Even if a person with a visible tattoo or piercing is accepted at a job, he or she often has to deal with dress codes that discourage body art. Because of the increasing number of people sporting body art. Because of the increasing number of people sporting body art, several companies have instituted strict dress codes regarding piercings and tattoos. Companies have these dress code policies because they want their employees to appear professional when dealing with customers. For example, Starbucks workers cannot display any tattoos or wear any piercing jewelry besides small, matches earrings, and each employee’s ear cannot have more than two piercings.

Stricter rules are enforced at Disney theme parks. None of fifty six thousand employees at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, MGM Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom can wear piercings or visible tattoos. “We feel that the appearance guidelines reflect the appearance and quality and the attention to detail that Disney wants to project as a professional company, and those are guidelines that Disney guests have come to expect,” said Rene Callahan, a Disney spokeswoman.

Even professional sports, in which tattoos and piercings are common, have limits as to what body art players are allowed to display. For example, the San Francisco-area Webcor cycling team has told team member David Clinger that hemust remove his face-and-scalp tattoo or stop riding. Team officials are concerned that Clinger’s tattoo could upset team sponsors such as Webcor Builders, PowerBar, and Nike Cycling. Clinger has begun laser treatments to start the removal process, but it could take months of treatments to remove the tattoo. Team managers must decide whether Clinger will be allowed to race while the treatments are ongoing or if he will be sidelined until the tattoo is completely gone.