, there are people who climax while getting needled. Not many -- otherwise there would be way more full body suits walking around -- but it does happen.

The cumming client stories, however, get passed around like myths and legends around tattoo shops and online. Nobody at our own
Calypso Tattoo studio was ever doused with sperm during a session, and though the dirty messages I've gotten at Needled.com would make even a Suicide Girl blush, none had ever provided me with empirical evidence of such pain and pleasure proclivities.

Thus, last November, my Tattoos & Sex Survey was born. Ten online questions designed for stats, anecdotes, and even the option of names and emails for confirmation and follow-up.

The result:

• 561 responses from the heavily tattooed to the dude with the one tribal arm band, the majority claiming to be "visibly tattooed."


• Gay, straight, bi, transgendered, and confused.


• From ages 18 to 54 to "old enough."


• Homeboys from Brooklyn, Slovenians and Swedes, Maori in New Zealand, US soldiers in Afghanistan, Singapore sexperts, and British and Belgian bombshells all answered, among others worldwide.


• And oddly enough, the male to female ratio was almost exactly 50/50 for those who stated their gender.

But the stats are the least sexy part of it all. The personal stories behind numbers will get you hot, or just bothered, depending on your taste.

Still, I can't give it all away at once. What kinda girl do you think I am?

SuicideGirls is letting me prolong the action in this four-part Erotic Ink column, starting today with the survey results and a nibble at some of the sexy stories, then going deeper every Wednesday this month for the three big issues:

• (1) sexual motivations behind getting tattooed,
• (2) attraction to other tattoo collectors and tattoo artists,
• (3) arousal and orgasm while getting tattooed.

You'll read the survey stories, commentary from sex experts, and maybe even think about your own experience and any subconscious motivations behind that Koi fish on your shoulder. Time to whip out your Freud, my friends.

Enough foreplay. Check the results.



Most people said that they got tattooed for no one but themselves, but feeling confident and beautiful in their tattoos, have definitely helped them attract lovers. Still, there were a kinky few who got tattooed purely for sex like the 37-year-old siren, Sarah:

"I chose the spot on the back of my neck/upper back because I knew it was an area my husband looked at (and nibbled) frequently. The eroticism of the tattoo can become overwhelming to him sometimes, and all it is is simple flowers and vine. But it's placement was in a very sexy place for him. It helps that I really love it as well."




Here the results are close on tattoos leading to more action, but a number did say that tattoos have even hurt their chances with more conservative types. Not for this 29-year-old Australian hottie Rachel, though, who explains:

"I certainly feel more attractive with my tattoos, only in the sense that they are a part of me becoming more 'myself' and more comfortable and accepting of who I am and what I feel/think. I've also found it interesting (peculiar?) to note that since I have become tattooed, all my sexual partners have also had tattoos. I was in a long-term relationship that had ended shortly before I got tattooed, and my ex-partner and boyfriends before that didn't have any. I've since clocked up experiences with You-Give-Tribal-a-Bad-Name Bartender, I-Can't-Believe-You-Tattooed-An-X-Man-On-Your-Back' Bassplayer, Hey-That-Ankh-Is-Actually-Symmetrical Goth and most disturbingly, You're-So-Gonna-Regret-That-When-You're-Thirty Lad (he was 21 and his homemade tattoo said 'Kill Me'). Bloody hell, there's a moral there somewhere."



The majority clearly feels more attractive with tattoos here, but sometimes, it's just about being badass says 29-year-old Justin:

"Tougher, not more sexual. I mean, it's painful. That's about all the bragging rights I have."



"A bad tattoo is a serious deal breaker" was common language for this question, although many clarified that it really was racist and sexist subject matter rather than shoddy linework and shading that keeps another outta their bed.

Tazmanian Devil flash work, however, is effective birth control.



The ultimate tattoo snob question, many answered honestly that bad tattoos play a role like bad fashion. Madeleine, a 35-year-old from Puerto Rico said it best:

"Unattractive tattoos have the same effect as unattractive style in clothing. It plays a part on how we do the 'blink' analysis of the person in question (the one or two seconds in which we decided Yes or No)."



More than one person called me an idiot for asking this question, but considering almost 30% of respondents clicked tattoo artist hotness as a factor, I ain't that stupid for askin. But I agree that it isn't a good idea to base your next sleeve on how sexy the person wielding the needle is, as 27-year-old Richard of England shares:

"I'm embarrassed to admit this, but when I was once given the choice of two tattoo artists who could tattoo me, I chose the attractive apprentice female over the experienced male. The woman who tattooed me was a very talented artist but she was an inexperienced tattooist and I paid the price: she tattooed too deep on me and I'm currently looking into my cover-up/repair options. I won't make that mistake again. It's one thing to get on a bus and choose to sit next to the hot girl rather than the fat guy, but a tattoo is for life."



The answers started changing once people got into the tattooist's chair and spent time with their artist. Kailei, a 23-year-old from Hawaii says:

"Getting tattooed does create an interesting kind of intimacy with your artist. I think it has more to do with the fact that you tend to spend hours and hours on end with the same person in a state of relative undress while they touch and reposition you. I quickly become comfortable with my artists, but often just spending that much time with someone who's into art and tattooing is enough to kindle an attraction."



A good number feel a tingle beyond the tattooed spot, but the majority remain unaroused. Not as many BDSM respondents as expected. It basically came down to this, as over-40 Susan from Texas puts it:

"Too busy concentrating on not moving."




Ummmm ... some of these are too hot. I'm gonna make ya wait.

Especially for the special extra anecdotes that question 10 asked for.

Want more? Check back here next Wednesday. Meanwhile, leave me dirty messages below on what your experience with tattoos and sex is like.

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Marisa DiMattia is co-founder and editor of the multimedia tattoo site and blog Needled.com. She thinks Belgian tattoo artists are sexy.