I’ve always found tattoos interesting. However, my drawing skills are limited to uneven heart shapes, weird trees, and something that may or may not be a flower.  Despite this, I knew I wanted tattoos. When I turned 17 years old, I expressed to my parents my desire to get my first tattoo when I turned 18. For those who doesn’t know, I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and legal age to drink, and get tattoos in Puerto Rico is 18 years old. My dad did not have any issues with me getting a tattoo as long as the tattoo parlor was a clean and sanitized place, and the artist was good. My mom on the other hand, was not a fan.  Although I was legally an adult and I could’ve gotten one done, I was still living in my parents’ house.  Therefore, the whole “my house, my rules” situation applied, and out of respect to that I did not get it while living with them.

A few years later, I had my first experience with grief when my grandfather passed away. I wanted to find a way to remember and honor him, so I got my first tattoo. A few weeks later, I told my parents I got a tattoo, and since I didn’t live with them anymore, it was OK. The first thing that my mom asked was, “Where is it?”. I was confused and shocked by the question, “why does it matter where it is?” I thought. Then she proceeds to tell me that, as she was growing up, people with tattoos had a dubious reputation. You know that part of history when tattoos were associated with sailors, and criminals, well, my mom had that mentality for a bit.

She believed that my tattoo, although a great way to honor my grandfather, would not be well received by other people in a society that will judge me for it. As my mom she did not want me to experience the looks and biases from people that doesn’t know me but had the same perception of tattoos as she did.  My first tattoo is big, but not visible and that gave her some relieved.

Throughout the years, I had other tattoos done in places that made it easier for me to hide them from people at work. I’ve worked in multiple clients facing jobs, for local governments, federal government and private companies, and I refrain from getting more or bigger tattoos because of the fear of some people seeing me as “unladylike”, unprofessional, less motivated or unreliable. I thought that if I don’t show my tattoos at work, everyone should see me as a professional, and people will be more comfortable around me, and even take my recommendations into consideration if they didn’t know I had tattoos.

About a year ago, I decided to get a sleeve done, a Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask design to be more exact. And I did! My family liked the tattoo, the art style and the colors! But I was still covering my tattoo at work, it could be 94 degrees out and I would be the crazy lady with long sleeves in the middle of summer at work.

One random evening after work, my client caught a glance of my arm. They were surprised and in a good way. They loved the art, the idea, and the meaning behind it and then asked “Why do you hide? I have never seen your tattoo at work” and I replied, “For the longest time, I have felt that it is not appropriate for me to show them”. And they replied, “There’s a lot of people that have them at work and they show them all the time, that shouldn’t bother you. You should show it, it is a cool art.” It was a good reminder that, my tattoos are for me, is a way for me to express myself. I was trap in the illusion of what “professionalism” was, that I became a trapped and unable to accept myself.

From that point on, I slowly started to wear quarter sleeve blouses at work. If I tell you that I don’t get the occasional stare and that uncomfortable/curious glance often I’ll be lying to you.  Biases persist, even after tattoos being more accepted in our society.  The concept of “professionalism” creates a barrier for diversity and inclusion. You see, everyone should be able to exist and co-exist in a way that allows them to be comfortable in their own skin.  Professionalism should not be around the attire; how do you wear your hair or how many tattoos or piercings you have. Professionalism has nothing to do with your appearance, it is tied to your knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform your job.   

While societal biases around tattoos remain, it’s important to challenge and redefine what professionalism means. Tattoos are a personal form of self-expression and should not detract from one’s professional abilities or credibility. As we move towards a more inclusive society, it’s crucial to judge individuals by their skills and contributions rather than their appearance. Embracing diversity, including visible tattoos, can foster a more authentic and accepting workplace culture where everyone feels comfortable in their own skin.

And as of my mom stands on tattoos… well… she now wants one.