What would/should/can you do if your employer discriminates against your tattoos and/or piercings? What, if any, legal recourse do you have if someone refuses to hire you because of your body mods?

This is actually my QOW (Question of the Week) but while drafting my response, it lent itself to other thoughts and subsequently a much longer answer than I usually publish here as a simple blog. So, instead I published it as an FAQ article page, which can be viewed here.

wildcherry1212 writes: "My girl got a Dallas cowboys star with the logo underneath in dark blue ink. Saturday, so less than 48 hrs later it appears to have a white coating. She used Vaseline for only the 1st few hrs. Then Lubriderm lotion or A/D ointment. Is this normal or should she be worried about the color fading. Maybe not deep enough in her skin? I got a blue star in the design on my tatt and the color is fine (no white)."

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Question: "About a month ago I received my fifth tattoo, however this one didn't go as well as i had planned. apparently I was had an allergic reaction to the brown tattoo ink which the doctor later labled as contact dermatitis. At first I was thinking to myself that I just won't get that color again, but to my misfortune the doctor told me not to get any more tattoos whatsoever, because even though it may be one color now it is possible that it may spread, causing the throat glands to swell and possibly become fatal. The question I have is this. Is there a way I can find out whether or not I am allergic to tattoo inks? Another thing I had a mild problem with a tattoo i got before that, I think it might have been a small reaction, the color was red, but i had gotten some red after i had received that one. the tattoist after looking at my most recent reaction said that he was almost certain that he used the same brand of ink. is it possible that i might just be allergic to the brands?"

Answer: While I admittedly have no medical background, I think your doctor is being paranoid. It sounds like they're just against tattoos in the first place, so this is a great excuse for them to scare you with their extremist worst-case-scenario views to keep you from getting more ink. I have never heard of anyone dying from anaphylactic shock due to an allergic reaction to tattoo ink. However, that's not to say it could never happen and it certainly wouldn't be worth dying just to get a tattoo, so here's what I would do: Get a second opinion.

Go to a dermatologist, not just a family physician. Make sure the dermatologist doesn't have any preconceived issues with tattoos and then explain the situation to them. Get tested to find out what you are allergic to (which is a simple blood test now, not the old-fashioned prick test) and maybe you can even ask if they can test for tattoo ink as well. Get a sample of the ink from your artist. Find out what brand it actually is and request an MSDS fact sheet from the manufacturer. Do whatever research you feel is necessary to determine - without prejudice - whether you should get another tattoo again or not.

Question: "I've been looking into getting these on my hips as an alternative to a bar bell, because of the high rejection rates. I know micros can reject too but i was hoping you could tell me anything about the process and such. I know yours did reject and i was wondering how big the scars are? and is this something you would recommend?"

Answer: The hip area is "iffy" for any piercing - microdermals or not. It really depends on your body shape, your level and type of physical activity, and your clothing. Bending, rubbing, pressure, and even your own physiology play a part in how your body handles being pierced and whether or not it decides to evict the jewelry. All you can do is try, keeping in mind the things that could possibly encourage rejection and do your best to avoid those things. The good news is that the scars left behind from my microdermals are very small and they have also become lighter in color over the past few months. I still recommend micros and think they're a great piercing option. As always, find an artist who is experienced in doing this type of piercing to reduce the risk of problems.

Question: "I have had my nose done in the past and due to certain circumstances had to let it close up. But I have recently gotten repierced. I'm noticing the same thing happening to my nose piercing that happened that last time. Each time a nose bone was placed in the piercing. Now I have read on the internet that that's a bad thing to do, but it's kind of in my nose already. But what seems to happen is that the piercing will heal around the stem part of it, but then if say my nose jewelry were to accidentally be pulled out of my nose or I would want to change it I have to go thru extreme pain for it to come out and the same for when I put it back in. I have never had any type of infection, there are no bumps or anything. But is there something that maybe you can suggest that I do so that my nose piercing does not hurt me every time I take out my nose ring or put it back in? I've had the nose bone in for about a month."

Answer: This is precisely why many of us recommend against the use of nose bones. When you remove the jewelry, the little ball on the end forces the piercing fistula (hole) open wider than it is, so it damages the tissue. Since the nostril contains mostly cartilage material, it’s not inherently stretchy like your ear lobe, which is why it hurts so much. But, as you said, yours is in there and it’s doing fine so right now you’re ok. The problem is if/when you need to remove the bone, what do you do?

My advice would be to use wire cutters to cut the end off the bone inside your nose first. Yes, that ruins the jewelry and you have to throw it away at that point, but at least you can avoid the pain and tissue damage. Then, once the bone is out, don’t put another one in. Choose a nostril screw or CBR hoop that is the right size and fit for your piercing. Then, changing out your jewelry is a breeze and you won’t have this problem anymore.

Question: "I am 47 years old and I consider myself a good artist. I really just recently got interested in doing tattoos. I started looking at tattoo magazines for ideas for drawings. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw how beautiful this artwork was! Then I read some articles in the magazines and one caught my attention and made me want to be a tattoo artist. The gentleman I read about was a pinup artist (I fell in love with pinup art) and he said the most gratifying feeling he has ever had was to see his artwork on someones body!! I would love to see my artwork on someone’s body and to know that they loved my artwork that much would be the ultimate high to me!! I want to learn all that I can and I wish I had the money to become an apprentice but I don't. It’s so frustrating having lost my job had my car stolen and I really have no money to do what I want. I live in the San Fransisco Bay Area and I live in the "ghetto" but I must say there are a lot of tattoo shops here in the Bay area. So I am going to go to them and see if I can get someone to take me in. I am willing and able to work for mine!! If you have any suggestions I would really appreciate them. The first thing I’m going to do is get together a portfolio and read up on sterilization and about the blood. Is that a good start?"

Answer: Yes, that is a good start. First, read and learn as much as you can and then start getting some more ink yourself. That's going to cost some money, but if you go to a good artist, you can learn a lot by watching. Start building a relationship with your artist and then, in a year or so or however long it takes for them to recognize you when you walk in the door (and hopefully be glad to see you!), you can start asking them about the process and your desire to learn. If they can't teach you themselves, they may be able to get you in touch with someone who is looking for an apprentice. The community of tattoo artists is a tight one and the GOOD ones know a lot of other good artists - get in good with one of them and it may open a door of opportunity for you.

Going to tattoo conventions is a great way to meet lots of artists and find one that you feel a personal connection with. Yes, that is a good start. First, read and learn as much as you can and then start getting some more ink yourself. That's going to cost some money, but if you go to a good artist, you can learn a lot by watching. Start building a relationship with your artist and then, in a year or so or however long it takes for them to recognize you when you walk in the door, you can start asking them about the process and your desire to learn. If they can't teach you themselves, they may be able to get you in touch with someone who is looking for an apprentice. The community of tattoo artists is a tight one and the GOOD ones know a lot of other good artists - get in good with one of them and it may open a door of opportunity for you. Going to tattoo conventions is a great way to meet lots of artists and find one that you feel a personal connection with.

Question: "I'm a 25 year old male and I lost about 70 lbs, four years ago... I've maintained the same weight (+/- 10 lbs) for the last 3 years. With that said, my arms are covered with terrible white stretch marks. It is so awful, I cannot even wear a short sleeve t-shirt in the summer. Many are thin and white and have little to no depth and then there are a few that are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide and cause a slight dip in the skin. I'm wondering if tattooing over them is a solution. I don't know what I would put over them, but my mind frequently goes to tree branches and such, since they kind of go in all different directions and have some texture that may help blend into the stretch marks. Do you think that's doable? I'm getting desperate."

Answer: I think that's entirely doable, but it will be up to the artist to make the final decision once they actually see your arm. I have tons of small white, thin stretch marks on the undersides of my arms and the part that I had tattooed over completely camouflaged the lines. It was, admittedly, more painful and tender to be tattooed in that area but it was absolutely worth it.

Just make sure you choose a talented artist who doesn't have a really heavy hand, since thin skin has to be inked very carefully to avoid causing further damage. You can't always tell how heavy-handed an artist is just by photos of finished work, so you may want to watch him/her work on other clients and even interview a few of their customers to see what they thought of the artist's touch.

Thin skin and striae (stretch marks) can cause tattooed designs to spread more, so something that doesn't have a lot of fine detail will be your best option. Color and texture, however, will be your friend - multiple levels of colors and shadowing/highlights will help to camouflage the striae best.

George Jerutis was arrested eight years ago for tattooing minors at their homes, and now he's been busted again for the same reason. I don't know where he ran afoul, because once upon a time he owned two legitimate shops. Now he's running a shady "tattoo apprenticeship" online course and has resorted to inking teenagers and offering tattoo services door-to-door. Sad, really. This is the opposite of progress, which is what we need to see in the industry if it's going to thrive.