Tattoos and Piercings go Mainstream

Tattoos and Piercings go Mainstream

Tattoos and piercings have been a controversial subject for many years. For the longest time, if someone had one, or both of these body arts, he or she was a ‘degenerate’. These two forms of ancient art have now dared to become mainstream obsessions and it seems that tattoos and piercings are no longer reserved for bikers, drug addicts, and military personnel, contrary to popular belief. In fact, according to the Alliance of Professional Tattooists (APT), an estimated 39 million Americans currently sport at least one tattoo. Of those, reports a 2003 Harris poll, 13% are between the ages of 18 to 24, 36% are between the ages 25 to 29, and 28% are between the ages 30 to 39. (Schrum, 2004)
    In the last five years, I have noticed a dramatic increase in visible tattoos and piercings in professional settings. For example, several of the nurses at my doctor’s office have facial piercings. Some even have small, inoffensive tattoos on their hands, and arms. I have also noticed many salespersons in places like Walmart and Ross with visible tattoos and piercings. Apparently many corporations are updating their policies to accommodate the changing times. The number of ‘business professionals’ with tattoos and piercings is on the rise, from the neurosurgeon to the kindergarten teacher. Tattoos and piercings have become mainstream; many people are getting them as a way to express their own individuality.
    Another example of how popular tattoos and piercings have become, is how many studios are in operation compared to 10 years ago. “Myrna Armstrong , who is a professor at Texas Tech University health sciences center, has been studying tattoos for over a decade. “In Texas,” she said, “we began studio registrations in 1994. Over the first ten months, we registered 137 studios. Eight years later, the number of studios registered is well over 600.”( ¶ 3) (Handwerk, 2002) In my town, and the surrounding cities, we have at least 25 studios, they are even in our local...