More men hit on women with tattoos: study

A study published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour has found that men consider tattooed women more promiscuous than those with unmarked skin.

The study took a group of women and tasked them with lying on their stomachs on the beach wearing bikinis. Sometimes a fake tattoo was applied to the woman's lower back, sometimes it was left clear.

When women wore the tattoo, men were significantly more likely to approach them.

And men wasted no time approaching tattooed women, with the average "latency" to making a move significantly lower for that group.

So just what is it about tattoos that brought the men running?

Well, it wasn't mere aesthetic appreciation, according to the researchers.

"The level of physical attractiveness attributed to the confederate was not influenced by the tattoo condition," said researcher Nicholas Geugen.

The appeal of the tattoos seems to have been more tactical.

A follow up experiment showed that men thought they had a better chance at a date with the tattooed women. They also said they felt more likely to have sex on the first date when a female had ink.

It's estimated that around 25 percent of Australians have tattoos. Women in their twenties are more likely to have tattoos than men, while body art is more popular for men in other age groups.