It's the same reason everyone wears masks, and why white people demonstrate against "whiteness" -- it's the power of the herd instinct. Most people are terrified of thinking for themselves. They do what they think is the stylish thing to do, the smart thing to do, the clever thing to do, because they've been told these things by the media and by their peers, who got it from the media. Tattoos are idiotic. If you think about it, you will see that they disfigure and have no value. They also provide excellent proof of visual identification for the police. They are forbidden by God in the Bible. Even more stupid, and equally forbidden, is putting bits of metal through your nose or mouth. Yet people do it. For me, a tattoo or a piercing is a sure indication that I'm looking at a person who is not very bright.