Emerging from a dark past tainted by a bitter reputation, tattoos are finally seeing the light of day, literally.

The San Francisco Tattoo Expo at the Cow Palace on Aug. 29, for example, showed that the people who get tattoos are no longer part of a certain age group, social standing or lifestyle. The lines of what is "appropriate" and "acceptable" are deliberately blurred, as more and more people are expressing themselves through this unique form of body art.

"I tattoo people all across the board, especially middle-aged people and cops," said Florida-based tattoo artist Jeff Kozan. "You name it, I've done it. I recently tattooed a 75-year-old lady."

According to a 2006 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 36 percent of Americans ages 18 to 25 have a tattoo, and 40 percent of those between the ages of 26 and 40 have at least one. That's practically everyone and their mother -- and they're no longer hiding it.

What was once the domain of sailors, bikers and gangsters has now become a trendy staple of mainstream culture.

"I got my first tattoo at 53, and that was the end of it," said Lynn Atkinson, 63. Lynn met her husband, Mike, 62, at a tattoo parlor. The bond they formed that day is unlike most couples.

"For the first four years of our relationship, we went to get a tattoo every other weekend," Mike said. "We spent more than $30,000 on the both of us."

Like many trends, tattoos have gained much prominence through popular TV shows such as TLC's "Miami Ink" and A&E's "Inked."

When TV shows about inking first came out, tattoo artist Justin May was highly skeptical. May, who works at Everlasting Tattoo in San Francisco, initially thought that they'd do more harm than good.

"The shows made getting a tattoo a lot more acceptable, which is a good thing and a bad thing," May said. "From a grouchy old artist's standpoint it's like, 'Where were these people 15 years ago?'"

While tattoos have become more mainstream, they are in high demand and the price of getting one isn't exactly cheap. While most parlors have a minimum charge of at least $40 to $50, the hourly rates can run high. However, it does take a lot of skill to create a piece of art that is beautiful and lasts forever.

It is extremely unfortunate that, although tattoos have become more acceptable in society, there are still plenty of employers who will not consider hiring a person with a tattoo, regardless of its nature.

"I got my tattoo on my back because of work -- I didn't want it to be a bad influence on my image," said Mary Miranda, 18, about the butterfly tattoo she got at the Expo.

But for those who decide to display their ink wardrobe, there is still hope. Not so long ago in American society, it was taboo for young men to sport long hair and even more frowned upon for women to wear pants. It is time to wipe clean the stain of ink taboos.