Used to be only a few got them. Now they are prevalent. It’s not my preference to see a woman with tons of tattoos. I’m not sure if the trend will abate. But I bet you will see more temporary markings in the future.

I can understand where you're coming from. Tattoos have become incredibly popular, especially in younger generations. As you acknowledged, tattoos can be seen as an important form of self-expression and a way for people to communicate aspects of their identity. For women, tattoos can symbolize empowerment, personal stories, and cultural connections.

 
Historically, tattoos have held different meanings across various cultures and classes. For instance, Polynesian tattoos were used to signify status, tribal belonging, and life achievements, and some Indigenous groups (like mine) still use tattoos as rites of passage. Tattoos were often associated with the working class or marginalized groups, and at times, they’ve been a form of rebellion or resistance against the establishment. This association has persisted in some areas, though tattoos have certainly become more mainstream over time. And what's so interesting is tattoos are sometimes perceived as "low-end" but high-end, professional tattoos, often meticulously done can run in the thousands of dollars.

 
Research has shown that women are increasingly using tattoos as a means of empowerment. A study from the Journal of Women and Social Work (2017) noted that women often choose tattoos to "reclaim their bodies, challenge societal norms, or communicate personal experiences." Given the increasing fight, especially in the US over women's bodily autonomy, this is not surprising.

 
As for the idea of tattoos as a competition, that’s an interesting perspective and it might be worth considering if "confirmation bias" is at work. If you're seeing more tattoos, it’s possible you're noticing them more because they stand out to you now, not because they are a trend. Our brains tend to focus on what aligns with our existing beliefs, so it might feel like tattoos are everywhere, when in reality, the people with visible tattoos may have just become more comfortable expressing themselves in public.  

 
I’m not sure if the tattoo trend will “abate” or if it’s just a cyclical part of culture. And with conservative values resurgent, you'll either notice tattoos becoming even more popular as a statement of defiance and/or a way to assert one's individuality OR people will refrain from getting inked as a way to signal their higher value compared to their inked peers.  

..is not going away anytime soon. Personally, I only have a couple of small tattoos but I want a few more. My desire to get another tattoo or two is not the most pressing and for various reasons, life gets in the way.  

 
However for companions who are heavily tattooed, they are obviously committed. They are not catering to or in anyway concerned about men who think tattoos all over their back, arms, or legs makes someone less desirable. In fact, I know for certain that there are tattooed providers who've had pieces sponsored by suitors who appreciate their aesthetic. If a provider with lots of large tattoos is consistently booked by people who admire them as they are, why would it matter to them that there are some clients who don't care for tattoos?

In the beginning, it was counter culture to get them for many. But when many have them, wouldn't counter culture be not to get them?  
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It may be the type of thing back when FaceBook was new, only young people were on that platform. Then when their parents, and even their grandparents joined, it suddenly made it uncool for the younger set and they fled and went to IG, TikTok, Snapchat, etc.
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Now, I see more and more people online stating they are having them removed. I think we will see a slow movement away from them but it's just a hunch. I never really minded them too much as long as they weren't distracting and extravagant. Of course people will have differing opinions on those definitions.

The popularity of tattoos, especially in western culture, has ebbed and flowed over the course of the late 19th, 20th, and early 21st centuries. But tattoo culture isn’t going anywhere. To call them a “fad” is dismissive of their role in culture and society, both modern and historic, considering they’ve been around for thousands of years. I have a full tattoo sleeve on one arm and a half sleeve on the other as well as numerous leg and back tattoos. Some tell a story, like my sleeves, others are just an expression of my interests or views on the world. I got the majority of them in my late teens and twenties after the turn of the century when tattoos were highly popular and visible in mainstream culture. I viewed mine as self expression and not a symbol of rebellion or counterculture. While I have my preference in tattoos I find visually appealing on a woman’s body I wouldn’t choose to not see a provider simply because of her ink. American traditional, black and white gothic, neo- modern, I’ll enjoy it all. Unless she was a Nazi sporting an SS tattoo or swastika, of course.

is that one day they will be old women, with wrinkles and sagging skin, and it can make that cute tattoo of their baby that got when they were 23 look like some kind of missing link when they are 65.  

You're right, you are old fashioned. Tattoos have gone mainstream and are no longer associated with thugs and hooliganism unless you are from the older generation. It used to be that people would even cover them up in white collar corporate. Now it's acceptable to have them visible. It still might impact your career trajectory at the larger companies depending on who is in charge though, but you don't have to hide them anymore. Tattoos are very much accepted in the restaurant industry.

Lots of interesting replies to this OP. I'll just post this to the OP even tho' if could have been to any of several other posts.  
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This is a movie based on historical facts:  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Cherry
Red Cherry
"... The movie was based on the true story of Chuchu (based on Zhu De's daughter Zhu Min[1]), a 13-year-old Chinese girl, and Luo Xiaoman, a 12-year-old Chinese boy, who were sent to Moscow, Russia in the 1940s and enrolled into an international boarding school. ..."
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"... Chuchu and several other students were spared when a high-ranking German officer, General Von Dietrich, arrived and sent them to work as servants at Nazi headquarters in the Yakovlev Monastery. General Von Dietrich was not only a military general, but also a perverted doctor who took tattooing as a hobby — he enjoyed tattooing heraldries on the bodies of young girls and parading them to his guests at parties, and decided to use Chuchu for his greatest "masterpiece". This was ironically what saved her life, because when the General learned that the Third Reich was doomed, instead of having Chuchu executed with the rest of the prisoners, he had her dumped in a field so that his "masterpiece" would live on before committing suicide himself. ..."
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Overall, an excellent movie. It won several awards. I recommend it.  
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Chuchu was a prisoner tattooed against her will during WWII. Millions of other prisoners were also tattooed against their will.

Funny SNL skit on the subject

https://youtu.be/vBmvfW7WOUc?si=E-wsu6pzUQSO6Vfn

Tattoos are definitely a turn-off!

Many, many times I have skipped over an otherwise great looking provider because she has tattoos.  Even one tattoo is annoying.  Fortunately most search engines give that as an option you can filter out.  

Do you.

I love beautiful body art! I embrace my ink. I think tattoos are sexy. Everyone is different. Do you.

You don't put  a bumper sticker on a Ferrari

...and it's unlikely that they'll get any less popular. Personally I love well done ink on anyone, and I especially like colorful sleeves, especially on women. I find it sexy as hell. I have a couple of smaller ones that I got years ago and NO REGERTS 🤭

...with some moron at the age of 15 or 16 who later in life would make them vomit if they had to date or even be with?  How many 16-18 year old men are absolutely certain they're going to want to be this or that their whole lives?  A lot of these people have been sucked into the fad part of tattoos and are making lifelong decisions based on their extremely limited world view.  So many things in life will change for them in just 10 years but they've already decided what their 40 year old bodies should look like.

Just read that the tattoo removal industry sector was at a half billion in 2023 and expected to reach 4 billion by 2035.  

A small part is real, a large part is fad.  Just like transitioning to a different sex, pretty common on the coasts, much less common in the midwest.  

and I think the level of artistry has only gotten better in the last couple decades—more detail, more interconnected and intricate pieces… I’m really digging the larger, flowing floral designs I see lately.  Tattoos have always been a form of self expression, a way to differentiate yourself from others. Of course that usually takes the form of what you get, since every tattoo is different, and where—and we have seen tattoos go from places normally covered to forearms, necks and now faces. So with almost every young person having tattoos, and even the taboo for face tattoos is not the taboo it used to be, I think that does leave open the possibility to have NO tattoo as a way to differentiate yourself from everyone else. There is a segment of people who want to remain “pure” and “untouched.”  I can even get behind this idea in some aspects, as I love women who have a full bush and body hair (not facial hair though), and I find no scent more erotic than a woman’s natural scent.   So yeah, I do think there will always be a place for women (a minority, but still some) who forgo body modifications.

Some people still think that tattoos are some kind of rebellion- that era has long passed!  

 
I am neither against nor for ink, it's just a part of a person so it is what it is. I personally haven't had tattoos or lack of them impede my enjoyment of any sex acts.

There are very few things in my life that are worth tattooing. Nationals winning the World Series in 2019, and also something sweet about my parents (who are both still living), and actually the only people I unconditionally love.  

 
I don't have any ink but might (might being the key word) get some next time I go to Vegas. Vegas has some badass ink artists.

When I started hobbying 20 years ago, I used to seek out higher end companions because they tended to be not-tattooed (In the cities I went to anyway). Over time this changed, and I eventually had to drop my "no tattoo" restriction in order to allow for a sufficient pool of people to select from.

In the past 5 years I started noticing something else though, nearly every tatooed woman I meet says they got them very young, and are looking to remove them.

My main issue is that tattoos are photoshopped out of images (for privacy) and not every independent or agency is upfront about saying they have tattoos. So you have to ask about tattoos each and every time. For some women they look amazing, and very fitting for their look. But most of the time I wish they were not there.