Tattoo's and piercings in the industry!

[ktoso888]

I'd never alienate clients its just that if they really had a problem with the way I look then that is their problem not mine, I have many clients who have highly professional jobs (lawyers/bank managers) etc who have tattoos and piercings.

I come across more people with tattoos/piercings than clients who don't have any. I have never come across anyone who has refused a treatment from me because of how I look, if i did it wouldnt bother me (regardless of their available expenditure) there are plenty more unprejudice, tattooed/not tattoed or pierced/not pierced clients around who don't have issues with it.

 

[dandelionpoppy]

Fully agree with individualism and if you have enough clients I guess it's no problem. I do agree that some clients in some areas would be put off by piercings and tattoos; whether that's reasonable is another argument, it's just a fact.
Incidentally, because of the popularity of them I actually think it will become more unusual and cutting edge NOT to have piercings and tattoos! I used to think they showed great, edgy character but now I think they look a bit old hat 'cos practically everyone's got them.

 

[Roxie]

there is a saying

the difference between tattooed people and non tattooed people is tattooed people dont give a sh1t if your not tattooed.

 

[tiggerlady]

As a mum of 3 grownup kids, all of which have tattoos in varying degrees, they dont bother me at all, and as a client I would be looking for a therapists knowledge and personality way before what tattoos/piercings they had...however...Do you think that as an industry (beauty, that is,) the subliminal message that salons/spas want to give out is that IF you use our products and IF you come here for regular treatments, you too can look like one of our girls/or guys? (yes I know, you can shoot me if you want!)
At college we had to have hair pinned back and no visible jewellery,apart from discreet earrings including not even wedding rings as they can damage skin during massage, no nail varnish etc..

 

[nicolao4]

I always find tats and peircings a good conversation starter especialy with new clients, puts them at ease and then your not just chatting about weather and holidays! Like many have said there are so many people with them these days it is just part of everyday image. I have a tatoo but it is on my stomach so clients don't see it but i do keep a fairly plain image, not plastered in make-up etc, i have had many clients say they feel at such ease as i look so "normal". The image of "perfection" seems very unatainable to some clients and they can feel very intimadated by glamazon therapists. Good on you all for just being who you are, after all a client will return time and time again if you are genuine and good at your job, the amount of peircings and tats, i think, don't come into it.
Nicola

 

[bombini]

Depends entirely on the location of your business and the type of client you wish to attract. Where I work there was outrage when a local shop owner had tattoos and a lot of people wouldn't go into his shop. We have to remember that not everyone is young, modern and forward looking, and there are women of certain ages and backgrounds, often with a high disposable income who have very definite ideas on a professional image, why risk alienating a possible revenue stream for things that can be removed and covered?!

I agree.

I think sometimes people say they like tattoos on the person because they don't want to offend them but really they think they look awful or whatever. My friend has a large tattoo down the inside of her arm she loves it, I hate it. Would I tell her ? No because it wouldn't achieve anything, I just said it was nice but I wouldn't have it.

When I was about 16 I was really into piercings and had two tattoos. The majority of people raved over the tattoos when I asked them what they thought yet now if someone asks me about them (one is visible on my arm) I say I don't like it and wish I hadn't had it everyone agrees it is not very nice and a lot of them initally said it was good !!

When I worked in a spa I had to cover my tattoo with a plaster which cost me a small fortune and one day when I forgot to cover it the hotel owner literally went beserk, I was nearly in tears.

 

[MinxyMoo]

Now I shall through a spanner into the works probably, because I agree with Martin and Bombini. Before you give any client a treatment you have to get them through the door of your salon and as it with many industries it is how that client perseves you and your business. It is how you look and how you behave as a therapist and also how your salon looks that will get the clients through the door. As there is such a choice out there now and there are usually many salons in one town you only have one chance to make an impression so let it be a good one. After that it is down to you to give the best treatment possible to that client to make them feel that it is all about them and if you do they will come back time and time again. This industry isn't about the therapist and what they look like and if you don't like my tattoo's, piercings, hair etc then just tough its about the client, without them you have no business. Anyway thats my thought for the day and as with all posts on here it is one persons view, ie mine.

 

[GeekFace]

Personally, for me, I would rather have someone who is tattooed from head to toe and is professional and knows what they're doing and gives me the best treatment they can possibly give rather than someone who looks the part and is unprofessional and does not give me the best results- thats not to say that people without tattoos/piercings are unprofessional and vice versa.

There will be people who take you at face value and may get offended, but thats their opinion (and they may very well miss out on a good treatment because of this!!), however, I think they will be few and far between, especially in this day and age were most people are walking around with tattoos, piercings, dyed hair etc.

 

[Martin Duffy]

But the point is a client will never know how great your treatments are if they are put off by the image you are presenting! There're a reason why doctors, nurses and others in health industries aren't walking about with piercings and tattoos all over, which is that some people find it gives an unprofessional image.

I personally like tattoos and piercings, and have piercings myself, but that's irrelevant to my business. I don't wear mine to work as I know some people are put off by them, so why limit my client base? As to the suggestion that most people have piercings and tattoos, this will depend on where you live and the circles you move in, I can assure you that hardly anyone where I work has anything but pierced ears!

As to the 'if they don't like it it's their loss' attitude, I have to say it's actually not their loss as they'll go elsewhere - it's you loss! In this line of work we'll always have clients that have different opinions to our own about appearance, acceptable behaviour, political opinion etc etc, we can't just build a business on only having clients who have the same opinions.

Part of a service industry is realising the service is about the experience of the person receiving it, it's not about the predilections of the person providing it.

 

[Beauty Within]

But the point is a client will never know how great your treatments are if they are put off by the image you are presenting! There're a reason why doctors, nurses and others in health industries aren't walking about with piercings and tattoos all over, which is that some people find it gives an unprofessional image.

I personally like tattoos and piercings, and have piercings myself, but that's irrelevant to my business. I don't wear mine to work as I know some people are put off by them, so why limit my client base? As to the suggestion that most people have piercings and tattoos, this will depend on where you live and the circles you move in, I can assure you that hardly anyone where I work has anything but pierced ears!

As to the 'if they don't like it it's their loss' attitude, I have to say it's actually not their loss as they'll go elsewhere - it's you loss! In this line of work we'll always have clients that have different opinions to our own about appearance, acceptable behaviour, political opinion etc etc, we can't just build a business on only having clients who have the same opinions.

Part of a service industry is realising the service is about the experience of the person receiving it, it's not about the predilections of the person providing it.

I understand what you are saying and I don't want this post to be read in the wrong way but in my experience I see it differently. I rent a room doing beauty in a hair salon the 2 lads that run it are covered in tattoos 1 of the lads has tattoos covering his neck and full arms. The salon is very busy with a huge mixture of clients all ages and races. They are always fully booked it doesn't affect what people think of them. They get lots of walk ins too so people don't look through the window and think look at the state of them tattoos, they think wow look at the haircut that's just come out of there these hairdressers are good.

I personally only have one small tattoo that no one notices not because I don't like them or it will affect what people think of me but because I wouldnt suit anything more I know many people that have some amazing tattoos. There is some very talented tattoo artists out there.

Every one is entitled to there own opinions I agree. But I do think it wrong to say it stops people coming through the salon because I see it everyday.


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[Martin Duffy]

The difference being you're talking about hairdressers, which is an entirely different beast to beauty therapy.

 

[angelina221]

I think it depends on whether they are tasteful or not. Some people can be covered in tattoos and look and right mess whilst others may have a couple that look really nice.
I have to say that i have never had a member of staff at my salon that HASN'T had a tattoo!
Myself and my other therapist have tattoos but they are not visible so the clients wouldn't see them. The colon hydrotherapist who works at my salon has a tattoo at the top of her arm so again no-one see it.
I have an eyebrow piercing which i have had for over 12 years. Most people don't notice it as my fringe is usually covering it. The other therapist has a lip piercing but she doesn't wear it to work.
Clients come back to my salon because they feel comfortable and get a great treatment. I've lost count of the amount of times that clients have said that the salon has a lovely atmosphere and that they feel really comfortable there. This is the reason they come back (as well as getting a great treatment !), and i don't think they would give 2 hoots if we had visible tattoos and piercings everywhere.
A lot of clients feel intimidated going to spas as, and this is actually what clients have told me, they feel inferior as the therapists look too perfect!

 

[Beauty Within]

The difference being you're talking about hairdressers, which is an entirely different beast to beauty therapy.

There's a lot of salons that are both now. Wether it's one proffession renting in another or hairdressers and beauty therapist hired in one salon. Clients have to walk past the hairdressers to get to where the beauty room is.
We are all human beings at the end of the day.
It doesn't matter what anyone looks like it's the service they provide.
I'm sure if people feel this way about beauty therapist what about other professional people who provide us with there service that you can't actualy see like a chef, cooking food in a kitchen people would still eat the food they have cooked not knowing what they look like.
But again if that's peoples opinion they are well and truly entitled to it.
It just doesn't bother me.
My hate is people with poor personal higene now that's what would stop people going to a salon.



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[Martin Duffy]

It doesn't matter what anyone looks like it's the service they provide.
I'm sure if people feel this way about beauty therapist what about other professional people who provide us with there service that you can't actualy see like a chef, cooking food in a kitchen people would still eat the food they have cooked not knowing what they look like.

But before a person knows what a service is like they have to have booked it, which involves a 'first impression'. Interesting that you mention restaurants, because I have yet to see front of house in high-end restaurants with staff sporting piercings and tattoos!

 

[MinxyMoo]

Totally agree Martin, there are many industries and not just ours, I can include corporate ones where image counts and not just for the employees also for the spouses. A lot of deals are won and lost at corporate events, I know, Ive been to too many. I had to look the part and play the part, sorry I know this sounds materialistic and unreal but thats how it worked and I did this for years and I did this gladly for my husband it is what paid our bills, maybe its changed now? First impressions count as you can only make one first impression if it isn't right they won't come back or won't come to you at all. Before I trained in holistic and beauty I was a client for over 15 years and I was lucky to have been able to have treatments at some of the most amazing places, all I can say is where I went not one member of staff where allowed to have tattoos or piercings on show and still don't, it was how they wanted their salon to be perseved. Different people want different things.

 

[cazjp69]

I have fifteen tattoos over various parts of my body during the winter if i have short sleeves and cut offs on only 5 are visable. On an evening and weekend and I am doing beauty my clients normally like them and even coment on them. I work in a school full time and they request all tattoos are covered up (even told me I had to have my red fringe bleached out as kids not allowed colours so staff not allowed either) but even then if a couple have been seen the sixth form students have said how nice they are.

 

[sarahrose14]

I have a few small tattoos that I can hide I have one visible dermal piecing on my chest but it's not very obvious. When I was in college I was saving up for a Mehndi hand tattoo and my tutor told me in no uncertain terms I would not be employed in the beauty industry with a tattooed hand! So needless to say I never got the tat done I've decided to get a backpiece done now at least no one will see it unless I want them to xx

 

[Beauty Within]

But before a person knows what a service is like they have to have booked it, which involves a 'first impression'. Interesting that you mention restaurants, because I have yet to see front of house in high-end restaurants with staff sporting piercings and tattoos!

I didn't say front of house I said chef. That was just an example of people you recieve a service from and you don't no what they look like. Like Iv said in past 2 posts everyone is entitled to their opinion. I'm not here to argue.

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[MinxyMoo]

I think you will find that chefs aren't allowed to wear their piercings they would have to be removed they would be classed as a health hazard, can you image finding one of their studs or bars in your food! The food industry have very high health and safety standards for obvious reasons.

 

[Martin Duffy]

I think you will find that chefs aren't allowed to wear their piercings they would have to be removed they would be classed as a health hazard, can you image finding one of their studs or bars in your food! The food industry have very high health and safety standards for obvious reasons.

That's true, piercings usually have to be removed or covered with a plaster, the same is also true of beards in some establishments (a chef I used to know had to wear a beard protector).

The more interesting point is that even in restaurants (I mean high end ones, not mcdonalds and kfc) it is rarely deemed acceptable for the staff at front of house to wear anything but ear piercings because it puts across a professional image. As therapists we are more akin to front of house than chefs as we ARE on show, we're not hidden away in a back room.