Getting tattooed 'a sign of low self-esteem'

London, Apr 3 (ANI): If you think that a tattoo will get you noticed among your friends and acquaintances, then it's time to jiggle the thought, for a study has found that the "cool" body art is a sign of low self-esteem.According to psychologists, the art could conceal a poor personal opinion of oneself.

Marie Randle, from Liverpool Hope University, who carried out the study, said: "Tattooing has become more popular in recent years, especially among young women and there is a growing fascination with the tattoos of celebrities.

"The findings of this study suggest that tattoos are not just fashion accessories but driven by a wide range of motivational factors that are significantly associated with self-esteem.

"This strongly suggests that people consider getting tattooed should be encouraged to question their motivation before deciding to permanently change their appearance."

To reach the conclusion, researchers quizzed 48 people, some of whom had tattoos covering much of their body, reports The Telegraph.

They found that there were four main reasons why people got tattoos - to be rebellious, to belong to a group, for aesthetic reasons and because of a strong emotional attachment.

However, Randle said that not everyone who had a tattoo had poor self-esteem.

"We found that having tattoos was just one predictor of self-esteem and not everybody who has tattoos has low self-esteem," the expert said.

The findings were presented at the British Psychological Society annual conference in Brighton. (ANI)