Everyone has an opinion on tattoos. In 2015, 20% of Americans over age 18 had tattoos, women are generally more tatted than men, and 25% of tattooed people regret their tattoos.

So why do some people like tattoos?

For some, tattoos memorialize the past . Others like tattoos that are artistic and aesthetically pleasing. There's a stigma that people with tattoos are self-destructive and that tattoos are a reflection of a bad childhood. Here's the thing: it is just stigma.

I actually told my sister-in-law that I didn't like wrist tattoos when I got mine, and to this day, I don't love the placement. But I love the tattoos. Here's why.

My tattoos say "inner beauty" and "fear not". Although I personally don't love wrist tattoos, the placement of these was very important to me. I wanted to be able to see these phrases as often as possible. I wanted to be able to constantly tell myself to be as beautiful of a person as possible, and not to let fear (of failure, rejection, etc.) stop me from doing anything I really wanted to do.

It was very important to me to have these reminders somewhere I would always see them. I've often looked at my right wrist and made a decision based on not wanting to be afraid.

If you believe people are judging you for your tattoos, let them know why you have them, and let them know that you don't need their approval to be happy with yourself.