Tag Archives: tattoo

Freja Beha, fashion model (NYT photo)

In the past 15 years or so, the popularity and acceptance of tattooing has grown exponentially. I think it’s fair to say, that in some places in the country, and in certain demographics, being tattooed is more common than not.

I can remember back to when piercing was something you did to your earlobes, and only once on each side of your head. When my mother was young, pierced ears were a mark of being an immigrant, something newcomers to this country, in those decades, were anxious to shed. My grandmother, born overseas, had pierced ears. My mother’s have never been pierced, and she was raised to believe that was a good thing. When I was young, pierced ears were thought to be a little risque, sort of grown-up and tough. I remember how my teenage friends begged and pleaded to get their ears pierced. It was a rite of passage. Now, I think it’s fairly unusual to find a woman under 50 without pierced ears.

Respectful of the stigma that has been attached to tattoos, lots of tattoo artists have policies about not tattooing on faces, necks, and hands – all places where tattoos can’t be easily concealed and therefore might cause potential social or employment problems for the inked person.

But it seems that the normalization of tattoos has resulted in less concern about their visibility, and neck and facial tattoos are becoming more common. Check out this article about the increasing visibility of tattoos in the style section of the NY Times.

And since this is Geek Porn Girl, afterall, take a stroll through this collection of geeky science-themed tattoos.

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