This guide explores some of the perceived issues around tattoos in the workplace, and the reasons you might want to remove one.
A picture might be worth a thousand words. But tattoos in the workplace can be worth a thousand career setbacks. Yes, tattoos are cool right now – and have been for a while. They can look hot on the dance floor or with the right clothes at festivals and arts events. But how do they look in the boardroom, when you’re chairing a meeting or making a presentation? Or even just in the office when you’re sporting a business wardrobe and briefcase. Could a visible tattoo be holding back your career?
Drawbacks of tattoos in the workplace
Worse, could your tattoos in the workplace even prevent you from getting the job you want in the first place? Many of our clients seek to have their tattoos removed due to the policies of prospective employers, prohibiting employees openly displaying tattoos or body piercings. Some employers, who do permit the display of tattoos, will often set limits prohibiting the display of sexually graphic, violent or otherwise offensive tattoos.
Although today’s generation are known for their laid-back lifestyle, tattoos in the workplace are still considered “left of centre” in many industries, and the corporate career in most fields – especially for women. Yes, I know that is unfair gender imbalance, but it’s the harsh truth. In this age of enlightenment embracing single parenting, single sex marriages, gender variances and the vilification of any type of racism, women who express their individuality by displaying tattoos in the workplace will generally find it hard to advance their careers.
The most common reasons for removal of a tattoo are:
- Job prospects
- Change of fashion
- Maturity
- Lifestyle
When considering job prospects, if we take on the “the corporate world” we literally step back in time. Five years ago when the popularity of body art began to soar large companies like BMW started introducing a “restricted tattoo policy”.
An example of such a policy…“Tattoos are viewed as a personal statement and to ensure all staff present a professional image reflective of our brand, we ask that should you have a tattoo that is positioned in a visible part of your body (e.g. arms/legs) it should be suitably covered during work hours and whilst wearing our uniform”.
Companies requiring a high level of service and presentation expect all staff to reflect those values. While some customers might appreciate body art as creativity, others may frown upon it and ultimately decide not to do business.
As you can see by the above, although considered by some as body art or a fashion statement, there is often considerable negativity associated with tattoos in the workplace. Ask yourself the following questions:
- how much confidence would most people have in a bank manager sporting inappropriate tattoos?
- what would be your ‘first impression’ of a receptionist sitting at a front desk of a firm with hands covered in poorly designed homemade tattoos (keep in mind a receptionist is the first point of contact for clients)?
- if you were recruiting a new staff member and you had two candidates both with similar qualifications and experience, however, one candidate had considerable facial tattoos – who would you chose to represent your firm?
- are you willing to risk losing a client due to the risk of them being offended by one of your staff members having visible tattoos in the workplace?
The good news is that if someone has made a bad decision and is regretting going down the tattoo path, laser technology has just come of age. This breakthrough technology comes in the form of the Picosure laser – safer, more effective and faster.
The new Picosure technology ensures totally ink free skin in half the number of treatments normally needed. It also clears the stubborn colours; green, yellow and blue.
A word of caution, if you are considering the removal of a tattoo, do a little research on your clinic of choice:
- What laser technology are they using?
- Will they require you to complete a questionnaire to ascertain that you are a suitable candidate for laser tattoo removal?
- Do you have the right skin type to avoid skin pigmentation loss?
- Are their staff officially trained in the use of their laser?
- Do they have IPL laser safety qualifications?
- Do they have before and after photos?
We always suggest that a client comes in for a free consultation to ensure they are satisfied that all of the above is in place and they have the opportunity to ask any further questions.
How to hide tattoos in the workplace
In the beginning, the makeup that hid tattoos in the workplace were widely used by actors and actresses in filming and soap operas to represent a character. Currently, it is possible to find them in several cosmetic stores and anyone who needs to hide a tattoo for a certain time can acquire them.
There are two different techniques for hiding tattoos in the workplace.
#1 AIRBRUSH TECHNIQUE
This makeup technique is performed using a compressor that produces fine jets of ink that are directed to the desired location. To carry out the procedure, suitable products are needed, in this case the ink is liquid and alcohol-based. The result is perfect and the application can last up to 14 hours.
#2 MANUAL TECHNIQUE
In this mode, the work is performed manually and in detail by one person. The person responsible for performing the procedure uses specific products and covers the tattoo in parts and layers. The result may not be as satisfactory as the Airbrush, but it’s a disguise for tattoos in the workplace.
These are professional techniques used on actors and actresses. However, there is also a homemade technique for you who want, for some reason, to hide your tattoos in the workplace for a few hours. Check out how to hide a tattoo with a homemade method.
DIY method to hide tattoos in the workplace
As we said above, there are many factors that can influence an individual to hide tattoos in the workplace. And if you are considering this possibility, find out now how you can perform the procedure.
NECESSARY MATERIALS:
Astringent cleansing lotion;
Primer;
Base;
Brush tool;
Yellow concealer;
Pó up;
spray makeup fixer;
Sanitize the area to be treated with the astringent lotion and apply the primer. This way, the skin pores will close and leave the skin looking very smooth. Apply the foundation and using the brush spread it over the area. If necessary, wait for it to dry and redo the procedure.
Apply the yellow concealer and disperse it well over the spot. The fine powder is used to finish the process, use it to leave the makeup color in the same tone as your skin. Finally, apply the fixative spray.
Professional priducts
Aiming at “tattoo removal” cosmetic companies have developed specific products to make up tattoos . The best known makeup for this purpose are: the Kat Von D foundation, launched by Sephora, the MAC finish corrector and the Dermablend Pro line, launched by Vichy.
Kat Von D
Sephora’s Lock It – Kave Von D line was developed by tattoo artist Kat Von, owner of High Voltage Tattoo. To fix the most blunt mistakes on your users’ faces. The product is of excellent quality and proof of this is the feed-back that people who have used the product share on the internet.
Finish
MAC’s Finish line promises users an invisible, long-lasting smooth correction for any type of imperfection, discoloration and even tattoos, in a natural way. The foundation is water resistant, fragrance free, controls skin oils and much more.
