From David Beckham to Justin Bieber, many celebrities are known for their vast collections of tattoos.
But it’s not just these inked-up stars who are fond of tattoos.
Other A-listers who have secretly hit the studio include Keke Palmer, Tom Holland, and even Kendall Jenner, who has the word ‘meow’ tattooed onto her inner lip.
So, do these inkings change your perception of these stars?
In a recent study, researchers from Michigan State University revealed how people make judgements based on someone’s tattoos.
According to their analysis, people like Ed Sheeran with cheerful, colourful tattoos are seen as more agreeable.
In contrast, people like Zayn Malik, who opt for tattoos featuring death imagery, are more likely to be rated as unpleasant.
‘While people often believe tattoos reveal deep truths about someone’s personality, those impressions usually do not hold up,’ said William J Chopik, lead author of the study.
Cheerful and colourful tattoos
In the study, the team showed 375 tattoos to 30 people, who were asked to rate the personalities of the people behind them.
The results revealed that people with cheerful and colourful tattoos were more likely to be seen as agreeable.
‘If tattoos had more life (vs. death) imagery or were comforting (vs. disturbing), the participant was rated as more agreeable,’ the team said.
Stars with colourful tattoos include singer Ed Sheeran, and TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson.
Sheeran, 34, – whose 60 strong collection of tattoos includes cartoon penguin Pingu, a Heinz Ketchup label and a gingerbread man – has spent more than 40 hours getting inked by Derby-based tattooist Kevin Paul.
But fans ‘forgot’ how many colourful tattoos Ed had across his chest and back, as he showed them off in a recent TikTok video.
Meanwhile, Jonsson took to Instagram in 2022 to reveal a colourful flower tattoo on her arm, coloured in a bright pink.
Stars with colourful tattoos include singer Ed Sheeran (left), and TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson (right)
British model, Cara Delevingne has more than 20 tattoos to her name, including an abstract face on the back of her left arm
Expressionist tattoos
Expressionist tattoos tend to convey ‘strong human emotions, passions, anxieties and general alienation around a loss of spirituality’, according to Tattoo Filter.
But if you have one, you might be seen as unconscientious, according to the study.
British model, Cara Delevingne has more than 20 tattoos to her name, including an abstract face on the back of her left arm.
Actor Chris Hemsworth, meanwhile, surprised fans in 2022 when he unveiled a geometric design on the inside of his right forearm.
Large, traditional-looking tattoos
When you think of tattoos, large, traditional-looking designs might be the first to spring to mind.
And according to the reseachers, people with these kinds of tattoos are seen as more outgoing.
When you think of tattoos, large, traditional-looking designs might be the first to spring to mind
‘If a tattoo was larger or was more traditional (vs. modern), the participant was rated as more extraverted,’ the team explained.
Stars with large, traditional-looking tattoos include Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who has a tribal-inspired tattoo spanning the width of his left shoulder to his forearm and chest, in homage to his Samoan roots.
Jason Momoa is also fond or a traditional tattoo, with a tribal shark-tooth pattern down his foream, inspired by his family’s ‘aumakua – a god in Hawaiin mythology.
Low quality tattoos
Many celebrities are guilty of getting low quality tattoos.
Back in 2011, actor Zac Efron showed off a tattoo on the side of his hand, reading ‘YOLO’ – an acronym for ‘you only live once’.
However, it seems the actor came to his senses, with the tattoo having subsequently been removed.
Meanwhile, rapper Gucci Mane is known for his ice cream face tattoo, which he has admitted he probably wouldn’t get again.
Unfortunately for these stars, people with low quality tattoos tend to be seen as neurotic, according to the study
In 2020, singer Post Malone debuted a collection of death-related tattoos on the side of his shaved head
Singer Zayn Malik has a skull in the middle of his chest, set amongst dozens of other tattoos
Unfortunately for these stars, people with low quality tattoos tend to be seen as neurotic, according to the study.
‘Someone with a low-quality tattoo may be perceived as less conscientious as others may assume they are less concerned with identifying an excellent artist or satisficing with the quality of their tattoo,’ the researchers said.
Tattoos with death imagery
From skulls and skeletons to Grim Reapers, many popular tattoos feature death imagery.
But if you have a tattoo with one of these symbols, you might be seen as less agreeable.
‘If tattoos had more life (vs. death) imagery or were comforting (vs. disturbing), the participant was rated as more agreeable,’ the researchers explained in the study.
In 2020, singer Post Malone debuted a collection of death-related tattoos on the left side of his shaved head, including a spider, a skull, and succubus.
Meanwhile, singer Zayn Malik has a skull in the middle of his chest, set amongst dozens of other tattoos.
‘Given that death- and disgust-related imagery tends to increase morbid thoughts, it also stands to reason that raters might think people with tattoos of death might be more likely to be higher in neuroticism or lower in agreeableness (compared to those with more life imagery),’ the researchers added.
