It isn't really surprising to learn that countless celebrities love tattoos, nor is it surprising that those who are in the public eye and in the media can have quite a significant influence on the American population's fascination with tattoos. The stars have a variety of tattoos, and so pretty much all of their fans crave tattoos also.

For celebrities, age is not a real factor; older stars just like the younger ones have them too. We know all of these people well - but how much do we identify with the distinctive styles of artwork they choose?

One of America's greatest movie stars, Robert DeNiro, has appeared in movies sporting no few tattoos. Whether or not his fans work out that they are only accessories for his films, the fact is in real life Robert DeNiro has only one tattoo, that of a black panther.

Another great actor who shows off assorted tattoos in his movies is Johnny Depp; however all of his, are real. Bruce Willis also has a few tattoos; notably the symbol of his movie "Die Hard."

Tattoos have been in style for a very long time with the top musicians who can sport the largest number and most radical and hardcore of designs. The former teen idol Justin Timberlake has a guardian angel, amongst others. Rapper Eminem has more tattoos than you can shake a stick at, including his daughter's name and his own. The wording on Keith Urban's wrist, "Omni Vincit Amor" is Latin for 'Love Conquers All;' he also has an eagle on one arm.

Sports celebrities also known to go for tattoos. Michael Jordan has his fraternity symbol tattooed above his heart, whilst Dennis Rodman is a virtual canvas of artwork.

Not to be outdone, numerous female stars also show assorted degrees of artwork. Young actress Drew Barrymore is basically a canvas full of tattoos and it is said that she created the larger part of the designs herself. Reese Witherspoon is a little more subtle, wearing only one small star tattoo which is hardly ever visible.

Pamela Anderson has a variety of tattoos also, the most notable of these being the word 'Mommy' on one finger, which reportedly used to read 'Tommy.' Spice Girl Victoria Beckham has five stars to represent every member of her family, her husband's initials, and the traditional Jewish phrase 'I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine.'

Some of the modern supermodels also brandish tattoos. Kate Moss, Christy Turlington, and Stephanie Seymour all have these changeless forms of fashion accessories. Many supermodels who opt for tattoos show fewer and smaller designs than celebrities in other fields. While very many celebrities have worn tattoos for a very long time, the popularity of tattoos amongst stars has been increasing, both in the group of celebrities who carry them and the multitude of tattoos that they wear. Only a very few have just one tattoo. More and more are taking on a generous bunch of tattoos as well as more visible tattoos, using skin as a canvas for nearly unlimited varieties of ageless artwork.

As celebrities show off their love of tattoos, and this is picked up by the media, it presents an ever-increasing influence for their fans, especially amongst the younger fans, who want to do likewise. As with anything else that stars do in the public eye, their influence with tattoos helps this form of artwork become more widespread, more trendy, and more acceptable to most of the American population altogether.