Tattoo Papers - Combo

I had recently been in a job interview. During our discussion with the interviewer, he stressed out the importance of “professional appearance” in the workplace, which included covering any visible tattoos someone might have. It is a fact that visible tattoos and other body modification often make gainful employment difficult in a great deal of jobs. Employers still look down on tattoos or regard them as contributing to an “unprofessional appearance”.

Why are tattoos treated like that? Why are they considered to be extreme and why do they still create negative associations to the public’s mind despite their increasing popularity?

In many cultures, tattoos are generally associated with criminality. Therefore, those who choose to be tattooed in such countries usually keep their “ink” covered for fear of reprisal.

For example, many businesses such as gyms, hot springs and recreational facilities in Japan, still ban people with visible tattoos, in part because of their association in the popular imagination with jakuza, or Japanese mafia.

According to popular belief, most triad members in Hong Kong have a tattoo of black dragon on the left bicep and one of a white tiger on the right; in fact, many people in Hong Kong use “left a black dragon, right a white tiger” as a euphemism for a triad member. One other reason the Chinese associate tattoos with criminals is because historically, criminals who were released from prisons for minor crimes were given a tattoo on their face as a “warning sign” to other people.

In the US and other western countries, many prisoners and criminal gangs use distinctive tattoos to indicate facts about their criminal behavior, prison sentences and organizational affiliation. This cultural use of tattoos predates the widespread popularity of tattoos in the general population, so older people may still associate tattoos with criminality.

Tattoos can have negative associations for women; tramp stamp and other similarly derogatory slang phrases are sometimes used to describe a tattoo on a woman’s lower back.

Furthermore, some followers of Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) feel that their religious doctrine proscribes or constrains tattoos among followers.

But times change. And as years go by, less people will look down on tattoos. For example, according to a new study by an American outplacement company, firms are gaining ground vis a vis talent by consciously putting aside concerns about appearance – they are standing out with their tolerant and diverse environments. This is encouraging, as it shows that more and more people will not discriminate based on appearance. Instead, they will look deeper into the personality, to find out that looks have little to do with morality, skills, education, intelligence and integrity.

Some call it the world's second oldest profession. But tattooing and piercings are as hot as ever, and not only for adults, but believe it or not, for kids, too. Tattoos and piercings are growing especially popular with teens across America. What happened is early adolescence, which is a time of raging hormones and peer pressure. Teens aren't quite adults and not little children anymore.

It seems like everyone has a tattoo and/or piercing these days. What used to be the property of sailors, outlaws, and biker gangs is now a popular body decoration for many people. And it's not just anchors, skulls, and battleships anymore — from school emblems to Celtic designs to personalized symbols, people have found many ways to express themselves with their tattoos.

Body art has become so popular in the past few years that it's hard to walk down the street, go to the mall, or watch TV without seeing someone with a piercing or a tattoo. Whether it's ears, lips, nostrils, eyebrows, belly buttons, tongues, or even cheeks, you have probably seen piercings, maybe multiple piercings, on lots of people. Perhaps you think body piercings look cool and you've thought about getting one. They are everywhere, from sporting events, to sit-coms, to reality television, tattoos and piercings have made the mainstream. That's probably why more teens are signing up to make a statement and more parents are allowing it to happen.

Teens are also seeing tattoos and piercings everywhere. They are hot, they are addictive, and everyone has them, from rock stars, to athletes, to pop icons. More and more have tattoos and piercings and more and more are getting them. The teens want to be like the people they look up to and are supposed to be setting an example for them. Some might be for self-expression. Some might enjoy the pain you have to go through. Others might like it because it’s cool and is the “in”