I think I am one of maybe a handful of people left in my generation without tattoos, and I often feel like I'm the only one who actively dislikes them. Youth being transitory, good diet, sleep, and exercise bring the human form to its peak; ink or bits of metal jabbed into your skin can only take it in the other direction. In my opinion, some people are naturally beautiful enough that a few small tattoos don't get in the way too much, but enough tattoo coverage will make anyone certifiably ugly, at least in this modern/Western societal context.
I see how tattoos might be appealing, but in that case I don't understand why temporary tattoos aren't more popular. Maybe there is a kind of catharsis a person achieves, or a satisfying definitive statement a person makes, by permanently altering their body. It is a decisive way to signal dedication to some group or idea.
Whatever it is, it must have something to do with the reason that piercings and tattoos are the norm, not the exception, for human cultures across time and place. It's really only the culture of European Christendom and its direct descendant culture(s) where tattoos and piercings have been taboo, and certain piercings at least still remained common for women throughout that time. So I see the recent trend of lots of tattoos and piercings (well, recent enough...it started back in the 1990s) as a return to normal; I'm just a freak.