Tattoos have been around for a long time, as we’ve explored in past entries. But if we look closer, we can start to discern the different types of tattoos out there. Today, we’ll focus on face tattoos, or job killers, as they’re better known.
Face tattoos have seen a rise in popularity in pop culture. This is due to the emergence of hip-hop culture popularizing styles such as the teardrop tattoo. Artists such as Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, Post Malone, Lil Xan, and 21 Savage contribute to its acceptance in popular culture.
Obviously, this doesn’t mean that people are marching in droves to get their face tattooed. This practice is mainly reserved to hip-hop artists, tattoo artists and jail birds; there is a reason why they’re called job killers.
There is simply no way that anyone trying to get a job in corporate America can don one of these tattoos and expect to get hired. If you’ve been thinking about getting one, I suggest you take another week or two to decide on whether it is a good idea for your future.
As with ‘regular’ body tattoos, face tattoos carry a message – I don’t care about what you think; I’ll do with my body as I please. But as I mentioned before, this type of tattoo has been around for a long time.
In Ancient Rome, slaves who fled or attempted escape from their masters would frequently be branded on their foreheads or tattooed against their will. These tattoos portrayed the crimes committed and were a punishment because of the inability to cover up a tattoo on the forehead.
So, you can see how and why a face tattoo has such negative connotations even to this day.
Most tattoo artists will attempt to dissuade clients from getting a facial tattoo, and in some cases may outright refuse to do a facial tattoo.
Think of it as a courtesy and not a shun. A 2013 study published in Psychology, Public Policy, and Law concluded that face tattoos often lead to bias in the jury and more frequent convictions.
If none of the above has dissuaded you from getting a face tattoo, make sure you speak with your tattoo artist of choice to discuss what would be the best course of action. Good luck!
