One of the more common problems people experience with body art is that it negatively affects their careers. Today, more companies allow their employees to openly displaying tattoos and piercings than they did in the past. Despite this fact, an employee’s chance of moving ahead are often diminished because of his or her body art.

According to Cindy Graf, director of the Laser Centers of Wisconsin, a facility that removes tattoos, tattoos have found a certain level of acceptance in industries such as fashion, beauty, and retail. However, in her experience, tattoos in a professional business setting are less acceptable. Those involved in the job placement industry agree with Graf’s assessment. “People who want to be promoted and be successful abandon the tattoos and piercings pretty quickly,” said Carol Schneider, CEO of SEEK, Incorporated. Such adornments “may hold people back,” she added, noting that “the people in positions of power are pretty conservative. If a person wants to join the ranks of power, they need to dress appropriately.”

A 2001 survey by vault, an online management site, backs this viewpoint. Of the five hundred participants questioned in the survey, 18 percent of tattooed managers said that their tattoos or piercings have hindered their career prospects. In addition, 42 percent of managers said they would lower their opinion of someone based on his or her tattoos or body piercings, and 10 percent said they had to discipline workers because of tattoos or piercings. Managers also stated that tattoos or piercings may negatively affect a person’s ability to get a job: 58 percent said they would be less likely to offer a job to a tattooed or pierced applicant.

The increasing number of people getting tattooed or pierced has led to a rise in people wanting to rid themselves of their body art. A 2003 Harris Poll found that 17 percent of Americans wish they had not gotten their tattoos. Americans are not the only ones unhappy with their body art decision. According to a study by the British Journal of Dermatology, in the United Kingdom 75 percent of tattooed people regret their decision to get inked.

People regret their body art for many reasons. Some claim that their body piercings negatively impact their careers; others are unhappy when their tattoos fade and distort over time. Those no longer satisfied with their body art have several options, many of them painful and expensive, to rid themselves of their piercings and tattoos. Those options range from covering their piercings with clothing to surgically removing their tattoos.

Some reasons for removing tattoos include:

• Professional Problems
• Because of the person’s name on it
• They don’t like the way it looks
• They think it was stupid
• It faded over time
• It is visible when they don’t want it to be.
• They think it was a bad decision
• They are a different person now.
• They affect their jobs or getting a job.

To date no one has sought a copyright for an actual custom-designed tattoo. However, in November 2002 Elayne Angel, master piercer and owner of the Rings of Desire body piercing specialty studio, received a service mark, another form of government protection, for her tattoo design of black and gray angel wings. Angel worked with tattoo artist Bob Roberts to create the design, then Roberts tattooed the wings onto Angel in 1987. Angel’s service mark, a government registration to protect a symbol used in the sale or advertising of services of one company from those of others, protects her wings from being used in advertisements by other piercing studios.

Angel believes that government registration of body art is necessary to protect people’s custom work. “I think it is totally fair for original artwork of all kinds to be copyrighted, including tattoos. I have to say, even though imitation is considered a form of flattery, it really freaks me out to see my wings tattooed on other people!” Angel states. “They are an original, very personal artwork. They were designed by the artist, and myself, working together to create the design that was perfect for me. The idea that someone saw a picture, and brought it to an artist to be copied, shocks and disturbs me!”

Professional body art organization, such as the Association of Professional Piercers, supported Angel’s decision. After Angel’s wings received a service mark, the APP stated in its newsletter, “By agreeing to register a tattoo, the US Patent and Trademark Office has indicated that the products of our studios are indeed commercial artwork and worthy of legal protection. A tattoo can now be afforded the same consideration granted a piece of poetry, music or art used in the business world. Having this legal precedent on our sides serves to further establish body art as profession in the eyes of the law.”

Other issues that arise in the body art industry involve copyright laws. As custom tattoos have become more common, tattoo professionals are finding that they need to protect their work from being copied by others. To do so, they can register their work with the U.S. Copyright Office. A tattoo artist who illegally copies a copyrighted tattoo can be sued for damages by the original artist.

Despite the fact that a copyright would protect their work, not all body artists believe that copyrighting is a good idea. Certain body art professionals, such as tattooist Pat Fish, believe that the industry should self-regulate because having outsiders, such as lawyers, interfere could result in an atmosphere of distrust. Nevertheless, other body artists believe that copyrighting custom work is a positive step for the body art industry because it shows that society recognizes tattoos as an art form.

As the body art community continues to debate whether or not to employ copyrights, some have already put copyrights to use. Artists who create flash, tattoo design sheets, own the copyright to their work at creation. The creator sells licenses to tattoo artists that allow them to use the designs in their tattoos. Buyers of flash may resell their own copies of the flash, but they are not allowed to make copies of the sheets and sell or exchange them. Doing so would be copyright infringement.

An example of a copyright infringement case relating to tattoos recently occurred in Portland, Oregon. Matthew Reed of Tiger Lilly Tattoo and Design Works is using to stop Detroit Pistons player Rasheed Wallace from displaying his tattoo in an ad for Nike basketball shoes. In 1998 Wallace approached Reed because he wanted a tattoo of an Egyptian-themed family with a king, queen, and three children. Reed researched the idea and created a custom design, which he tattooed onto Wallace’s arm. Reed claims that displaying his tattoo in the ad is a violation of the copyright he owns for a pencil drawing of an Egyptian family. Wallace claims that since he approached Reed with the idea for the design, either he owns the intellectual property rights to the design or shares them with Reed. If a court determines that Reed and Wallace share ownership, Reed says he is entitled to part of the money that Wallace was paid for the ad, which ran on television and on the Internet.

Even professional body piercers and tattoo artists who follow the law can become involved in legal problems. These problems often involve dissatisfied customers. Certain clients feel that the tattoos or piercings they received are not what they expected. Some of these clients blame the tattoo artists or piercers for poor-quality work and sue for damages.

In 1999, for example, Lee Williams of Roseville, Michigan, sued Eternal Tattoos for $25,000 after getting a tattoo from the studio. Williams requested that the world villain be tattooed on his right forearm. However, neither he nor the tattoo artist knew how to correctly spell the word. The tattoo artist decided the world was spelled “villian,” and Williams agreed with this decision. Only after getting the tattoo did Williams discover the word was misspelled. Although he agreed to the spelling, Williams believed Eternal Tattoos was at fault and sued for damages.

Other tattoo artists have been sued because they have used their clients’ tattoos to gain publicity. For example, Greg Ashcraft of Skinworx Tattoo in Bessemer, Alabama, was sued in 2002 by a client for submitting photos of her and her tattoo to a national body art magazine, allegedly without her consent. At that time, a judge dismissed the case, stating that it was not an invasion of privacy. Wendy Minnifield, another client, sued Ashcraft for the same reason in December 2004. This time a state appeals court determined that submitting a photo of Minnifield to a magazine without her permission was a breach of ethics.

Illegal piercings and tattoos have result in young people getting infections and experiencing other health problems. This is because unlicensed piercers and tattooists often do not follow the hygiene and sanitation laws required of professionals. Scratchers or piercers and tattooists at poke and stick parties often do not sterilize their equipment or use fresh needles with each person.

A recent example of the perils of unhygienic tattoo practices occurred in Colerain, Ohio. In May 2004, two Colerain high school students became sick after visiting an apartment that housed an unlicensed tattoo and body piercing studio. At least 150 students from four area high schools were estimated to have visited the apartment for tongue piercings and tattoos. Police found the studio’s sterilization procedures to be lax. Health officials advised the students to see a doctor about possible exposure to hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.

Police throughout the country are cracking down on illegal piercing and tattooing because of the health risks. For example, Tony Pippin, who lived at the apartment in Colerain where the piercing and tattoos were done, was arrested. He faced misdemeanor charges for running an unlicensed tattoo or body piercing business and doing procedures without parental consent.

Minors have also faced charges for giving their peers tattoos and piercings. In June 2004 Oneonta, New York, state police charged Reaves A. Kimbel, age seventeen, with two counts of unlawfully dealing with a child. It is illegal to tattoo anyone under eighteen in New York. Kimbel allegedly gave tattoos to a fourteen year old and a fifteen year old.

As a result of these legal issues, some professional piercers and tattoo artists have implemented rules that are even stricter than their state laws. For example, Wyoming minors are allowed to get tattoos if they have parental consent. Even so, tattoo artist Mike Wicks refuses to tattoo anyone under age sixteen. He will tattoo minors age sixteen and over only if both they and their parents bring a photo ID, sign forms of consent, and answer questions regarding intoxication, pregnancy, and diseases.

Certain states and cities ban not only facial tattooing but all tattooing. Until recently, the states of Maine, South Caroline, and Oklahoma completely banned tattooing. By 2004, Oklahoma remained the only state with a ban still in place.

Oklahoma government representatives give several reasons for the state’s tattoo ban. Oklahoma representative Bill Graves believes that it is morally wrong to mark up a person’s body. And he believes that children should be protected from making irreversible mistakes, such as getting ta tattoo, that they will be unhappy with the later in life. Another reason commonly cited by opponents is the belief that tattooing is a health risk and can lead to the spread of infectious diseases.

Tattoo artists disagree, arguing that tattooing is safe when strict hygienic procedures are followed. Moreover, tattoo artists argue that Oklahoma’s ban is hypocritical. Although tattooing is banned, micropigmentation, the tattooing of permanent makeup, is allowed. Both micropigmentation and tattooing use the same machine and are essentially the same procedure.

As a result of the arguments of tattoo artists and their supporters, Oklahoma legislators have considered lifting the ban. In Mach 2004, the Oklahoma Senate approved a bill to legalize tattooing in the state. If the Oklahoma House also approves the bill, then tattooing will become legal there.

Certain states also require that tattoo artists and body piercers follow specific health regulations. For example, in Virginia people cannot tattoo or perform body piercing on any client unless the tattoo artist or piercer complies with the CDC’s guidelines for “Universal Blood and Body Fluid Precautions.” Virginia tattoo artists and body piercers must also provide their clients with information about the potential health risks of tattooing and piercing. In states such as Arkansas, tattoo artists must pass a written examination that ensures that the applicant has knowledge of bacteriology and the proper technique needed to reduce the chance of infections and contagious diseases being spread.

Many states require that tattoo and piercing studios follow strict sanitation and hygiene practices as another way to reduce the risk of infections. For example, in Hawaii tattoo studios must provide a sink for the exclusive use of the tattoo artist to wash his or her hands and prepare the customers for tattooing. In Utah tattoo establishments must ensure that all instruments to be used in tattooing, except for plastic stencils, are wrapped in surgical linen wrappers and sterilized by an autoclave for at least thirty minutes.

For safety reasons, some states also place stipulations on where tattoo artists can place tattoos. In Maine and Rhode Island tattoos cannot legally be placed on a person’s hands, feet, or above the neck. One of the reasons cited for these restrictions is that tattooing on these body parts increases health risks for the clients.

In addition to choosing a body art professional who follows strict hygienic procedures, people can reduce the health risks associated with body piercings and tattooing by following doctors’ recommendations. If a person is taking a blood-thinning medicine, doctors recommend that the person wait until he or she is off the medicine before getting tattooed or pierced. Doctors also recommended that people with congenital heart disease take antibiotics before getting pierced in order to reduce the risk of contracting endocarditis.

If a person is susceptible to dye allergies, he or she can ask the tattoo artist to do a patch test. This involves having a small amount of ink punched under the skin to see how the body reacts. To avoid allergic reactions to piercings, people should make sure that their piercers insert jewelry made only of the highest grade of stainless steel, niobium, or titanium, the least reactive of jewelry metals.

Body piercing and tattoo professionals also stress that another important way to minimize potential health problems is to follow aftercare instructions. Tattoo professionals recommend that a person leave the bandage on the size of the tattoo. After the bandage is removed, they recommend washing the tattoo gently with a soap that is free of deodorants, skin softeners, or other additives; pat the tattoo dry with a soft towel; and apply a coasting of ointment. For the following two weeks, people should not rub, pick, or scratch their new tattoos.

The APP Web site explains how to care for piercings during their healing periods. A person should clean the piercing two to three times daily. The APP recommends that a person first wash his or her hands before cleaning the piercing and then soak the piercing by inverting a cup of warm salin solution over it. Disposable paper products, such as paper towels, are recommended for drying the piercing. During the healing period, the APP recommends that people wear loose clothing over their piercing and keep in the initial jewelry.

By choosing a piercer or tattoo artist who follows strict hygienic procedures and properly following aftercare recommendations, people can greatly reduce their risk of health problems resulting from permanent body art. However, health professionals stress that the health risks of getting tattooed or pierced can never be completely eliminated.

Beyond the health risks directly attributed to tattoos and piercings, several studies suggest a possible connection between permanent body art and other types of risk taking among adolescents. These behaviors range from sexual activity to substance abuse.

In 2001 researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center reported a correlation between teenage risk behavior and tattoos. The following year they linked these behaviors to body piercings. The studies included information from a national sample of 6,072 adolescents that was collected in 1995 and 1996. Youths in the study, who were in junior high or high school, ranged in age from eleven to twenty-one. Overall, about 4.5 percent of the youths had tattoos and piercings, with risk behaviors much more prevalent among those with body art than without. For example, girls with body piercings other than pierced ears were twice as likely as other girls to smoke, skip school, or engage in sexual activity. Pierced girls were also three times more likely to have friends who used drugs or alcohol.

A simply published in 2002 by the Adolescent Medicine Division of the Naval Medical Center San Diego reported similar findings. This study was based on a fifty eight question survey that was offered to teens who came to the center’s adolescent clinic. The survey contained questions about eating behavior, violence, drug abuse, sexual behavior, suicide, tattoos, and body piercings.

The study found that participants with tattoos and/or body piercings were more likely to have engaged in risk taking behaviors, including eating disorders, drug use, sexual activity, and suicide, than those without either. In addition, violence index scores were three times as high in males with tattoos and two times as high in females with body piercings compared with those without tattoos or piercings. Suicide index scores were nearly twice as high in females with tattoos than those without.

Researches are unsure whether the link between tattoos, piercings, and risky behavior exists because teenagers who already engage in risky behavior get tattooed and pierced or if teenagers get tattoos and body piercings and then become engaged in risky behavior. Either way, doctors believe that health professionals who see adolescents should take into consideration whether or not they have tattoos and piercings.