Tattoos Changing Workplace Landscape

Friday October 27, 2006 in: Body Art Tag(s):

There was a time when tattoos were frowned upon. Although some sectors of society still do, people with body art are starting to feel more comfortable showing off their tattoos in the workplace. Just like University of Kentucky librarian Colleen Harris, who is featured in this Associated Press report:

Colleen Harris doesn't fit the stereotype of the buttoned-up librarian. Her arms are covered with a pirate queen motif and black scrolling tattoos, which extend down the side of her body to her ankle. A black rose and the words "Dangerous Magic" adorn the back of her left hand, and the words "Anam Cara" (old Gaelic for "soul friend") letter her knuckles.

The 27-year-old - who has multiple masters degrees and a job at the University of Kentucky's research library - feels no pressure to cover up.

"It's not really possible at this point, unless I wore gloves," Harris said, adding that she thinks academia has been more accepting of her body art than the corporate world would be. "I think my qualifications should speak for themselves."

Considering the conservative nature of most companies' dress codes, what Colleen and thousands of other young and tattooed workers are doing certainly makes office managers reconsider their dress codes. However, it is a fact that not everyone enjoys looking at body art. And this issue is something that needs to be considered when drawing up dress codes.

Still, times are a-changing guys. Google allows their employees to wear really casual clothes at work. What harm does visible body art in the workplace do? To paraphrase Colleen, let your qualifications, as well as the job that you do, speak for themselves.

Trackback URL for this post:

http://www.alphamaleblog.com/trackback/248

» 1 comments | read more | login to subscribe

Tattoo Fade and Removal

Thank goodness jobs and relationships are no longer prescribed by skin color. That seems true, right? Well...not exactly. Society has developed an alternative connotation for the term, and this one has nothing to do with race.

Tattooing, a practice rooted in both primitive cultures and modern prisons, has steadily gained popularity and status since 1990. Prior to that time, the majority of tattoos belonged to convicts, members of the military or those involved in the biker culture. Since 1990, however, body art has become extremely fashionable, especially among the young. Unfortunately, though satisfying from a ‘freedom of expression’ standpoint, many who choose to get tattoos face difficulties in the employment and dating arenas.

In a 2007 article on Careerbuilder.com, Editor Kate Lorenz lists fifteen things not to wear to work. Tattoos ranked fifth on that list and Lorenz warns, “Celebrities like Angelina Jolie have made tattoos seem almost mainstream, but many people are still put off by them. Best to keep yours under wraps or disguised with a heavy spray-on makeup made expressly to conceal tattoos.”

A 2008 article posted by Burleson Consulting states that “tattoos send a message to corporate America that you are ignorant, low-income, that you have bad taste, and worst of all, that you may have a criminal record.” According to the author’s findings, “three out of four respondents believe that visible tattoos are unprofessional.” That’s a hard statistic to overcome.

As if difficulty obtaining a job isn’t enough, the stigma extends into the dating world as well. A myriad of blogs and message boards stretch across the internet, some pro-tattooing and some con. Perhaps the best indicator of the social consciousness, however, is the existence of tattoolovers.com, an online dating community created specifically for people with positive attitudes toward the practice. According to the website, Tattoo Lovers is meant for “men and women who like to date other men and women with tattoos.” A separation exists, to be sure, for those who choose to color themselves unconventionally.

Fortunately, modern science offers alternatives, and not all of them involve lasers and great expense. Nuviderm contains a non-prescription skin-peeling agent that fades tattoos, often completely removing them. Requiring topical application, Nuviderm works in four to eight weeks, depending on skin type, healing ability, age of the tattoo and depth of ink. The product can also be used as a precursor to laser removal, making that process quicker and, therefore, less expensive.

Nuviderm addresses another unpleasant aspect of tattoo removal as well—pain. After surviving the discomfort of getting body art in the first place, many people are reluctant to go through a similar experience. With Nuviderm, the strongest sensation is a mild stinging which can be relieved by blowing air on the site or applying a mixture of baking soda and water.

You can visit http://www.nuviderm.com to get more information if you are interested in removing a tattoo for the workplace.

nuviderm at 7:33pm on Nov 6, 2008

Post new comment