Body Art

[lysistrata411]

How many of us have tattoos or body piercings that the client can see?  Have you had any adverse reaction to them?  How have you handled it?Personally I have two tattoos but neither one is visible to my clients so its a non issue.  In my area its heavily and often oppressively religious where many potential clients would not see you if they knew you had body art.  My wife has one tattoo and when some people found out she had gotten one they quit talking to her.  She was told her body was a temple and she desecrated it.  She replied she just added some stain glass to her temple.  

 

[kpob53]

Body Art

I have 3 tattoos and 5 piercings. When I work, I wear a t-shirt, and my tattoos and 2 piercings are not visible. My tongue is pierced, and both ears as well, but I rarely wear my earrings. I stretched my earlobes to a 00 gauge about 2 years ago, and took them out about a year ago. They've healed down now to about a size 6 or 8 gauge. My tongue ring stays in. Only two of my clients know that I have ink and metal, and one was very surprised when he saw them (I went swimming at his house with him and his wife). He didn't seem to mind, and is now comfortable with me wearing sleeveless shirt and shorts, so ink and metal isn't a problem. The other client saw the tattoo on my right shoulder (a scorpion on fire) under my shirt, and asked about it. I showed him, and he thought it looked great. He went to show me his on his back, but realized I was going to see it when I worked on him anyway.I agree though, in the area I live in, tattoos and piercings are shunned. Even my bleached hair gets a few stares along with my hairstyle, but it's nothing too extreme to drive away clients. Though there are many clients I would never wear a sleeveless shirt around, it's just not worth risking business to show ink.

 

[wizard]

Other than one earring in each ear, I am not pierced (but I did once have a navel ring, which I let close up upon entering massage school).  I have one visible tattoo on my toe (a 3/4 inch kanji symbol) in black ink.  I thought it would be cute to have something like "Relax" tattooed on my foot, so when the client looks down from the face cradle, they might get a chuckle  

 

[Brittany Reid]

Body Art

I thought it would be cute to have something like "Relax" tattooed on my foot, so when the client looks down from the face cradle, they might get a chuckle  

On the side of my ankle, a friend and I thought it would be funny if I tattooed "Made in Taiwan". I'm a white boy living the the ghetto of Southeast Texas, which just adds even more humor to it.

 

[Peter Griffin]

People have a hard time believing my boyfriend  was born in Japan because when he talks he sounds like an old Jewish guy from New York, so he offers to show them the "Made in Japan" tattoo on his butt.  He doesn't really have one, but nobody's taken him up on the offer to see it either...I have a small star on my foot and my navel is pierced, but nobody sees either of those at work.One of the MT's I work with has a big star tattoo'd on her wrist.  A client of mine is an LAPD officer, and he told me that her tattoo is usually one they see on people who have spent a signifigant amount of time in the Orange County jail.  She's really young, and I don't think she has any idea... :-XKatykangaroo

 

[latenotnever]

Body Art

Super topic ! I saw a bunch of tats on students when in school and I always wondered what they would face when looking for work.What is interesting to me is clients always ask me about my tatoos....but I don't have any!!!Ahhhh the fun of judging the book by the cover. I do want to get something some day....does anyone have any tatoos that are "massage related"?

 

[KissYourNosie]

I must admit, this is the topic that lured me in to finally register and stop lurking.I have 11 tattoos, one of which is a full sleeve in the making.  I have 2 Japanese symbols on the inside of each wrist and of course my right arm is slowly being covered.  The rest are hiding under various articles of clothing.  I also have 4 piercings that clients are able to see and 1 they wouldn't.I feel lucky in that I currently go to a massage school with a very ecclectic mix of students.  I've never had any negative comments about my appearance.  The few comments I've received have been positive and have been compliments on my sleeve in progress.  It is very abstract and colorful.  The school has a very dedicated older clientele and I believe they've probably seen it all.  Some of them have been coming for 20 years!The only problem I ever had regarding my appearance was when I had long hair.  An elderly lady from the salon I worked at as a receptionist took offense to a guy with long hair.  I guess she didn't have trouble with the arm full of tattoos or the 0 gauge flesh tunnels in my ears.  Or maybe she couldn't get past the hair to even see those other things.  You just never know what presses people's buttons.  I didn't have a chance to address the situation because she never said these things to me, she told one of the cosmetologists.  She still came in every week though, so I guess she wasn't that offended.I'm interested to see the other responses because I'll be graduating soon and looking to work part time in a salon/spa environment.  Maybe I should interview in one of those all-encompassing hazmat suits!Peace.

 

[juikeTede]

i have 3 tats, one one whice my clients can see. they usually ask if i have more, & i get compliments on them. no adverse reactions,and i live out int he country where people are funny abotu everything different  lol

 

[Kate]

i have a few peircings and tats some times clients can see my tats my foot my  arm and if the client is realy observent my ear. I have a highly visible pericing in my mouth betweene my lip and gums so when i smile or talk anybody sees it as well as a 4 guage in my earlobes and a few other things.  none of my clients say much of anything maby  every once in a while but i have never had anyone be turned off or complain.

 

[dayquil_1]

Love the comment about adding stained glass to the temple!I only  have my ears pierced and I almost always comment to my clients about their tattoos. I like them on other people but just not for me

 

[Ayrehead]

Such a cool Post..... I have one. I have a lady bug crawling out of my crack. And no I don't have to worry about any of my clients seeing it EVER.  But you would be very surprised at the clients that have beautiful Art work that will ask you to please not say anything to anyone about it. You know people mite think they are bad. So with that being said I'm bad. Cause I love Body Art and Stain Glass.

 

[1:45.83]

Body Art

Body art has been moving out of the Ghetto's and "sects" into mainstream life for a few years now but it's still an emotive subject. Many people seem to find them offensive not so much for what they are but more for what they are perceived to represent.In this respect their attitudes are rather narrow minded as they tend to focus on the gang images associated with body art. To a certain degree I find this is also so with the bike I ride (V-Twin Cruiser), because those who ride customs & cruisers are "thugs" whilst sports bike riders are "hooligans". Association with minority elements somehow overrides the majority.I have 7 tattoos (will be getting more) and two piercings, none of which are visible outside a tee. There is a perception in the UK that my tattoos fit with my biking choice, but not with my MT. Why? I'm the same person, polite, intelligent, articulate and when you get to know me i'm rather nice to know. Yes, rub me up the wrong way and the reverse can be true but few people are all smiles and cheery if you call them a "expletives deleted"!We can make efforts to minimise the exposure of our body art to the client but don't let anyone tell you you can't have it! Their dislike is their problem not yours.Gator, do those who shun your wife wear makeup and earrings? I call that body art too or is that stretching a point?Be well

 

[Cruz C]

When I worked in Beverly Hills, the hotels required that all employees have no visible tatoos.   I personally think that anyone should be able to do whatever they want to their bodies.  Your employers should not dictate something so personal but its out there.  Depending on where you plan to work, it's something to keep in mind -- although there's always somewhere else to work as well. Joe E.  

 

[mary G]

Wow - what a fascinating series of posts there are in this thead! Cool!I started reading this thread because when I saw the subject line "Body Art", I thought y'all were gonna share about the interesting tattoos seen on your clients, not your *own*... or piercings... or ??? Boy, was I wrong! LOL!I haven't got any tatoos, though I've kindof always wanted one... but 1) could never decide what to get or where to put it, and 2) freak myself out by the thought of being really old, in a nursing home somewhere, and not getting good care 'cuz the caretakers think I "deserve" to croak early 'cuz I lived too wild of a life.  Yeah, I know... I'm weird...    ;DAnyway, what I've found most surprising in my practice, is the folks who come in, who "on the cover" look like they'd NEVER consider a tattoo... yet I get them on the table, and I'm shocked to discover some GORGEOUS body art!  Backs and ankles seem to be the most-oft-used spots... more art on the ladies than the men, which is quite another surprise... makes me lean more toward some (or at least one) of my own someday.And when I was reading the posts about piercings, I thought 1) Wow, a piercing there (tongue, etc.) must have really hurt... wooooowwww!!; 2) Hmmm... I've never really been interested in piercings... interesting...And then, in maybe the last, or at least near the last post, it dawned on me... Oh yeah!  My ears are pierced!!! I so rarely wear earrings, I'd kinda forgotten that I could!  LOL!!!!Anyway, interesting and enjoyable thread, folks!  Thanks!MonicaA Time To HealNorth Pole, Alaska

 

[Vincent Van Go]

Body Art

The only visible piercings I have are my ears, and a teeny tiny little silver ball in my nose. I've never had a problem with clients. I also have a pierced belly button and a tattoo on my lower back (tribal butterfly), but clients can't see them. I do eventually want to get a small tattoo on my ankle. But that will probably be it.

 

[Kayt5]

Body Art

I have a tattoo of Daisies on my hip.  Occasionally, it will peek out from underneath the yoga pants that I wear to work in.  I have never had anyone make negative comments about it.  It usually strikes up a nice conversation about body art.  I also have gotten many compliments about it being original.  I was looking into one and wasn't sure you could get white in a tattoo, but sure enough.  The artist was a client so I traded massage for it.  The only piercings I have are 2 in each ear.  I had one client that has a huge back piece.  He won an award for it at a tattoo convention.  Really nice piece.    It is amazing what the artists can do.

 

[:.Jamie.:]

I have my ears pierced, naval pierced, tattoo on lower back and ankle.  I show then tattoos and piercing when I want to.

 

[Beckey]

I have 5 tats and only ear piercings (1 each).  Its strange how I can handle getting a tatoo, but the thought of a piercing scares the crap out of me, makes me cringe.   I got them where they can be hidden when necessary.  I have a flag on my ankle, lion on my thigh, a yin/yang in the shape of a scroll w/water on one side and fire on the other on my left upper back, tribal crescent moon on my right shoulder and on my right lower back a pyramid w/the egyptian eye on it, inside a sun.  great post!

 

[sassy k]

I have always loved tatoo's.  I finally got my first one last year (at the age of 32) and now I'm going to get more!  The one I have is on my foot and my clients always see it 'cause I work in my bare feet.  I'm going to try to get most of my foot covered.  Right now I have a frog.  I'd like to add a sun, flowers, a monkey and some other jungle stuff.  I also want to get my nose pierced.  I got the courage up one day, went in to get it done and the lady was on a break.  I only had a few minutes before I had to pick my daughter up from school so I couldn't wait.  Haven't been back since.  My mother says that I was supposed to do this stuff in my late teens, not in my 30's.   :

 

[Kemo]

Body Art

My mother says that I was supposed to do this stuff in my late teens, not in my 30's.   :

I think it rocks. Remember, you're as young as you feel.  ;D