By ALEX SILVERMAN
KIRO Radio

Hundreds of body artists from around the world land in the northwest this weekend, when the annual Tattoo Expo takes over Seattle Center.

The show's website lists its goals as "exposing new talent, showcasing existing fan favorites and providing enthusiasts with gathering place to share their love for this enduring art form." So who are those enthusiasts these days anyway?

West coasters are nearly twice as likely to have tattoos as folks elsewhere in the country, according to a 2008 Harris poll. Democrats are only slightly more likely (15 percent) to have one than Republicans (13 percent). Perhaps the most surprising trend, however, can be found in the age column. 18 to 24-year-olds are among the least likely to get inked; the same percentage of 65-year-olds and up have a tattoo. Nearly a quarter of middle-aged men and women have one.

Sue Falcone never imagined she would have a tattoo. "Until the day I got one. I was 56," she said. "Now I have seven."

Falcone fits right in with her friends. "I'm in a group called 'Tattooed knitters and crocheters,'" she said. "When I showed it to people, dresses were going up in the air -- let me show you mine!"

Vyvyn Lazonga is one of Seattle's premier tattoo artists, in the business for nearly four decades. "It's been a slow momentum of building and building."

Lazonga says customers in their 40s and 50s now make up a good chunk of the business at her downtown Seattle studio. "Sometimes older than that. Sometimes older seniors in their 70s and 80s. It's so cute," she said.

So what's the appeal to older folks, past their rebellious stage? "Most of my tattoos have personal meaning for me. It's just an extension of peoples' personalities," Falcone said.

For some women, a tattoo can replace what breast cancer has taken from them. "It's catching on," Lazonga said. "Just seeing what, visually, can be done over a scar, is kind of encouraging."

The Harris numbers say 84 percent of people who get a tattoo never regret it. "Everything's been spelled correctly, so I'm good there," said Falcone. "I'm sure I'll get more."

Among featuring new and established artist talent, the expo will also feature daily contests for the best tattoos in various categories, seminars for tattoo artists and public after show events at El Corazon. The expo runs Friday through Sunday at Seattle Center.

You might also be interested in:

• Photo Gallery: Madame Lazonga's Tattoo
• Seattle Tattoo Expo
• Madame Lazonga's Tattoo