Its the price you pay. I don't believe that all people who get tattoos do it just for the attention, that would seem a little narcissistic don't you think? Some people want tattoos on their face just because they want them, just because they think that they'll look nice, or serve a purpose for themselves. If that is what they want, and they understand the consequence of the public, then all that really matters is themselves.

I've never really had a problem with my job and my tattoos. 10 years ago I told myself if I was successful, then I'd get the design on my sideburns that I have dreamed about for a long time. I never want to work at a place that wouldn't accept tattoos in general. I wouldn't want a relationship where my tattoos would be an issue, and I can say for most people with facial tattoos, I think they know where they want to exist, where the consquences lie, and what they want and can expect from other people.

I thought long and hard about my decision, 10 years, and I itched continually to have it. Now that I do, I'm completely satisfied and I like it. Just because you think that you might regret it, doesn't mean that everyone else will. I don't know if I"ll regret it in the future, but that is the step I will take as I know many people who are far older than me with facial tattoos who don't regret it one minute of their life.

Tattoos are a personal expression of onesself, and it doesn't neccessary mean that it has to do with "I"M AN INDIVIDUAL, LOOK AT ME". .. The choices we make about tattoos has nothing to do with what you or the public think, it has to do with personal expression.

BTW: Banks usually look at your credit records and don't usually discriminate on your appearance. I've pulled out student loans, personal loans, and business loans, and no one really has turned me down. Not all of America really cares about the surface, there are plenty of places that only care how well you can do in the world.

I actually only got my facial tattoo so that I could join this tribe. I just thought these guys were all really cool, and if I went and ruined my life by getting my face tattooed, that maybe they would accept me. But now, I cry every day in sorrow and regret. I'm a LEPERRRRRR!!! Oh GOD, WHY??!

Oh yes, I'm concerned about the future. But sometimes you have a choice of path in which all the alternatives involve pain and regret, huh? I am committed to getting a facial tattoo. I will have it by the end of the year, when the design is completed.

I will get it even though I know I will have regrets. I don't deny that I fear the full consequences. Isn't it the same for everyone who treads this path? Do you really think people get a facial tattoo with the same concept that they put on a necklace? I can't imagine it.

Anyway, along with certain regret for the fture, I have already lived with regret and frustration for years, to the point where it's driving me mad. I want to do this so much. It can cause me no more pain to live with the tattoo than to remain without it.

The time will come when I know getting my face inked will be the right thing to do. I'll book the first session and get it over and done with. As others have said elsewhere, what's a little more visible ink? Just as you learn to live with whatever face and body shape you ended up with, so you'll learn to live with your tattooed face. It's my body. I'll do what I want with it. The fact that I'll have a tattooed face will be no-one's busness but mine!

I'm so impressed with all of your responses to Tom's question. I couldn't have put it better. All the comments were well thought-out and articulated. Each of you made me think!

Thanks

James

Anyone that has trouble with their career “because of a face tattoo” is using that as a crutch. If you are truly good at what you do, people stop caring about what you look like. As long as you don’t smell, look somewhat neat and look as if you take care of your self people will not have a problem with tattoos. Anyone that makes snap judgments about me based on looks, very quickly change there mind within a minute of talking to me. They realize I am not some idiotic criminal, druggy etc… but an intelligent, competent individual. Quite a few people have admitted to changing there mindset towards people that “look like me” because of me.

I have face, throat, and hand tattoos along with a Mohawk and I work retail. I am a often a product representative and I go around to different stores in Fairfield county (the riches county in the US also known as the golden cost) training sales associates how to sell products. I also work directly with customers demonstrating products to them as well. Right now I am dealing with Panasonic plasma televisions.

I actually had a department manager complain I was doing too good of a job at Circuit City because his employees are getting lazy. They were actually relying on ME to do the job of everyone in the department, and I didn’t even work FOR circuit city. I would just have customers go up to an associate and ask them for everything without them having to do a thing. (they have some testing coming up to determine if they are competent to sell products, and if the don’t pass people can be demoted so he does not want them to fall out of practice) The manager said I am probably the best associate in the store and I don’t even work for him! (in retail most places hate product reps because they do a ½ assed job at selling stuff and hand sales associates incomplete sales that are likely to be returned for not working as advertised)

At one point I was overly concerned with what other people would think and that was the only thing keeping me from getting face tattoo. Even though I have a LOT of visible tattoos people insisted the “face is different.” I finally could not stand waiting any more and decided to just get what I wanted. Realistically it is not really any different than just having hand and throat tattoos. You are still “heavily tattooed” to most people, and places that won’t hire you for face ink, won’t higher you for throat ink either. I know some places wont higher me even though I am competent for a job just because of the tattoos. I don’t agree with them but that is their decision, just as it is my decision to have the tattoos in the first place. In getting the tattoos I am willing to accept the consequences that go along with having them.

After I get to know people, my friends get more upset over people not accepting my tattoos. When I tell them there is no legal protection people with tattoos have against discrimination they actually get upset! They see it as a freedom of expression and it should be protected as “freedom of speech.” I do see it as different from other forms discrimination such as race etc… because you can not pick your race, but you do choose to have a tattoo.

When I used to work for circuit city there was only one person over 3 years that complained about my tattoos to the other associates. After she said that all the associates in my department refused to help her. She then complained to a manager in the store who then asked her to leave. He stated I was one of the best associated in the store and very well liked by customers. If you are not willing to see past the tattoos that is YOUR issue, not his. (she then left the store)

Now I do live/work in the NYC tri state area, so peoples mindset towards tattoos here are a little different than in say the Bible belt. People here are a little more accepting of different people, mindsets, and culture. When I visit places like Florida people are much more rude when it comes to tattoos and treat you more like a “freak” and less like a person. Even if I did live in Florida I would still get the tattoos. The desire to have them is stronger enough that it is worth dealing with ignorant people. If it because too much of a hassle, I would move to a place where people are more accepting of me and how I look.

What you express ist society's pressure for conformity. From the viewpoint of society at large, conformity ist not a bad thing since it relieves group dissent, it prevents steam from building, so to speak. This conformity expresses itself in many ways, exterior and interior. The interior conformity shapes, for example, our sense what ist right or wrong, a very necessary function for society. Exterior conformity is necessary for purposes of recognition: does this human belong to my society or not (i. e. could he be an enemy). Our behaviour has not really developed to be on par with the scope of our present society. Therefore we seek means to adapt. Some people conform to an extent that their original personalities are all but invisible. Then there is the group that compromises between conformity and non-conformity, cutting a 50/50 deal, so to speak. On the other side of the spectrum there are people who are not comfprtable with conformity at all and they express it on the exterior, while still being convinced that interior conformity to the common weal is essential for them and society at large

You know what, just want to point out the "oooo scary" fact that yes, having a facial tattoo will make areas of your life harder. Maybe for some people who posted here, they have indispensible skills or their own business and so for them it wasn't as hard as for those who don't have such advantages. Now will it make your life so difficult that it wasn't worth getting it? Probably not.

But yea, it does make shit harder. It does.

I hear everyone expressing parts of the truth, as I see it. I see face ink identical to coming out as gay. Face ink is against our mainstream culture, big time, so it does dramatically limit job options and severely challenge the support of some people's friends and family. And at the same time, face ink can be very positive, can be part of very successful life, and can be a very important part of being true to yourself and feeding your mental health. A few decades ago being gay normally meant the same challenges and dangers as face ink today (and sometimes it still does). Bravo to those of us who act on face ink, just as it's bravo to those of us who acted on being gay decades ago.

The main thing that holds me back is having to pay the mortgage each month, and the fact that, although like rousan, I'm a shit hot software developer, I'm not my own boss. I'll complete my body suit before mortgage is finished, so a tattoo artist will be more willing to ink my face. When the mortgage is paid off, I intend getting my first visible ink: something on the neck and throat. The neck work will be a solid extension of the suit, with some tribal on my throat. Once I'm used to wearing that and the reactions of others, it'll be time to start on the face. The tribal throat piece will be extended upwards, under and onto the chin. Once again, I'll have a period of readjustment. Then finally, the rest of the face and scalp will follow. Personally, I see little difference between a tattooed neck and tattooed face, so the chin tattooing should be fairly natural to me by that time. It's no longer an "if" with me but a "when". This is a whole different ballpark to sexuality. You can be gay but successfully(?!) keep that hidden in day to day life, or at least choose who you tell. With face ink, you tell everybody all the time.

I'm probably lucky in that I work in the arts which is much more tolerant of individuality than most professions. But that does not mean to say tattoos go unnoticed - I have both head and hands tattooed and will be going for the face in 2007. There are times when I go to concerts etc where the looks can make feel one fairly intimidated; but little does the person making a judgment know I am there to write up the event for a newspaper.

Whilst ones profession, and how far one wants to go, may be one reason to question the wisdom of getting such visible works of art, there are many other aspects of life which can be influenced by the decision. The most notable for me has been going through airport security and immigration, particularly in the United States. There is no question that since my tattoos have become visible and my piercings larger and more prominent I have been questioned more deeply and with a greater degree of suspicion than used to be the case. It is part of the reason I was refused entry to the US (via Seattle, one of America's more liberal cities) in May of this year.

As people on this thread have already commented, having facial/hand tattoos does not make you any less good at your job. It is other people's perceptions which need to change, and in that sense I am not going to help them by making it easier for them to do so by ceasing visible tattoo work. It is their issue not mine.

I also feel conscious of something else. I now live on a small island off the west coast of Canada where my tattoos cause no problems, no looks and no unnecessary comment. I moved from London, one of two cities in the world with alpha global status - and there one encountered all kinds of problems. I put that down to the multiculturalism of large cities which implies a lack of understanding in some communities as to the meaning or purpose of tattoos, especially ones which are not hidden from view.

If you want facial tattoos for heaven's sake do it.