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How tattoos can reveal your lover's personality

Body language experts have offered tips on how your partner's tattoos can help you read their personality.

Judi James, in her new book The You Code, said different designs can offer a deep insight into what the person is really like.

"A tattoo is a way of turning your body into an advertising placard with the underlying desire of getting people to believe what they read there -- but they actually uncover their inner personality. So you can even use tattoos to weigh up a potential date or your other half," the Daily Star quoted Judi as saying.

Judi explained how men and women could display their true colours in their body art.

How to read HER tattoos: Everywhere

Judi says: "Her body contains a mixed bag of tattoos put together with no apparent rhyme nor reason or overall planning. This partner is not the first to want to settle down and is likely to be spontaneous and change her mind with the wind when she's in a relationship. But she is also likely to be an exciting, creative lover."

Her: Mottos and messages

Judi says: "This woman tends to consider herself on a higher level and can often seem distracted. She is looking for a sense of meaning to her life and can appear to be not quite sure of what she wants in a relationship. She is always in search of the perfect lover, which makes her not the perfect partner."

Her: Precious tattoos

Judi says: "This girl has only one or possibly two tattoos and they're safe designs like stars or small hearts or flowers. This girl likes to believe she is a rebel and as daring as hell but in reality she can be a bit of an attention-seeking perfectionist and is high-maintenance in a relationship. But she's the ideal girl to take home to the parents."

Her: Sex signals

Judi says: "These kind of tattoos draw attention to sexiest parts of body and reveal a high level of self-esteem about how sexy the wearer sees herself. But they can also be combined with things that show that they only go so far, like Cheryl Cole's barbed wire."

Her: Blokes' names

Judi says: "This girl could be a complete pain in the neck, falling in love with you utterly and completely -- but only until the next guy comes along. Plus, you also need to wonder why she needs to prove her love to a man by defacing her body just for him. This is likely to be a casual 'I love you, okay?' kind of girl, rather than a true romantic."

How to read HIS tattoos: Lover's name

Judi says: "Surely it must be love because he's gone and got your name etched on his chest? But beware. It implies that he falls in love big but never seems to learn from his mistakes in life. He's the eternal optimist who always thinks he has found The One."

His: Small and traditional

Judi says: "This is not a daring guy as such, but a guy who likes to think he's daring now and again. So though he's likely to surprise you with moments of drama in the bedroom, mostly it's a case of what you see is what you get. A dependable type."

His: Mystical tattoos

Judi says: "Two things stand out about this sort of guy: firstly, he craves attention, but secondly that he considers himself deep but misunderstood. Far from being mere shapes, the puzzling symbols suggest he wants to be taken seriously and seem mysterious and clever."

His: Kids' names

Judi says: "This guy can be the sort who doesn't like to be upstaged in a relationship. It suggests responsibility and sensitivity, but not necessarily staying power in his adult relationship."

His: Wacky designs

Judi says: "A sign of a man who actually leads quite a responsible life. Though he seems quite serious at times, he is also the kind of lover who is likely to keep you entertained with a secretly naughty sense of humour."

His: Sports tattoos

Judi says: "Club crests and trophies show an immense amount of loyalty. The wearer is likely to be an old-fashioned guy who will probably stick around. A bit of an alpha male who likes to be in charge and is into high status."

His: Joke tattoos

Judi says: "This is a bit like wearing funny ties -- trying a bit too hard to have a sense of humour. This fella is actually likely to be a quite serious person in his relationships."

Celeb wearer: Movie star Johnny Depp, 46, changed a tattoo bearing the name of his former lover Winona Ryder (it said 'Winona Forever') to 'Wino Forever'.

His: Animal tattoos

Judi says: "This is the guy saying: 'I may not look like much but I'm actually strong and powerful'. Probably wants to be an animal in the bedroom and this may well be the case."

His: TV and movie tattoos

Judi says: "This is like a little kid dressing up in his favourite costume and identifying with his favourite superhero. Expect him to be a little boy with a big ego in a relationship."