I work in a professional office environment where clients come in regularly and my boss is somewhat old fashioned, he thinks tattoos are trashy, etc. so I always have to wear clothing to cover all of my tatts,(all 14) I was wondering if anyone had an opinion from an employers perspective, or experiences the same issues as I do?

Either take your lumps and cover them up (all 14 of them) or get a job where tattoos don't matter. As a tattooed person you should be asking these questions during the interview or before your first day.


If I were an employer whose clients consist of upper middle class to upper class, whose age was above 35, I would not allow tattoos to be visible. I also would not allow any religious symbols.


ps. are you 15?

With a clientele like that, I wouldn't allow tattoos either, especially in a field so highly driven by appearance and first impressions.

I drive a school bus, and at least in my districts, teachers and 'professionals' like principals, office workers, etc, are not allowed to have showing ink, but 'support staff' like school bus drivers and janitors can have as much ink showing as they want, so long as it's elementary school appropriate. I think that's kind of fucked but I agreed, if I don't like it there are other jobs out there.

I have a lot of ink, most of which is not even visible unless I want it to be. I would love to do full sleeves but I am afraid if I do it will cause a problem in the work world. It is sad but true, 2011 and body art is still considered as not acceptable by many. I love my ink but I still want to keep professional options open and love my ability to pay my bills more.

Posted by Tamara Either take your lumps and cover them up (all 14 of them) or get a job where tattoos don't matter. As a tattooed person you should be asking these questions during the interview or before your first day. If I were an employer whose clients consist of upper middle class to upper class, whose age was above 35, I would not allow tattoos to be visible. I also would not allow any religious symbols. ps. are you 15?

No I am 33 and most were done at a younger age when I was wild and partied a lot. Now I'm paying the price.

I don't currently work in a stuffy office, but I still don`t often let my tattoos be seen by my co-workers. Quite frankly I don't believe it's professional for an office, and the reality is, people will judge. A former co-worker of mine who was in her late 20`s, she was extremely smart, A type, etc and she had a half sleeve, which was beautiful, but people judged her for it.

@ Twisted Orchid - have you ever tried using this? http://www.sephora...t.jhtml?id=P231113 Here is the ad she did showing how it conceals. I actually do use this product and it`s fantastic.

Wow, no I've never heard of that. It may be worth a try just for certain ones that prevent me from showing off my wonderous cleavage to my coworkers. LOL

i work in an environment where tattoos are not only acceptable, but part of my 'persona'... i don't think i would ever be comfortable in an industry where tattoos are shunned. too stuffy for my tastes.

This is one of the reasons I don't mind working where I work sometimes.

I have like six earring holes. Two in the helix of one ear, two in each lobe. As long as my earring length stays within the rules, I can wear them and no one says a word. Same with tongue rings, eyebrows, nose rings, "monroes", etc.

This also goes for tattoos. My one little lonely tattoo is hidden by long pants, but there's no rule against them. There are guys that work there that have full sleeves, necks, faces, heads, etc. You're just less likely to get hired if you have tattoos all over your visible body.

Posted by Durdan i work in an environment where tattoos are not only acceptable, but part of my 'persona'... i don't think i would ever be comfortable in an industry where tattoos are shunned. too stuffy for my tastes.

I agree with this, but the money is what drew me into this profession so I've kind of stuck with it. I just wish I could dress comfortably. *Sigh

Posted by L'Ali I don't currently work in a stuffy office, but I still don`t often let my tattoos be seen by my co-workers. Quite frankly I don't believe it's professional for an office, and the reality is, people will judge. A former co-worker of mine who was in her late 20`s, she was extremely smart, A type, etc and she had a half sleeve, which was beautiful, but people judged her for it. @ Twisted Orchid - have you ever tried using this? http://www.sephora...t.jhtml?id=P231113 Here is the ad she did showing how it conceals. I actually do use this product and it`s fantastic.

Wish I had that kind of talent. My ink would not be a problem. IDK Beautiful woman with or without but, without it is just not her.

Posted by shellyl Wish I had that kind of talent. My ink would not be a problem. IDK Beautiful woman with or without but, without it is just not her.

I totally agree, she just isn't "kat" without the ink.

given my profession, tats are not just part of life, its part of the lifestyle...

i'm glad i'm a body piercer so i have no worries ^_^ i do need to find a morning job though..