Australian girls on the cusp of their 18th birthday are increasingly eyeing a visit to the tattoo studio as a way to usher in womanhood, practitioners say.
The number of young women opting for tattoos has spiked as the art formerly associated with bikers and rockers continues to infiltrate the mainstream.
PHOTOS: The world's worst tattoos
According to experts, contemporary popular culture and a new breed of celebrities have helped to make tattoos more fashionable for teenagers.
Trevor McStay, owner of Dynamic Tattoo in Melbourne, says up to 40 percent of his business now comes from women aged 18 to 25.
"Young women are seeing it as more accessible," he said.
"Gone are the days of them just wanting something small … often they're getting the larger pieces."
For some young women a tattoo would be an exciting way to mark their independence from childhood, says adolescent psychologist Kimberley O'Brien.
"I think nowadays having one tattoo is not seen as something to be worried about … it's more associated with role models like [David] Beckham," she said.
Ms O'Brien said older women may look to childbirth as their benchmark for pain but young women might see tattooing as another way to test their own threshold.
"It's a rite of passage — friends will ask, 'did that hurt?'" she said.
But young women are also being urged to properly consider their choice of tattoo to avoid regretting it down the track.
This week the story of Belgian teenager Kimberley Vlaeminck made headlines around the worldwide after she claimed she fell asleep in a tattoo studio only to wake up "mutilated" with 56 inks on her face.
(Read more: Teen tells of 'nightmare')
Tattoo experts in Australia have disputed the teenager's story, but they say it is crucial for young women to think hard before getting a tattoo. (Read more: Tattooists ridicule sleep claim)
"You can't hide a tattoo … it's there for the rest of your life," said Morag Draper from the Tattoo Gallery in Adelaide.
"We're finding that kids come in just because they have turned 18, but haven’t researched it properly."
Ms Draper said she always recommends that beginners start with small tattoos in concealable places, such as the forearm or ankle — never the hands or face.
"Otherwise I tell them to go away and think about it — or maybe just buy some cocktails," she said.
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