I'd like to hear from the community if / how their tattoos and piercings have affected their ability to:
1) get hired
2) find a life partner
3) fit in with society / feel comfortable
4) find acceptance in all parts of their families

Thank you.

I think your looking for younger people to answer this but I'll give it a shot.

1. Nope. My 7 ear piercings show at work the other 3 and the tattoo stay covered. They weren't bothered much when I started showing up with new things. Of course I do have 16 yrs of nursing experience so unless I screw up bad, I'm not going to get fired.

2. Nope, my husband was pretty open to my new piercings (I only had double lobes when we married) he balked a little at the tattoo, partly cause it's so big, but when I told him why I wanted it, he helped me design it.

3. Maybe, depends on what part of society your talking about. I have a fair amount of 40-50 yr old closed-minded friends, a lot of them don't know, some of them think I'm rebelling (against what?) or having a mid life crisis. Truth is, I got tired of waiting for the things I want, I always said, "I'll do it when I'm in better shape, ect." Around my 42nd birthday I realized life is way too short to wait for anything. As far as feeling comfortable, I can honestly say this is the FIRST time in my life I truly am comfortable in my own skin. I wasted a lot of my youth worrying about what "they" would think.

4. It might affect being accepted by my family, not the piercings so much as the tattoo. Truthfully I don't plan on telling my parents about my tattoo (they're 67), but then my father has a tattoo so they don't have much room to talk. My 42 yr old ultra-conservative, religious sister might give me a little trouble, but then again, maybe it might open her mind a little. I'm still the same person I've always been. Now I'm just a little more colorful

So far my job is secure...I have no piercings not even my ears...just not inspired in that direction...but I have a substancial torso piece that swirls form hip across my back to the opposite shoulder...I also just got both my feet done...My BF of 7 years always gets sulky but when I get the work he always loves it and thinks it's beautful. I've never had any negative comments. All my pieces are beautiful florals. How can someone object to flowers??? And if they do I don't give a cr*p....I'm 38 years old. They can kiss my lily white a**. Hey that gives an inky idea!!! Just kidding :P Anyway...I know you're looking for younger people to answer this...but if she plans wisely it probably won't be issue. She can get something somewhere easy cover with clothes or shoes and no one needs to know she has ink but her. I mean seriously "DAD" she could get one now and you'd never know unless you saw her naked...

Ruby

20 years ago i might have agreed but today it is more widely accepted and common than most people think.it is probably one of the most popular practices around today.(tattoos)as far as acceptance:my family has known me all my life and knows who i am and what kind of person i am, if some ink-o.k.lottsa ink- changes their mind or causes a negative reaction then they have the problem not me.as far as work or strangers haven't encountered any problems but if i did i would deal with it because when i got the tattoos i knew there would be people whose reaction would be negative.if you cant see past the ink then maybe we shouldn't associate with each other anyway.and lastly;i could care less what they think of my tattoos!!maybe if we took time to look inside we wouldn't have such misery and grief in the world.

As the person who started this thread, I was hoping to see more input from young people just out of college, perhaps seeking their first professional jobs.

Not too many people like that posting here, I guess!

In my family, I'm continually bombarded with criticism about my daughters' tattoos. "They're such pretty girls....why did they have to do that?" or "I heard about xyz's tattoos" as the first comment from someone with whom I haven't spoken in years. Suggested responses to such comments?

I work in the corporate sector and am a female with:

One large lower leg piece
One lower back piece
Two pieces across the top of my back
One wrist piece

When presenting to executives, I make sure I wear a suit where NONE of my tattoos can show. This is because I work in a closed minded, smaller country that isn't the USA. We are still pretty behind with this sort of stuff.

On days were I am with my colleagues and 'casual' I only ever show my wrist and lower back.

I've deliberately brought up blase conversations with workmates about this subject and all pretty much share the same view that tattoos and the marks of ruffnuts (trouble makers) that want to assert themselves.

In my social circles I have MANY tattooed friends and all of my tattoos have come from artist friends while travelling - so mean so much to me. For me, they are an expression of where I was in my life when I got them as well as the love and thought that went into the design before my friends gave them to me.

My mother HATES them - doesn't want to see them and razzes my friends that gave them to me. My fiance doesn't mind them but always asks "are you planning on anymore?" with a worried look!

Unfortunately, I am not in a position to be carefree with who sees them at work - but with friends if they don't like them - they too can kiss my lily white a** (rubred - good for you honey!!)

thanks chris and hey call me Ruby...I meant to be rubyred but something went wrong at registration...I was going to change it but since getting tattooed rubs you a little red I decided to keep it instead :P

Ruby

No worries Ruby! Nice to meet you

hi ruby
at work i can not show off any of my 4 tattoos, they must be covered at all times.
it means i am limited where i get new ones because we wear t-shirts at work.
lainey

I'm sorry to hear that Lainey I work at an upscale men's store..I dress men all day!!! There are few I would've rather un-dressed...but that's another story. I'm pretty lucky....my boss thinks what I have is gorgeous and encourages me to show it off a little. The male clientele find it well.. HOT!!! And my sales are really high. I've decided in a job interview to talk to whoever that's interviewing me about it and if they have a sour attitude about tattoos. I'll just thank them for their time and leave...

Chris nice to meet you too!!!

Ruby

quote:

Originally posted by oldfuddyduddy:
As the person who started this thread, I was hoping to see more input from young people just out of college, perhaps seeking their first professional jobs.

Not too many people like that posting here, I guess!

In my family, I'm continually bombarded with criticism about my daughters' tattoos. "They're such pretty girls....why did they have to do that?" or "I heard about xyz's tattoos" as the first comment from someone with whom I haven't spoken in years. Suggested responses to such comments?

You could always go with something like "Yes, my girls are beautiful arent they, why don't you ask them?" This will put the explaining off on your daughters, it was their choice, they should be able to explain why.
To the second one you could always go with "Yes.....What's your point?" then while they're standing there like an idiot trying to come up with a point you can say, "I love my daughters, they're wonderful girls, maybe if you'd look past someones skin once and a while and see what's really there you'd have a lot more friends.
I know that's seriously confrontational but if anyone dared say such things to me I'm afraid my "mother bear" would come out big time.
Your daughters are both "of age" or pretty darn close, the truth is you don't have to explain anything, you just have to let people know you love your kids, regardless of what they look like.

nice one JC!

Dad...it seems you have an issue with the girls having tattoos so you can't deal with it when someone asks you or makes a comment. You come to terms with your daughter's tatts and then other people won't make a difference. Maybe use one of the suggestions JC offered. It also sounds like you have brought up children that know who they are and where they want to go...I have read some of your other threads. Is that such a bad thing?

I do have 2 boys of my own, 15 and 9. I am tattooed myself and work in a corporate office and one of my tatts is on my foot and in the summer, everyone sees it. It has not caused any problems yet and if it does, I will ask why are you looking at my foot and not at me?

Some people like them and others don't but I am also 43 and my work should speak for itself.

My 15yr old has really shown no interese in tattoos but my youngest can't wait to get his but I tell him when he is old enough, we will talk about it. I do know where the world is coming from and can also feel for you, Dad but are they good girls, do they do drugs, do they go out and shoot people, are their grades good in school? Look at the big picture not just what they have tattooed on their bodies, there is more too life. You can't always protect them and that is as a parent the hardest thing you will have to face, I am not looking forward to that one!

Good luck!

Hey Cbaire thanx for the comment about the foot tattoo..I just got both my feet done in the past 2 months...a beautiful floral. It's so gorgeous and it's designed in such a way that it looks like it could a strap on a shoe. It's gorgeous...I'll remember that come back in case I get any flack from anyone...

Ruby

Hey Ruby,

I haven't had to use it yet..which is probably a good thing!

Thanks,
Cbaire

I'm 23 and work in an office. They have pretty relaxed attitudes towards tattoos, because a lot of people have them, including the girls. When I know that we have bankers coming in, I try to make sure not to wear anything that really shows them off (although I love my tattoos, I think they're beautiful). One of our HR ladies actually has a tattoo on her wrist, 2 small hearts. My point is, that people are becoming more tolerant of tattoos, especially the rise in girls having them. My mom wasn't crazy about them, but she was glad I got them where I could cover them up if needed. There will always be those who judge them, but as long as they're concealed when needed (or at least any "inappropriate" ones are), your girls shouldn't have any problems.

quote:

Originally posted by oldfuddyduddy:
I'd like to hear from the community if / how their tattoos and piercings have affected their ability to:
1) get hired
2) find a life partner
3) fit in with society / feel comfortable
4) find acceptance in all parts of their families

Thank you.

1. Well mine is a rather large back piece so it wouldn't affect me so much. It's something you need to use some common sense with, I mean if you had your face fully covered and expected to work with the public in a service industry, you need to keep in mind that despite the fact that it's 2007, most of the population is a bit closed minded and would most likely be spooked. People fear what they don't understand.

2. My wife and I went in to get tattoos together. If a tattoo is important to you, then you WANT someone who can understand that... if they wouldn't, then you would most likely not be missing a potential partner.

3. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that MOST people who get tattoos don't particularly look to society for acceptance. To make a decision to get some "permanent" artwork put on your body takes a lot of confidence. If we're accepted GREAT, if not... and it's because of the ink we carry... WHO CARES?

4. Although families are a bit stickier than people in general, all the same thoughts apply. As a matter of fact, one would hope that with family (and close friends) they would understand you more than others... they should appreciate and respect your choices. (unless of course you got inked in a drunken stupor!!!)

Just my 2 cents.

I like the comments Whyte, it's the confidence and knowing that the other people in the world don't dictate who you are...you make who you are and if that includes tattoos...Great!

Definately seems that in the last 10 years tattoos and piercing are definately more accepted. I had my navel piered about 11 years ago. Back in the day when seeing a piercing was enough for people to stop you on the street to comment about it. Certainly don't see that anymore. Society seems to be always about self-expression, but if you choose starting out in tattoos with taste, and keeping in mind that you do have a job, being young, you won't know What job you are doing. Big tattoo on the neck, maybe not a good start, but something tasteful and easily concealed for unforseen situations until you are settled in what you are doing, everyone gets to be happy.
Luckily I haven't had any limitations from the piercings or tattos, just gives reason for new conversations.

tattooing is so mainstream now that it doesn't really have any to be honest when i was first into tattooing it was outsider and thats what made it cool to me