But there was a time when tattoos were looked upon with contempt especially among the leading celebrities of the moment. Anyone who had tattoos was generally regarded as being on the fringes of society. However, all that started to change in the 1960s when prominent stars such as Janis Joplin started the trend for celebrity tattoos. Over time they have become more socially acceptable.

Today, celebrity tattoos have gone mainstream and the culture of celebrity tattoos covers acting, sport, music, models and people who are famous for being famous. Just look at some of the celebrities who are known to have tattoos; 50 Cent, Christina Aguilera, Pamela Anderson, David Beckman, Kelly Clarkson, Johnny Depp, Vin Diesel, Eminem, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Natalie Imbruglia, Angelina Jolie, Anna Kournikova, Lindsay Lohan, Nelly, Kelly Osbourne, Pink, Nicole Richie, Wesley Snipes, Britney Spears, Usher, Holly Valance and Elijah Wood, And there may be many more that could be added to that list who have tattoos hidden in more intimate places.

At present, Angelina Jolie is probably the most famous tattooed celebrity in Hollywood. Her designs include tribal dragons, a tiger and various pieces of foreign writing on her shoulders and arms. And a recent poll that voted her the sexiest woman in the world is further evidence that celebrity tattoos are now widely accepted.

And despite the potential for problems with their work other leading actors also display a wide range of tattoo designs.

In fact Johnny Depp is so heavily tattooed that he routinely has to have his skin painted to cover up his body art before he films certain scenes. However, some of his tattoos remain uncovered during filming and are incorporated into the character he is playing. This is another stong indication that celebrity tattoos are well and truly part of mainstream culture.

Vin Diesel and Wesley Snipes both have a number of tattoos on their arms and chest. Pamela Anderson had a barbed wire design tattooed on her arm for her role in the movie Barb Wire. And when she separated from her husband Tommy Lee, she had the tattoo on her finger that read "Tommy" changed to read "Mommy" to represent her commitment to her children.

Celebrity tattoos are also extremely popular in the music business, especially with rock stars, R&B artists and hip hop stars, such as Eminem, 50 Cent and Justin Timberlake.

However, you don't have to be a celebrity to get a celebrity tattoo. Anyone can get the hottest tattoo designs available regardless of their level of fame. It doesn't matter who you are, whether it's a movie star, rock star, shop assistant or factory worker, you can still enjoy having your own tattoo that makes a powerful statement about who you are and what you believe. And if you want the same type of tattoo as your favorite celebrity, there are many websites and magazines available that display great pictures of celebrity tattoos. So it's possible to find the celebrity tattoo design that you want within minutes of going online.