Jobs and Tattoos

Society’s perception of tattoos has changed a lot through time. Today, tattoos no longer signal a rebel. It’s trendy to have one, a firm part of popular culture rather than a sign of counterculture. Even with these changes, people worry about how tattoos will affect their ability to get jobs.

Changing Attitudes

Tattoos are used as a form of self-expression. More industries are accepting of them than ever before. Many young professionals, 86%, don’t think that tattoos or piercings will reduce their chances of getting a job. They’re right often. Attire and grooming are shown to be far more important influences.

Limiting Attitudes

Not every workplace shares the new changing attitude about tattoos. Hiring managers might not hire someone with piercings or tattoos. This isn’t necessarily due to personal view, but rather they worry about how customers will perceive workers with tattoos. This concern is valid too since consumers have shown a preference for non-tattooed front-line staff.

Factors

In a lot of workplaces, there isn’t a hard and fast rule on tattoos (although be sure to check out the company dress code policy to be sure). Instead, the size, placement, and design make a huge impact on whether they’ll be allowed or not. Smaller tattoos, like wrist or finger tattoos, tend to be accepted but facial tattoos are usually a hard no. Employers also reject offensive tattoos like swear words, racist symbols, and nude images.

What To Do

Consider the location, size, and design of a tattoo when you get it. Don’t ever let a job dictate your self-expression but keep employment in mind. Most tattoos can easily be covered up by clothing so don’t worry. When in doubt ask your boss, in most cases it should be fine.

Contact a Toronto Tattoo Shop today to get a new tattoo that everyone will love- even your boss.

Least Painful Places To Get Tattooed

Tattoos hurt- there’s just no getting around that fact. But if you’re someone that really wants a tattoo yet has a low pain tolerance, consider these locations. According to professional tattoo artists and those who have tattoos themselves, these are the least painful places to get inked.

Thigh

The thigh is cushioned by fat and muscle making it one of the least painful locations. Bonus, the area is large so you can get a big tattoo here if you want.

Butt

While not the most popular choice out there, the butt is pretty painless. The area doesn’t have a lot of nerves and it’s covered in a good layer of fat. The most painful part about a butt tattoo is probably the recovery.

Calf

The calf is a popular choice for tattoos. It’s not too painful due to the love level of nerves and there’s good muscle there to cushion it. Stay away from the back of the knee though as this is one of the most painful places.

Upper Arm & Outer Shoulder

The outer shoulder and upper arms are a very popular place to get inked. The area is large, easy to cover, and not that painful. It’s also a great place to start getting a tattoo if you want a whole sleeve.

Upper Back

The upper back has its pros and cons. It’s not that painful but you have to be careful to avoid the bones in the area, like the shoulder blades and spine. You also have to be sure you have someone help you clean and moisturize it.

Forearms

The forearms are pretty visible but they aren’t that painful. The muscle in the area provides good cushioning. Be warned though that the inner arm can be significantly more painful so if you’re getting a wrap-around tattoo you’ll experience that.

Ear

Behind the ear, tattoos are hugely popular right now. It’s easy to see why- they’re small, cute, and easy to hide. Most skull and facial tattoos hurt a lot but behind the ear is pretty painless. Even if it does hurt most tattoos back there are small so it will be over quickly.

Wrist

Toronto tattoo shops get a lot of inner wrist tattoo requests. The area isn’t boney so they’re pretty painless. Just make sure you can have tattoos at your job because these are pretty hard to hide.

Neck

Tattoos on the back of the neck are popular among both men and women. The area can easily be hidden by hair or clothing making it a nice option. It’s also not that painful as long as you steer clear of the spine.

Hips

As long as you avoid the hipbone, hip tattoos are one of the least painful spots. They’ve lost some of their popularity recently, thanks to being associated with the tramp stamp, but people are still getting them.

Contact a Toronto Tattoo Shop today to set up an appointment in our downtown Toronto tattoo shop.

Tattoo Stretching

The body is a constantly changing thing. We grow taller, gain weight, put on muscle, and stretch out our skin. Because of the ever-changing canvas that is our body, many people have questions about tattoos stretching. It’s one of the most asked questions we get asked as a Toronto tattoo shop. So we’ve decided to answer the burning question, do tattoos stretch?

Do Tattoos Stretch?

The simple answer to this question is yes. The answer to the follow-up question, why is that it depends. Tattoos are inked into the skin and as the skin stretches so does the ink. This can cause stretch marks or make the design look distorted. The good news is that most tattoos don’t stretch, even as the body changes. Location makes a big impact on if a tattoo stretches. Tattoos on the wrists, hands, feet, ankles, or neck don’t tend to be affected. Stomach, arm, legs and breasts are more prone to stretching though. The larger the tattoo the less likely the stretching is noticed but with smaller tattoos, the changes can be extremely visible.

Causes of Stretching

There are a few things that cause the skin and tattoos to stretch. Some of them can be avoided but others are a natural occurrence. Here are a few of the most common causes.

Muscle Building

Working out and gaining muscle is a big trend today. However, this can affect your tattoos to be careful. Building muscle slowly usually won’t affect a tattoo but rapid gaining or losing or muscle mass will likely cause a tattoo to stretch.

Weight

Just like with muscle, quickly gaining or losing weight will cause your skin to stretch. This will impact the tattoo if it’s in certain locations. The skin could sag or create stretch marks, which can affect the design. If you’re trying to change your weight do it slowly. It’s not only healthier but it won’t change your tattoo as much.

Pregnancy

As a baby grows inside of a woman her body goes through extraordinary changes to accommodate it. Part of this is the stomach stretching and growing. A tattoo in this location can be affected looking distorted or stretched out. Stretch marks may also be lasting markers on her body due to pregnancy. These can impact a tattoo design but the good new is usually they don’t, at least not for long.

Age

It’s perfectly natural for skin to become less taut as we age. This is what causes the skin to wrinkle and sag. Unfortunately, this also impacts tattoos on the body. There’s not much that can be done about this but many people say their tattoos still look good even as they get older.

How To Prevent Stretching

Sometimes stretching can’t be prevented but gaining or losing weight or muscle slowly is the best way to try to combat this. Although, your skin is pretty resilient, so don’t worry too much about tattoo stretching. If you have any questions or concerns contact us or visit our downtown tattoo shop.

Portrait Tattoos 101

 A portrait tattoo is a great way to honor or remember someone you love. It can be a portrait of a family member, a pet or even a celebrity icon. This type of tattoo can be tricky though due to the level of detail and the realism. Before you sit down at our Toronto Tattoo Shop to get your new portrait tattoo inked consider the following.

Time

    Portrait tattoos take a lot of time due to the level of detail and skill. Expect to spend between 4-10 hours in the chair. This time can go up though depending on the size, placement, and details.    

Style

    Most tattoos are done in the realism style, capturing the lifelike image from the photograph. However, recently people are getting portraits done in another style such as dot work, cubism or watercolor. Consider if you want a coloured portrait or black and gray as well.    

Cost

    Portrait tattoos can be costly due to the high level of details and skills needed to capture the realism.  They can be pricey but you never want to go cheap on tattoos, especially not portrait ones.

 Artist

    Always, always, look through an artist’s portfolio. Make sure they have experience and skill in portrait tattoos. It’s a good idea to ask to see the original photo and compare it with the finished tattoo they completed.   

Picture

    An artist can only recreate a quality image if they’re given a quality image. Make sure to always print out the picture and make it larger than the tattoo size you want. Make sure the image isn’t blurry, pixilated or faded. 

If you’re looking to get a portrait tattoo done check out our Toronto tattoo shop. We have many gifted artists that specialize in portrait tattoos.