Tattoos and discrimination

Greetings! This is my first time posting. I am a SAHM to 5 great kids, the oldest (ds) of whom is 17 1/2 and talking non-stop about getting a tattoo. He's a good kid, smart, going to college next year to study music industry/business. I have alot of concerns about tattooing and have been doing research but I'd love to her from you about your experiences especially in the area of discrimination. You see, one of my biggest concerns is that future employers if faced with two candidates would more likely choose the undecorated. I still don't think the average person can look at someone who is tattooed and not make a judgemnet about them. I also realize that tattoos are addicting...don't know why...but even if his tattoo is hidden, say upper arm, that may not always be the case, especially if he gets more. It's really hard for teens to think ahead and I was wondering if any of you, tattooed young and regret anything. Looking foreword to your responses. nina

Hey there! Welcome to TattooNOW, I think this is a fantastic discussion to start here. Thanks for taking the time to get educated (I think your oldest kid should be doing as much research!). The key is to LEARN about the art of getting tattooed first. Tattooing is obviously permenent, and should not be taken lightly(unless your are educated about it first). If they want to be an adult and permenently mark their body for life with a unique piece of art, then they *need* to be responsible and learn about the ART of tattooing. This is something they will have to do for themselves, because there is no "Getting Tattooed 101" in school. They need to LEARN first. If they dont, then they are just another stupid kid making a permenent mistake. If they do it right, and get a great piece of custom art tattooed on their body, then they will truely set themselves apart from the masses. About descrimination. Welp, from my experiances it completely depends on the quality of the tattoo, the subject matter of the tattoo, and the attitude of the person wearing the tattoo. Make sure your kid gets a tattoo done by a QUALITY custom tattoo artist, and make sure the subject is something that they will be able to live with for the rest of their life. That is, I have tattoos of photorealistic birds and angels done by some of the best artists on the east coast. I have never had a problem with employers, in fact, I believe my tattoos may have set me apart from other applicants because they are really well done tattoos. It also helps that I am motovated and smart (if I dont say so myself. heh). Employers remember me as the smart kid with the best tattoos they have ever seen. Now, if I had crappy renditions of naked chicks and deamons doing the nasty or a crappy tribal armband, Im sure I would have different experiances. Yes, people will judge you because of tattoos (my latest run in was in the emergency room) BUT its not even close to the descrimintation that other folks, like say black folks or other minorities, have against them (Im assuming you and your kids are whity like me). But for the most part I have found that my tattoos have not hindered my lifestyle or carreer(s) at all. I dont think twice about flack people give me for the tattooing choices I make. Life is too short. My tattoos have helped make me a much more social person, really. Changed me for the better. Yes, tattoos are addicting(though, for some people thats not the right word). The main reason people get more than one tattoo, or large tattoos, is once you make the plunge into getting tattooed, you realize there is nothing stopping you from getting more/bigger/larger. All the anxiety of getting your first tattoo is gone and you begin thinking, wait, Im still the same person, only a little more decorated. What is stopping me from getting another? Well, nothing really... So its much easier to get the second and third, etc. Thinking about this is one thing I would recommend strongly to any first timer, and especially youngsters. THINK AHEAD. Get a tattoo that is easy to build from. If you get a tribal armband and then want to get a half sleeve waterfall, the tribal will be very hard to build off of and elaborate on. I have gotten many "test the water" tattoos that I have had to be creative to build off of. If I wasnt such a scardy cat to begin with, I would have designed each body part at once. Im not complaining, though, my artists have done me right and my collection is now fantastic thanks to their creativity. The regrets I have from my first tattoos are thus. I didnt realize there was a big (MASSIVE) difference between artists. Tattooing is an art, and just like music, there are good tattoo artists, bad tattoo artists, and tons of tattoo artists in between. My first few tattoos we're not that great. They kinda sucked. Do your homework with your kid and make sure you find the BEST artist you can in your area(Where abouts do you live?). Lemme say that again, find the best custom tattoo artist you can and save your pennies. think about a tattoo that is artististic and will stand the test of time, and can be built off of in the future. Design the tattoo with the artist that will do the work. After all, the tattoo artist will be able to draw better than you. I would tend to stay away from tribal tattoos, they are the hardest to cover up and build off of, but to each their own. If the tattoo your child gets is artistic and well done by a talented custom tattoo artist, it can permenantly change their life for the BETTER. If they jump the gun and get some quick poorly done tattoo by a mediocre artist, then it will likely become a coverup or become a permenent regret. Encourage them to do their homework and look through a lot of portfolios (we represent many fantastic artists on this site) and ask questions. Again, if they want to brand themselves as unique, then they need to put time and effort into finding a great custom tattoo artist and finding a great tattoo. Feel free to ask more questions, and I cant wait to hear from other peoples experiances! I hope lots of people chime in on this thread, its important!

I was going to get tattooed when I was about 18 but put it off for a couple of years. I'm glad I did because what I was lookin for then is not what i'd want now, so if your son is going to go ahead at his age make sure he picks something he can live with. I know a lot of guys who at 16 or 17 decided it would be cool to get cartoon pictures on their arms that they now hate. In fact a guy in my office is currently gettin a devil with a shotgun lasered off. He assures me the laser is far more painful than the tat - and it's not cheap either! I'm now 25 and have been under the needle 3 times and i'm set to go under again in a week or so when my design is finilized. All my tat's including the next one can be covered by a t-shirt (Well they sneak out the bottom a bit). Some people will make a judgement about you when they see the a tattoo but I've not experienced much negativity. Then again like the guy above said - mine are well done, unique to me and i'm very comfortable with them. Most people just want to ask questions - what does it mean? did it hurt? or the classic I was thinking of ...? In short i'd advise him to wait. But if he wont - make sure it's well done and out of everyday sight. I don't for a minute regrett any of my tat's but I am glad I walked out the shop without the celtic band I wanted at 17.

I'm curious about the discrimination from the Blacks and Latinos concerning tattoos. Did they label you a Skinhead or something along those lines? It's kind of ironic in a way because I think that these days more and more folks from those particular groups are going under the needle.

You cant imagine how many jobs i havent been able to get do to my tattoos i live near the wisconsin dells most of the resorts wont even let me clean rooms cause of my tattoos i have a memorial tattoo in a heart on my for arm for my little brother i have an indian feather on my other for arm and an indian arm band with feather on my upper left arm. They tell me i cant clean their toilets for a lousey $6 an hour cause of tattoos!! I guess ill never understand it. Thanks for listening p.s I get alot of compliments on my tats

Its true, some places that are pretty corperate and cookie cutter will discriminate based on tattoos. In my experiance, however, I have been able to overcome anyones objections and get the job. I have even worked for disney, notorious for disliking body art. The original posters son was getting into the music biz, and certianly tattoos are accepted in that field. If you talk to some really good tattoo artists you will find that they tattoo people from all walks of life with all sorts of jobs. Even doctors and lawyers and janitors.

renee42, you should try learning how to spell and some grammer before blaming your tattoos.

Seasiren, as far as blacks and latinos go, none have ever thought I was a skinhead (my long hair might have something to do with it). But, if anything, I think my tattoos have broken down any racial barriers. As apposed to being any ol white boy, they see my artowrk and will ask about it. I have had conversations with more black and latino folks since Ive had my artwork done. Of course, I live in a pretty white town so I dont get the oppertunity too often here, it usually happens whaen I travel. this towns too white... it aint got no soul...

I thought this was a great discussion board but i see the very rude comment about how smart iam why you would insult me without even knowing me. Oh well thank-you for hurting my feelings dont worry this idiot wont come back to this board

Renee, dont let one bad apple scare you off.

Renee, dont let one bad apple scare you off.

Renee, dont let one bad apple scare you off.

I am 17 and i have tattoos. I have almost both of my fore arms covered.Because of this is has been very hard to get a job the only job i can get is at a bar or at a tattoo parler.Now my only option is going into the army because I can't afford to get them covered up.the reason I have so many is because they were addicting and my parents did not really say no about me getting them I mean they really did not want me to have so many but I got them any way >so if you child wants tattoos my opinion is make him suffer until he turns 18 or until he moves out

I Definatly agree with what gabe posted. Make sure it's done by a good artist and make sure the tattoo is something you will be able to work with later. I live in the northeast and have never had aney problems with my tattoo's concerning work. I work in the restraunt busness and occasionaly have to deal with the customers. Although mine just barely show when I'm wearing a teeshirt, the usual response I get is can they see them and what dose it mean. I have a large tribal on each arm that I chose to use because they are easy to build from. But like what has been mentioned in the other posts, my first tattoo was done late one night by a buddy with a homemade gun. I don't regret it because it was alot better than most home made's I'v seen, and it was only a yin - yang on my sholder. I'm actually checking out the Black light reactive ink to have it gone over again just to crisp it up and add some color. Many of my friends have Tat's and only the one's who made poor choices in there selection seem to have negitve resposes... namely the one's who chose to tattoo themselves with offensive Tattoo's.

I work in a traditional business office a little south of Boston, MA. I have tattoos covering my chest, back of neck, lower back, and I have a half sleeve on my right arm. Most of my tattoos look like they came straight out of a disney movie, and I love them. A lot of color and fun. Since I started working for my company a little over a year ago my boss has always asked that I keep them covered. I had to buy an entirely new wardrobe and am forced to wear turtleneck sweaters nearly every day. I don't regret my tattoos, I do however regret not researching this topic more thoroughly when I began working at this company. It is the only one that has ever required me to cover them. I recently asked a human resource representative if it was a problem if I showed them, especially during the summer. She said it wasn't a problem and I shouldn't worry about it. A week later she left the company and I was curious to ask the new human resources rep. if it was alright to show them. She said because it was a traditional business environment, I had to cover them. It confuses me when they say I have to cover them, because it is not listed in the dress code (which they've given me a copy of about 12 times). I could see if they were offensive, but they're really just birds and flowers with a lot of color. If I was wearing something that wasn't accepted because of the dress code I could also understand. They just don't understand how hard it is to look professional when all i can wear is longsleeved sweaters. I look even worse when I'm wearing a completely rediculous outfit just because I'm trying to cover them. If I can get away with it, I'd really like to prove that this was an act of discrimination by my boss and the second human resouces rep. I have also gotten comments from another supervisor that obviously has a problem with them. I'm not sure where to go from here... I am always respectful of the rules in the dresscode and have never purposely shown my tattoos. Any suggestions? debra

well i think your son should think about his tattoo.... but my name is aaron and i have about 75 tattoos, i have both arms sleeved, my uper and lower back done, my neck, and my chest and my legs and every were eles i can put them.... i've had jobs in the past at food places were alot of people come in and out and i never had to cover them but now afetr a year of looking for a job every place i go turns me down and none of my friends and family relize that i'm being discriminated because of the way i look.. just cause i look different to other dose not change the way i work and act!!!! i like to exspress my art work on my body and it should not make people think any different of me.... today tattoos are ever were so many people have one or more so i think people at the work place should just look passed all the tattoos and give you a chance... thanks for taking the time to read this.... -Aaron-

well i think your son should think about his tattoo.... but my name is aaron and i have about 75 tattoos, i have both arms sleeved, my uper and lower back done, my neck, and my chest and my legs and every were eles i can put them.... i've had jobs in the past at food places were alot of people come in and out and i never had to cover them but now afetr a year of looking for a job every place i go turns me down and none of my friends and family relize that i'm being discriminated because of the way i look.. just cause i look different to other dose not change the way i work and act!!!! i like to exspress my art work on my body and it should not make people think any different of me.... today tattoos are ever were so many people have one or more so i think people at the work place should just look passed all the tattoos and give you a chance... thanks for taking the time to read this.... -Aaron-

Hi I was 18 when i got my first tattoo which is quite young across here in the UK. I pondered for about 3-4 months on what to get and finally settled on a Celtic tree of life design that i found in a book of Celtic knot designs. I did'nt get the tattoo straight away, i waited 6 months or so looking and re-looking at the design and asking myself if it was what i really wanted. Im 28 now and have several tattoos all of various designs and in different locations, i have always taken my time when deciding on the next tattoo and gone to the same guy (who is awsome). I guess im basically saying that if your son wants a tattoo then try to get him to not rush into it and make sure like some of the others have said that you go to someone who is known for their good work. btw. it's fantastic that you as a parent are educating yourself on something your kid is interested in. i think you are doing the right thing by getting informed, being supportive and helping rather than totally rejecting the idea and your son going off anyway and getting a crap tattoo done..........he deffinitely would regret having it done then! HTH Mike

Lots of good advice above. My best advice? 1) Wait. No tattoos until 18. Have a design ready to go? Wait another six months to make sure that you're still happy with the design. 2) Hide it. I do cancer research at an Ivy League university. If any of my tattoos were visible, there is no way I would have this job - absolutely none. If there is any chance your son might do professional work, understand that a visible tattoo will cause trouble, and may keep him from a great career. It doesn't make any sense to me, but people do and will discriminate against people with tattoos. No one in my office knows about my tattoos, and I intend to keep it that way in order to provide myself with the highest career ceiling possible. I don't know how it works in your son's chosen field, but there are always bastards out there who will look for some reason to screw people over. Avoid giving them reasons. That said, thanks for doing research, Mom. Point your son to the boards some time. Jim

it is also interesting to note that without smart talented professional people getting tattoos and breaking the mold, the mold will never get changed... The reason I got my first hand tattoo was because I saw some white trash 7-11 counter girl with one on her hand. It occurred to me that if she could get one and live life fine, so could I. My professional freelance programming career (or my punk high school teaching career) wasnt hindered by my visible tattoos at all, and I even worked for Disney, Honda, and other large corporations...

HI I HAVE TATS ON MY NECK AND HANDS AND ARMS I GOT PULLED OVER BY A COP THE FIRST THING HE SAID TO ME WAS WHY DO I HAVE SO MANY TATTOOS AND WHAT DO THEY MEAN I WAS SO PISSED AFTER THAT HE ASSUMED I WAS SOME KIND OF CRIMINAL SO HE SEARCHED MY CAR AND TRUNK WITH OUT A (SEARCH WARRENT) HE KEPT ASKING ME WHY I HAVE THEM I TOLD HIM WHAT THEY MEANT AND IT SEEMED LIKE HE DIDNT BELIEVE ME IM GUESSING HE THOUGHT I WAS IN SOME KIND OF GANG AND AFTER IT WAS ALL OVER HE TOOK OUT A PAPER AND WROTE DOWN HOW MANY TATS I HAVE AND WHAT THEY MEAN AND HE TOLD ME THE REASON WHY HE PULLED ME OVER IS CUZ I LOOK AT HIM. THAT SHOWES HOW STUPID POEPLE STILL ARE

I have a tattoo that is in an easily covered place. If your child gets a tattoo in a place that is easily covered they should be fine.

Hey, I just read your message about tattoo's. I got my very first tattoo on my 18th birthday, and yes! they are addicting! I just turned 19 and I just got my 11th! I am currently doing an argumentative research paper about discrimination against tattoo's in the workforce. I do not believe that just because we have tattoo's doens't mean that we are not skilled enough to do the job. He should not have to worry about trying to get a job. To me, if an employer doesn't hire someone just because of the color on your skin, its discrimination. We have the right, stated in the first amendment, to express ourselves freely, whether it is art, or not. To me, employers are going against the first amendment.

I'm not a tattoo artist but thought I'd put in my twos cents. I would recomend personally asking your son to wait till he's 18. I know that many people get tattoos at a much earlier age but I think you should wait tillo you are at least that old. After all you are permanintly altering your body and your son waited 17 years, what's one more? I would also respect your son for telling you. I admit I didn't when I was 18 because I thought they woulf never let it happen. another suggestion that I would give you is to tell him to find a design he likes and waite at least a month to see if he likes it then. I loved Mutant Teenage Ninja Turtles as a kid, but not so much now. Also if he doesn't like it in a month than what will he think of it in fifty years? As said before information is critical. I spent about three monthes doing research, looking at shops, etc. I was sure to find out everything I could and asked around to find the right shop. I decided on the local Tattoo Factory which did a great job. At the time I was 18. Don't go to a shop because it's cheap, the art will suffer. My tatto is on the back of my shoulder so profession wise it will never be a problem. I am in acting so I can cover it with make-up if I need. Am getting a second on my rib cage soon saying "Luck of the Irish". Been planning on it for a year. Everyone loves my tatto except for one or two people who don't care. I'd say do the research make sure to get what he wants and when he's ready to go for it. Good luck to you and your son.

i think that the discrimination of the tattooed, is the most excepted form of discrimination now days. you cant legally get away with discriminating for any other reason when it comes to employing someone. i think its very slowly becoming more excepted. which is long over due. hopefully some day all people will see more than just our tattoos when they look at us.

Is there anyone you can contact about discrimination on appearance? My hubby is a wonderful tattoo artist, but we live in a small town, with small minded people, and it's also called the "Bible Belt" here. Anyway, he ended up piercing a girl who was only 17, yeah his mistake, but her's too, cause she falsely represented herself as 18. They thru him in jail and refuse to let him out, and have his bond set so high we can't get him out! The prosecuting attorney said he wants to give him 10-15 years in the pen. for this. That doesn't make ANY sense to me, seeing as it's a misdemeanor according to state law. Our attorney talked to the judge and told us that they took one look at him and decided he needed to be locked up. They look down on tattoo artist here and anyone that has several tattoos that are visible. They revoked his license and shut down the shop. Is there anyone I can call about this? This should NOT be legal. This is his first offense and his first mistake in the tattoo industry.

Hi I am 18 years old and i have three tattoos, i don't regret any that i have but i can also cover them up especially the ones on my back..if your son is planning on getting one he should do them on his back because no matter what he wears they will always be covered and the upper arm one people are more bound to see... but they are addicting and i plan on getting more and i'm going to college this year to become a pediatrician (kids doctor)

I am 21 years old and have had tattoos from the age of 17, I have a ful sleeve, ful chest piece, full ribs piece, majority of my left leg covered, bts on pieces on my other arm and untill now I haven't realy had much of a problem as far as employment goes. I always just wore a shirt and tie to an interview and the employer was non the wiser about my tattoos. A fair few months back i decided to get my hands tattooed so I walktzed over to my regular tattoo parlour and got 'ANTI HERO' tattooed across my knuckles, I absolutely love this tattoo and wouldent change it for the world but I was looking for a new job recently and found it VERY hard! I find myself limited to bar jobs, alternative retail and over the phone sales. I am not a highly educated person so as far as qualifications go I would not be accepted for a job higher than these anyway but I could imagine for a college graduate it could be rather frustrating being knocked back for jobs due to tattoos as im sure unlike me tattooing wont be his life, just a pretty addition to his body. I'm all for him getting his first tattoo and expressing himself in wich ever way he feels but i cant stress enough he really needs to sit and think long and hard about design and placment. hands/neck/face/forearm tattoos will all have jos that will judge, steer clear of them places and you have abslolutely nothing to worry about!!

Hello, I must tell you that I got my first one when I was 20 to symbolize the death of my brother. I got it on my shoulder and it was smaller. After having that I liked how I could see it everyday in the mirror and it reminded me of him. Then my dad drew me one (I am a 24yr old female by the way) and I got my second Cherokee Tribal from Hip to Hip. I also have another around my bikin line. Personally I am having issues with my mother in law right now because my significant other is getting his first one saturday and I am getting another and she is somewhat religious and thinks tattoos are horrible. That bugs me because I don't think they are. It is emotional "art". People should love you for you, not your size, weight or what your skin looks like. Obvisouly there is a way to be professional about it which I have done, but I think they are a great way to express yourself. Make sure he just doesn't want one because everyone else has one. He will regret that. Have him do research. Hope this helps:)

I think, at your kid's age, it's not really wise to get a permanent tattoo. The design that might attract him today, might make him regret later! You can suggest him to instead go in for a temporary tattoo. This way he can have his tattoo on for any occasion, which will last for 4-5 days. He can have the same design put again, or else go in for a new one, every now n then. Plus, temporary tattoos will save him the pain and side effects of a permanent tattoo. You can visit the below mentioned websites to select a few temporary tattoo designs for him: www.tattoomanufacturers.com www.picassoexports.com www.temporarytattoos.in www.picassopromos.com

In my opinion take your daughter and run. The teachers are obviously not instilling good belief systems in the children if they're going to go as far as telling you to cover you tattoos so you don't give people the "wrong idea." Thats bullshit and I'd be pissed. My roommate and the wife of TattooNOW's owners are both very involved in education and actively teach as their careers, and they're tattooed, and they happen to be two of the best teachers I know! Any school system thats going to teach their kids to discriminate again tattoos or anything is bullshit. I'd bring your daughter elsewhere for sure.