A quick U.S. snapshot
Permanent makeup is a form of tattooing, but it is often researched through a different lens: everyday convenience, personal appearance, and the care required before and after treatment. The figures below use the newest nationally representative tattoo survey we could identify, alongside current federal and Texas safety guidance.
32%
of U.S. adults say they have a tattoo.
Pew Research Center surveyed 8,480 U.S. adults in July 2023. The figure includes every type of tattoo, not permanent makeup alone.
Source: Pew Research Center, 202322%
of U.S. adults say they have more than one tattoo.
This figure comes from the same 2023 Pew survey and shows that repeat tattooing is common in the broader market.
Source: Pew Research Center, 202346%
of adults ages 30 to 49 say they have a tattoo.
This was the highest tattoo prevalence reported across the age groups Pew compared in its July 2023 survey.
Source: Pew Research Center, 202332%
of tattooed adults cite personal appearance as a reason for getting a tattoo.
Pew asked tattooed adults whether this was a major or minor reason for any of their tattoos.
Source: Pew Research Center, 202324%
of tattooed adults say they have regretted one or more tattoos.
This is a broad tattoo figure, not a permanent makeup result. It is a useful reminder that a thoughtful consultation and clear expectations matter.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2023150+
adverse-reaction reports were linked to certain permanent makeup ink shades in 2003 and 2004.
The FDA notes that the affected inks were voluntarily recalled in 2004. This is a historical event, not a current count of reactions.
Source: U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationWhat the safety guidance says
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration treats the inks used for intradermal tattoos, including permanent makeup, as cosmetics. Its current fact sheet lists infection, allergic reactions, removal problems, granulomas, keloid formation, and rare MRI-related issues among the concerns people should understand before tattooing.
Texas requires studios that provide permanent cosmetics to hold a Department of State Health Services license. Texas also requires studios to provide aftercare instructions and sets sanitation and licensing standards for tattoo and permanent cosmetics facilities.
Read the FDA tattoo and permanent makeup fact sheetRead Texas permanent cosmetics studio requirements
Methodology and sources
The U.S. prevalence and sentiment figures on this page come from Pew Research Center’s July 10 to 16, 2023 survey of 8,480 adults. The safety and licensing details come from current guidance published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Texas Department of State Health Services. This page separates broad tattoo survey findings from permanent makeup-specific safety information, because the two are not interchangeable.
- Pew Research Center: “32% of Americans have a tattoo, including 22% who have more than one”, published August 15, 2023.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: “Tattoos & Permanent Makeup: Fact Sheet”, accessed October 28, 2026.
- Texas Department of State Health Services: licensing requirements for tattoo and permanent cosmetics studios, accessed October 28, 2026.
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