Tattoos, piercings, and other body art used to be taboo. They were associated with “freak shows” at local fairs and circuses, with outlaw biker gangs, or with dangerous, rebellious types of people. Fortunately today, much of American society has done a 180-degree change in how we view body modification and art.
However, as someone with a fair amount of visible ink, I know that I have been the recipient of judgmental looks and disapproving stares from time to time. In this blog post, we will discuss how expressing yourself through piercings, tattoos, or brightly colored hair helps people express themselves, and how body modifications are actually good for your mental health.
The History of Tattoos, Piercings, and Hair Color
Archeologistis have found tattoo equipment that dates as far back as 12,000 years ago. Throughout history, tattoos have been used for religious purposes, to display military rank, to identify criminals, and even as medical treatments. We know that tattoos were used to dehumanize prisoners in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi Germany. However, some grandchildren of the survivors of Auschwitz have turned this horrendous practice into a way to remember what their grandparents survived during the Holocaust by getting duplicates of those tattoos.
In a timeline similar to tattooing, there is also evidence of body piercing that dates back 12,000 years ago. Ancient cultures used piercings to show that they belonged to a certain clan, or to indicate social status.
Hair coloring is harder to trace in terms of archeology, but hair coloring has been used for personal expression for centuries. We know that ancient cultures in Egypt, Greece, and Rome used plants to change the color of their locks. In fact, according to hair color manufacturer Madison Reed, “other civilizations used hair color on the battlefield as a means to show their rank and frighten the enemy.”
The Therapeutic Nature of Body Art
Today, using your body as a canvas is all about personal expression. Tattoos and piercings are more than just a fashion statement. They help you convey bits and pieces of your personality to the outside world.
Tattoos can be therapeutic and help you remember who you are and what is important to you.
Researchers at the University of the Free State in South Africa surveyed college students to learn why they chose to get tattoos. The students who they surveyed reported that they got their ink to remember a particular struggle that they overcame, to keep a departed loved one’s memory alive, or as a visible representation of who they are. These are similar reasons that my own friends and colleagues have shared about why they chose to get certain tattoos.
The process of getting a tattoo can play a valuable role in helping someone heal from the loss of a person or pet, or from a situation that they overcame. Mental health expert Dan Reidenberg explained the benefits of memorial tattoos in an article in The Huffington Post. In the article he explained, “Memorial tattoos help keep someone we lost close to us. Literally, they become part of us.”
A friend of mine shared a similar feeling after her beloved Labrador Retriever passed away. She shared, “My dog was my best friend in the world, she had been with me through some hard times, including a really terrible breakup that was immediately followed by my mom passing away. For so long it was my dog and me, my best friend and ally. When she died, it felt like a part of me died with her. A few days later, I had a copy of her actual pawprint tattooed onto my back along with her name and a heart for each of us, and I immediately felt as if we were connected forever. I felt this permanent bond with her that I cannot describe. She might be gone, but that paw print will be on me forever.”
Piercings are a less permanent but equally meaningful way to commemorate a milestone or the loss of a loved one. According to Almost Famous Piercing, “piercings are often a way for someone to mark a special point in their life. A piercing can serve as a memorial to a loved one, a marker of a major achievement, or even just a reminder of a treasured memory.Sometimes, a piercing can be an empowering symbol of a traumatic event that the person has overcome.” The jewelry inserted into the piercing can also be sentimental, and include the birthstone of a loved one, a stone with a special meaning, a crystal, shape, or a design that has a special meaning.
Judging people because they have tattoos, piercings, or unusual hairstyles keeps you from seeing all of the amazing things about them.
I remember when I got my second earring piercing clearly because my cool aunt, snuck me off to Claire’s at the mall (behind my mother’s back – or so I thought). We really bonded that day since we shared a secret. I actually just got a piercing with my daughter while we were on a road trip. I wanted to get this with her to bond and to remember the fun time we had together (and I’ll admit it, to be the ‘cool’ mom too). We stopped in a place in Kansas City, met the nicest guy named Paulie at Freaks on Broadway, who did our piercings while we talked about what his tattoos and piercings mean to him and how he has found true-er friends because of how he looks.
Paulie was tattooed from head to toe (I am guessing his toes were too ? since I literally couldn’t find a blank canvas of skin except for most of his face). He explained how he lost some friends because of how he looked. He found deep friendships with people after that who didn’t care about his tattoos or piercings and who accepted him unconditionally for who he is as a person. My favorite tattoo of his was Where’s Waldo behind his ear. ?
Hair Color and Identity
Modern hair color was invented by an English Professor who was trying to create a cure for malaria. Although his discovery led to a $30 billion industry, it might be an argument against English majors spending too much time in a chemistry lab. But all joking aside, hair color is legendary for its ability to change your image within minutes, and far less painfully then piercing or tattooing.
Every makeover show that has ever aired includes a cut and color. Coloring your hair, especially for women, is nearly synonymous with major life changes. Bad breakup? Cut and color. Running away to start a new life? Cut and color. A pandemic that keeps you in your home for 15 months? Maybe not a cut, but definitely some experimental at-home color.
Beauty retailers like Sally Beauty Supply saw a spike in home hair color products during the Covid-19 pandemic. While some of this is due to the shutdown of professional hair salons and the fact that women were left to cover grays at home, Sally Beauty Supply saw a 53% increase in the sale of vivid haircolors during the Covid-19 pandemic. That data suggests that people were ready to do something bold and personal to help them get through the pandemic.
I personally add a touch of a bold color when I am feeling bored or like I am stuck in a rut. There is something about a streak of purple, pink, orange or blue that helps me change my mindset, boost my creativity or just feel like I can still have some fun ?
Vivid Hair Colors and the LGBTQIA2S+ Community
Bold, vivid hair colors in non-traditional shades have become extremely popular in the last five years, long before the pandemic. In the past, various groups have embraced vivid colors like blue, orange, and pink during other decades – think punk rock in the 70s, pop stars in the 80s, and grunge bands in the 90s. But today vivid hair colors are becoming more and more commonplace.
One of the factors contributing to the popularity of bright, non-traditional hair colors is that it is a form of expression for the LGBTQIA2S+ community. For some, having non-traditional hair color is a way of standing out and showing their pride in who they are. For others, it is a way of sharing that they are part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community without officially coming out as identifying a certain way.
Some transgender people report that coloring their hair helps them feel as if they are in control of their appearance, in stark contrast to other modifications that they cannot control as easily. And for many people – not only transgender – they often feel a lack of control over so many other things in their world, that having control over their hair color can be very empowering. One college student who we spoke to said that she and many of her friends color their hair in non-traditional colors because, ‘It makes people feel more confident and able to express themselves, it makes them feel empowered and like it is ok to be bold.” I can personally relate to this statement.
My Own Personal Expression through Tattoos, Piercings, and Vivid Colored Hair
I have tattoos. I have piercings. I have vividly colored hair at times. I think they are fun and un-boring. If you know me, then you know, I don’t like when things are ‘normal’. They are a part of me, and I wouldn’t be myself without them. Deep, right?
Well, yes. They are to me. I have a story for each one. They mark (literally) different events, places, mindsets, emotions, and choices in my life. Some good, some not so good. I put a lot of thought and meaning into my tattoos. Being an art therapist, I probably put more thought and meaning into the colors, shapes and symbols that are on my body. What you see may not make any sense to you and that’s okay. It makes sense to me. Feel free to ask if you are curious. Just like if you were in a session with me and you drew something, if I didn’t know what it was, I would ask you what it means so I could understand from your perspective and get to know you on a deeper level.
When I was younger, I was often asked ‘Don’t you think you will regret that?’ (Or told ‘You will regret that one day”). I also heard I wouldn’t get a job, or I would be judged by people who meet me. I believed those things were true for a while, depending on the circumstance, but mainly because I feared what other people were telling me would happen – what they feared.
This makes me think about when I was a nanny in college and worked hard to make sure my tattoos weren’t seen by the woman that hired me to care for her twins during the summer. I have to say, I was an awesome nanny. I loved those kids, and we had a blast! I also worked very hard and did the things that were asked of me. At the end of the summer, on my last day, I wore something that showed a tattoo and asked my boss, the mother of the twins, if she would have hired me if she saw it during my interview. She paused and answered honestly. She said no. Then she went onto say that she is glad she didn’t see it because her preconceived notions would have prevented her kids from having a great experience with me. She apologized and then thanked me for helping her to see that she has some work to do on judging others before she gets to know them and gives them a chance.
I have loved my tattoos and piercings and hated them at times. I have even covered them up and felt ashamed of them on occasion. Yet, I still was hired at jobs. I still succeeded in life. I still made friends. I have become a successful person – even with other’s fears, judgements, preconceived notions and opinions about my tattoos, piercings and colored hair.
Personal Expression in a Post-Covid World
Browsing through Pinterest is a pretty strong indication that tattoos, piercings, and vivid hair colors are now accepted widely throughout society. I cannot confirm this theory, but I am pretty confident that outlaw biker gangs and circus freak show participants are not Pinterest’s primary audience. Although, who am I to judge – it’s hard to resist pinning and organizing all those cool images and creative ideas!
Sure, there are some people who still have strong opinions and will make incorrect assumptions about those of us with tattoos, crazy colored hair, and body piercings when they see us having breakfast on a Sunday morning or outside in the yard playing with our dogs. But they can keep that judgement. In this life you get one body to decorate as you see fit. If the last year has taught us anything, it is that what matters is spending time with people who you love, who lift you up, and that you live the life that you want to live.
Let’s take a lesson from Paulie, if your ‘friend’ is judging you for how you look, thank them and move on. Their judgment comes from something within them that is limiting their acceptance and really has nothing to do with you at all. There are plenty of other people out there who will accept you for you – tattoos, piercings, colored hair and all.
