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Fewer Blink at Prominent Ink

Really visible tattoos—like on the neck and hands—appear on doctors, teachers

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 25, 2008 1:48 PM CDT

(Newser) – Aggressively visible tattoos, like those on the neck and hands, are no longer the sole purview of ne’er-do-wells and pop stars, the New York Times reports. Until recently, most reputable tattoo artists wouldn’t dare cross the cuff or the collar of a subject with a straight job. But taboos are relaxing, and doctors, teachers and even models feel comfortable showing their ink.

Longtime devotees aren’t happy with the trend; ink spilling over to the head and hands used to indicate a body tatted to overflowing. Though some employers still frown on it, attitudes towards body modification have softened, allowing regular working folk to let their imaginations go. There is a corollary; one dermatologist noted “an increase in the number of people coming in to have … tattoos removed.”

[Images (4)]

[Quotes (1)]

Out and proud, and counting votes. (AP Photo)

Hand in hand with an uptick in tattooing comes a surge in removal. (AP Photo)

A man gets a neck tattoo. (Getty Images)

Mena Suvari's neck tattoo. (Getty Images)

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I have definitely had parents that were taken aback. ... And I have had conversations with the girls where I tell them that it absolutely limits your options and that I’m lucky to have a job where it isn’t an issue. - Jenny Dembrow, tattooed educator

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Fewer Blink at Prominent Ink