Are tattoos and piercings actually unprofessional?

From a young age it is constantly communicated to us, in careers talks, at school and even from parents, that if you want to stand a chance in the job market, visible tattoos and piercings are something to avoid.

There’s never any explanation as to why, simply a ‘they look unprofessional’. In reality, expressing yourself with tattoos and piercings has absolutely no correlation to how well you can do a job, and how you maintain your professionalism.

Tattoos are now more popular than ever, with one-fifth of British adults having at least one, so it's ridiculous that something so common can be so frowned upon in the workplace.

The concept is old-fashioned, stemming from the days when tattoos were a rarity and only for those in the army or navy. A lot has changed and now anyone and everyone can be tattooed – they can stem from tiny and meaningful, which employers would struggle to notice, to bigger and beautiful works of art.

Despite this, in 2020, The Express discovered 43 per cent of employers would still turn down a job candidate for having visible tattoos or piercings. When you consider the reasons people choose to get inked, it seems almost prejudiced that employers can choose to deny somebody a job simply because of them.

A study by Psychology Today found 25 per cent of tattooed people chose a design with a personal meaning, that marked an experience or struggle, or in memory of a loved one. 12 per cent felt tattoos are an expression of who they are and their personal journey, and 11 per cent to express their religion or belief system.

The reason for getting a tattoo is often deeper than it appears to others – and to deny someone a job solely because it doesn’t match the stereotype of how a professional should look doesn't align with the world’s changing attitudes about self-expression.

General opinions on tattoos and piercings are developing, and it is definitely time for the professional world to do the same.

Edited by Amy Mullen-Brown