According to this chart, nose piercings started to be mentioned in literature around 1986, and the explosion in their popularity dates back to about 1991. Since the early 2000's, they've maintained a similar level of popularity, at least if it's still the same now as it was in 2008.

http://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=nose+piercings&year_start=1970&year_end=2008&corpus=0&smoothing=3

Ngram suggests that the tattoo explosion began a bit earlier, sometime around 1980. The mentions of the term 'tattoos' in the literature Google samples doubled in the 80s and doubled again in the 90s, and has stayed as of 2008 relatively constant since 2002.

http://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=tattoos&year_start=1950&year_end=2008&corpus=0&smoothing=3

Anyway, I voted mid 90's. That seems about the time they became nearly as common as they are now. I think throughout the 80's and a bit of the way into the 90's having a nose ring or visible tattoos would make people stereotype you as an 'alternative' type but now it's so mainstream that of anything you'd be stereotyped as straight edge or boring for not having anything.  ;D

When were they not mainstream?  Did you know Ward Cleaver had a tattoo that said "June is my bitch!" on his ass? :D

When were they not mainstream?  Did you know Ward Cleaver had a tattoo that said "June is my bitch!" on his ass? :D


;D

I think the early to mid 2000's it became mainstream. In the 1996-1999 period it wasn't mainstream to have tatoos. Than the Allen Iverson Sports Illustrated Cover came out in 2001 and it kind of paved the way for tatoos becoming mainstream. I think the rap era of 2003-2008, and  the show "Miami INK" with Kat Von D popularized the tatoo trend.

I think the early to mid 2000's it became mainstream. In the 1996-1999 period it wasn't mainstream to have tatoos. Than the Allen Iverson Sports Illustrated Cover came out in 2001 and it kind of paved the way for tatoos becoming mainstream. I think the rap era of 2003-2008, and  the show "Miami INK" with Kat Von D popularized the tatoo trend.


I voted late 1990's because I remember those sticker tattoos were popular back then but it wasn't really like now until the 2000's, you're right.

Early nineties.  Tattoos above the collarbone and pierced genitals made it to the mainstream in the late nineties. 
::)

Early nineties.  Tattoos above the collarbone and pierced genitals made it to the mainstream in the late nineties. 
::)


Thankfully facial tattoos still aren't mainstream quite yet.  ::)

Thankfully facial tattoos still aren't mainstream quite yet.  ::)


Hmm, now you've seriuosly made me wonder if they ever will be  :o

Athletes didn't start getting tattoos much until the mid 90s, with Dennis Rodman and the like. I think the rest of society was pretty similar, you started seeing more "square" types getting tattoos in the mid to late 90s while before then they had always been seen as kind of risque or even trashy.

Thankfully facial tattoos still aren't mainstream quite yet.  ::)


Heck, you wanna talk about not main stream, there's a famous stripper who has a giant spider web tattoo on her buttocks and centered in her bung hole.  I'd post the pics, but I'd get banned for life!
:D