Tattoos & Colorful Hair

Stigma Behind Women with Tattoos

Most people have heard from parents or some authoritative figure that if you get a tattoo it will be difficult to get a job or that women do not look “ladylike” with one. The day I got my tattoo, I remember calling my parents and telling them about it in detail. The first thing my dad said was, “well good luck finding a job” and my moms first words were “aww how cute”.  When it comes to the stigma that having a tattoo can ruin a career, I believe that is old news. We are in the 21st century, time to move on from that stigma. Many movements for different freedoms have been occurring. Tattoos can be signified as a freedom of speech and expression. I understand if the tattoo is inappropriate you may need to conceal it for certain occasions, but if it is a work of art or an important symbol, I, along with many others, feel there is nothing wrong with it being on your body and representing what you believe or who you are.

The second stigma that I would like to refute is that tattoos are not “ladylike”. Who is to say that a woman cannot rock a tattoo any less than a man. How does a tattoo change a lady’s ability to be a lady? It is a stamp on her body, it does not change who she is or how she can dress. Anyone and everyone who wishes to get a tattoo should feel no shame. I love the saying, “people who care don’t matter and people who matter don’t care”. Those who judge others for marking their bodies, obviously have something going on in their lives that make them feel the need to judge. When it comes to older people born in the early to mid-1900’s, it may be difficult for them not to judge because they did not grow up with tattoos being a “norm” or being accepted.  These are changing times, and there will be people who refuse to accept tattoos, however as time goes by I hope that we will transition to a time where tattoos are accepted by everyone.

Women with Colorful Hair

When I first dyed my hair purple, most of the feedback I got was positive, my mom however was a bit concerned.  First off, she was worried about whether it would fade by Christmas for family visits and photos, which I think was partially because she thought that my grandparents would take issue with my colorful locks.  However, I think the main reason she was against my hair transformation was because she worried that dying my hair would become a normal thing that would act as an obstacle when I applied for a job or internship.  She thought that people would take me less seriously and that I would be less likely to get a job or receive a spot regardless of any of my qualifications. 

I think that past generations associated dyed hair with delinquency and a lack of respect for authority, like it was a middle finger to the adult world.  I guess that could be true for some people as to why they dye their hair unnatural colors, and there is nothing wrong with that, but not for me.  Dying your hair is a way to express yourself, try something new with your look and boost your confidence!  At this point it has become an art form due to the use of more complicated techniques and complex styles.  I’ll be the first to admit that I get sucked into watching multi-color or ombre hair dye tutorials on Snapchat or Instagram all the time. 

For the most part, younger generations think of dyed hair as an extension of style and recognize that even permanent hair dye does not last forever.  They are not afraid to experiment with how they present themselves to the world.  Over the years, colorful hair has become less rare and more accepted and I hope that this trend will continue.  If anyone wants to dye their hair, I highly recommend it and encourage you to throw caution to the wind!

Traditional ideas of professional attire are narrow minded and encourage heteronormativity, CIS normativity, and whiteness.  Whether you desire to express yourself temporarily through a hair color change or permanently through body art, neither of these options should be frowned upon or impact your personal or professional life negatively.