Tattoos and the workforce.

“If you are unsure about your future, I would suggest not getting tattoos or extreme piercings that are visible. It can drastically pigeonhole you. And I don’t think anyone under 30 years old should get a neck tattoo.” This statement was made by a 21 year old Michael Barry. Mike is a Christian male and sees himself as a conservative Democrat. He has numerous tattoos over his body, including a large one in the left side/front of his neck, a piece on the back of his neck, and tattoos behind both ears which were the main focus of my questions.

Michael is currently employed at Hickman Electrical Inc. as an apprentice electrician. The environment he works in varies from job to job, ranging from processing plants to Wal-Mart. He works with other electricians usually on a daily basis, and occasionally with engineers and/or clients. As far as his current job goes, he cannot recollect specific positive or negative situations revolving around his tattoos. “The job we are on right now, the engineers call me “the kid with the ears and face tattoos” and they call everyone else by their names,” said Mike. I asked him if his visible tattoos would affect his line of work to which he responded, “It will definitely hinder my advancement within the company. It keeps me from getting farther ahead, dealing with office work and clients. It keeps me in the field, I don’t get sent out on job walks- contractors don’t want to send someone with 1” gauged ears and neck tattoos to try to get a job.”

Recently, Mike had his earlobes sewn. (As you may have seen on Fox 13 news Salt Lake City) He says this decision was a combination of a few things; it was a great opportunity, he sort of grew out of that stage in his life and was no longer wearing jewelry in the stretched holes, and it was a decision to better his professional future. “Overall, for now I am happy but I am a fairly logical person and half of me has always kind of had some regret and worry about my neck tattoo. I usually tell people not to get them,” Mike mentioned. He stated that he and a lot of other people don’t know where their life will take them in 10 years, so decisions he made at 18 may or may not negatively affect his life in the future.

I wanted to hear more specifically about how he felt his tattoos had influenced his working career thus far, and how they would continue to influence it down the road. “When I left retail and tried to get a job, regardless of my resume or experience I wasn’t the top candidate. I may be slightly intimidating- scare the customers off. In an ideal world people wouldn’t pass judgments based on appearances but it happens, and it will happen forever.” Unfortunately, I have to agree with him tenfold. Mike continued, “I tried to get a job at so many floral shops around d the valley, but moms don’t want to come in and buy a flower arrangement from someone who looks like a criminal.” This statement caught my attention, and I wanted him to expound on it. “If you look into the individuals in the prison system that have been there for however many years, most of them are tattooed. If you go to Sub for Santa charities, or church, people usually have none. People with tattoos have value systems that may or may not be typical or upstanding. They have a tendency to be seen as ‘wild’, and aren’t usually the ones who attend community social gatherings of a respectable nature. They are usually foul mouthed- I probably have the foulest mouth of anyone I know,” Mike explained. Based on his well thought out opinions, I’d say he’s probably right.

Though Mike knows his tattoos have affected his career opportunities and will do so in the future, he is still interested in more visible tattoos. He mentioned wanting his hands tattooed and even wants to get the back of his head tattooed. He feels unbalanced with one side of his neck done, and noted that he “may be using it as a justification but, he already has one side so why not?” He believes that tattooed hands are almost worse than neck tattoos, so he remains unsure if he will get the top of his hands done or not. “Tattoos are like any other artwork, it’s all about location-it makes it interesting.”

Appearance in Healthcare

This last week, I was reading through my company newsletter and it happened to have a reminder of the "Professional Image Standards." Most focused on clothing and hygiene policies with a few lines devoted to tattoos and piercings. It states as follows:

"Employees may be asked to cover tattoos at work if they are deemed to be unprofessional or distracting... Employees should select and wear jewelry that does not create a safety hazard or interfere with one’s work. Visible body piercing is not permitted except for piercing of the ears. Ear jewelry should not be excessive (maximum of two conservative earrings per ear)."

I work for Intermountain Healthcare at their flagship facility. As one of the largest private employers in the state, many Utahns fall under the restrictions of these "Image Standards." Most of the standards seem to limit the amount of self expression an employee can portray at work. They tell you what to wear, the limits on hairstyle (although I did get away with a mohawk one day), what you can smell like, or even down to stickers that you can't put on your nametag. To Intermountain, self expression is way down the list of important concerns. What you must consider is the environment. A hospital's primary concern is patient comfort and safety. From a comfort standpoint, they don't want your hair falling into a patient's wounds, or your overpowering cologne causing an allergic reaction. For safety concerns, they want your name badge easily readable and identifiable. All their policies have valid reasons and concerns, even those concerning tattoos and piercings. I think in a professional hospital environment, it comes down to image. Medical professionals need to be trusted and respected from the moment of their first impression. There is little time to build a trusting relationship in life-and-death situations. They must "look" professional from the beginning.

I have begun to take notice of tattoos and piercings at work. Rarely do you ever see a nurse or caregivers with visible tattoos, and never have I notice doctor's tattoos. Excessive piercings are even less common, only those with little public contact seem to have a few more than allowed by the "Image Standards." I have a coworker who has a full arm tattoo. It's done well and has nothing offensive about it, but I have been promoted to a position with more patient interaction while he has not. I'm not saying that his tattoo has limited his opportunities in our department, but I think it could have an impact if he decided to pursue a medical career.

In some fields of employment, image is extremely important. I personally want to be a professional someday (whether medical or elsewhere) and that has impacted my decisions on tattoos and piercings. I don't want to permanently limit myself with something as silly as self expression. I change my mind so often that I want to be able to leave my past behind and not have to explain what's inked into my skin.

Supervisor Material

Once known as the Delta Center, Energy Solutions Arena is known to all Jazz basketball fans. Whether your catching a basketball game, a concert, or Disney on Ice it seems that the Arena is always prepared thanks to its many employees.

The other day I spoke with Stephen Stahl the warehouse lead in the Arena. When discussing tattoos and piercings he informed me that a year ago the warehouse supervisor, Zach, had several piercings approximately twelve. Because Zach had no visible tattoos, when I asked Stephen what the company's stance on the piercings were he stated that, "They just cant be outrageous. Tattoos and piercings are allowed in our department as long as they are decent looking." This intrigued me a little, how and who deems something "decent looking." Apparently HR is responsible for that decision. To which I believe is unjust, "decent looking" to one person is completely different than "decent looking" to another.

When discussing the case of peoples perceptions of the employees I asked if Stephen believes they effect the work environment at all. His response was, "Some people show fascination because of them (tattoos/ piercings) and others look down upon them...I've heard people say things." As a final question I simply asked what he thought of them. "I think tats can be really cool, but they are better when there is a story with it. If not then it seems pointless to me."

In all it seems as if EnergySolutions Arena is accepting of body art but only if it is rarely seen to the public eye. There are a few things here that bother me and one is the fact that some HR person is in charge of if things are "decent looking" all I can say is that there better be a handbook with pictures and everything of what is deemed "decent." That also brings to mind the question though, of where to draw the line. This is a question that all companies face and will continue to face with our ever expanding body art and the fact that it is becoming more acceptable.

Food and Tattoos.

In most lines of work appearance is key. Having tattoos or piercings definitely can affect what jobs people can have. The environment of a workspace determines the dress codes of employees and workers, and as stated by one of my group members, “… it depends on the atmosphere in which you work and company you work for.” This applies to the food industry as well, where depending on the kind of setting, visibility of tattoos can either be acceptable or not.

Currently, I work in a small local bakery in Salt Lake City called the House of Bread. Dianne Swift is the Assistant Baker there and she has six tattoos, one on her right and left wrist, one on each side of her rib cage, one on the back of her neck, and a large tattoo covering her shoulder and upper arm. Dianne is 28 years old from Arcadia, California, and she has been living in Salt Lake City since March 2009. She got her first tattoo when she was 23 years old, and since then she has not experienced any major problems with her tattoos working in the food industry. A few of Dianne’s tattoos are visible, and I asked her how customers react, and if they ever had a problem, and she said, “No…most people are pretty nice about them and will ask ‘Oh what is that about’ and are really polite, plus we are in Sugarhouse so a lot of people are more liberal… there are a few conservative people that come in and give the evil glare, but for the most part people are intrigued and ask about them.” I asked if people had implied things about her because of her tattoos, and she stated “Yeah, people have assumed that I either had a messed up childhood, or that I’m a lesbian because of the equal sign on my wrist and the two women on my arm” Dress is casual for employees at the bakery, it just has to be modest and suitable for baking.

Before Dianne became a baker, she had worked as a waitress at restaurants such as California Pizza Kitchen, Iggys’, and Wood Ranch BBQ and Grill. There they had more restrictions when it came to the dress code and tattoos. I asked her about her previous work experience as a waitress and she said, “They would tell us we couldn’t show any tattoos… we all wore collar and button down shirts and for the most part you couldn’t see my tattoos except the one on my wrists, which were pretty small. Those I would cover up either with band aides, makeup, or bracelets. I was the number one server pretty much, so managers would let me get away with them. People loved me, I had like the highest sales out of everyone…so managers looked the other way.” She mentioned that if she had worked at any other job, “such as a receptionist, or anything like that, people probably wouldn’t care… but thankfully or hopefully I wouldn’t work someplace where people would care... but if I stay in this business, like being a chef, cooking, and baking… people are covered in tattoos, so its not a problem.” Dianne said that she wouldn’t dream of exposing her tattoos if she were in a formal setting. However, since baking is less formal, the dress is much more relaxed even compared to higher end food service jobs.

Dianne’s tattoos are close to her, and represent and reflect on her personal beliefs, points of view, and experiences. She hopes to get more in the future, but for the mean time is content. Dianne’s goal is to purchase the bakery from the owner in the near future, and will either keep it as the House of Bread or open up her own bakery. Dianne’s perspective on her profession and the ability to have visible tattoos is that “I’ve really lucked out.” Regulations and Policies about tattoos and piercings in food service are very lenient, and focus primarily on proper hygiene and cleanliness. Majority of establishment require modest dress, yet depending on the setting and image of the business, it can vary.

Tattoos in Retail.

In the previous post, my group member said appearance is everything- which I agree with to a certain extent. However, when it comes to retail, I think it depends on the atmosphere in which you work and company you work for.


AJ Welsh is a 27 year old male from Boise, Idaho. He has been living and working in Utah for about 3 years. He has ears gauged to a size 4, his nose pierced, and tattoos covering both his arms, both hands, stomach, chest, and back. He got his first tattoo when he was 21 years old, and has been consistently adding more work to his body in the nearly 7 years since. At the time, he was also working retail, which he seems to genuinely enjoy. He described his job as, "Selling shoes. It's a fun work environment and a fun job. My customers are usually 15-25 years old." He works as a manager of Journeys shoes store at The Gateway Mall in Salt Lake City, Utah.

For AJ, his tattoos and piercings have not affected the jobs he has or hasn't been offered. "I've had the same job for six years," he stated. I asked if there was a career outside of retail that he would be interested in pursuing and his response was, "maybe doing tattoos. I guess it wouldn't be too hard to get a job as a server or a bartender with my tattoos either. The only jobs I feel like I couldn't get with my tattoos are jobs I don't want, like working at a desk." That being said, I went on to ask AJ if he were a business owner, if he would allow his employees to have tattoos or piercings that showed at work. His response? "As long as they are in good taste." Being that this is quite open to interpretation I asked him to clarify what he meant by this exactly. "If they had a tattoo of a naked girl on their arm they would have to cover it up." Fair enough.

I wanted to see how people, mainly his customers, react to his authoritative position in regards to his tattoos and piercings. "Most people think they are 'cool' because tattoos are becoming more widely accepted. The only negative interaction I receive from having tattoos is bad looks sometimes," AJ said. "They probably assume I'm a certain type of person-a bad person- because of these but then they realize I'm a normal human being and that I'm really nice, and none of them say anything out of line to me," he continued. I wondered if these odd looks occured more in Salt Lake City than they do elsewhere, even in the same industry. AJ felt that working in SLC with tattoos and piercings is different because people seem to look down on it more here, because a lot of people are so conservative and see tattoos and/or piercings as distasteful.

I went on to ask what interested him in piercings and tattoos, and he said, "as an artist maybe it's just the artistic side of tattoos that I like. And the piercings, just for fun-to be spontaneous." AJ is quite content with all of the ink on his skin, and feels that he will never regret any of his tattoos. He feels as though they haven't yet negatively affected his life, and doesn't see why they would in the future. "Sometimes people ask, 'What're you going to do when you get old?' and I guess I don't really know. But I don't think my tattoos are going to stop me from doing it."

In some instances tattoos and piercings may inhibit you from being hired somewhere. These days its becoming more and more common to have tattoos and piercings, and alot of employers are becoming more lenient with their policies about them.

Appearance is everything

Retail and customer service depend heavily on one thing: appearance.

Employers strive to make good, professional, first impressions. From the tidily kept shelves of a retail store to the shiny countertops at an information desk, appearance is everything, and employees are no exception.

So what? What does having a tattoo or being pierced and expressing individuality have to do with anything? Well, when appearance is important, employers can easily control how their employees look by enforcing a dress code.

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [EEOC], employers may choose to adopt a dress code as seen fit. What the dress code entails is entirely up to the employer and the intended appearance of both the employees and the workplace that the employer wishes to convey to the public. Employers may choose to adopt a policy that dictates anything from the type of pants the employee can wear to the color of socks worn, and can ban anything including (but clearly not limited to) tattoos.

The problem with this then becomes the argument that tattoos are not always for personal pleasure or reasons, but tattoos could be an important part of a religious belief, and banning such tattoos would qualify, according to the EEOC, as discrimination. As stated by the EEOC Prohibited Practices dress code policy, employers can enforce their dress codes even if it is incompatible with "some workers' ethnic beliefs or practices" but must amend their dress code policy if it conflicts with an employee's religious beliefs.

Despite being able to have tattoos for religious purposes, some workforces are prohibiting tattoos. For example the Marine Corps, and some police forces, are beginning to more strictly enforce and regulate tattoo bans.

Unfortunately it does not look like many policies will be changing regarding tattoos in the workplace and it looks like the best way to avoid repercussions for a tattoo is to simply cover it up.

The fast food industry opens a market for employees generally between the ages of 16-24. With such a young group of people comes the fads of the era; baggy jeans, spiky hair, tattoos and piercings. Then the decision comes to the employer if to hire them or not. Can an employer legitametly refuse to hire someone because of appearances? Carla Quintana (owner of East Coast Subs) states "We have to look past them I think. Society as a whole is accepting them (tattoos and piercings) not so shocking any more." She does not discriminate against her employees for having any, they actually have several employees that are inked and pierced.

With this being said perhaps society is starting to look at these "things" as not so much a taboo any more. Then again, perhaps not. I passed a woman the other day in the mall and she grabbed her child as a man with large gauges in his ears passed by. It still interests me as to why people associate these "things" as a threat as if the tattoos and such will jump off the skin and permanently scare the children. I sure hope Mrs. Quintana was right about society and hopefully we'll notice some results soon.

Rebellion

When I was younger I had always wanted to get my ears pierced. I thought it would look cool, and be somewhat rebellious. I remember asking my parents when I was 14 if I could get my ears pierced, and they refused. According to them pierced ears sent out a “negative” image to some people and that it was not appropriate for my age. I thought that this was ridiculous considering that four of my cousins had their ears pierced with giant diamond studs, and they were the same age as me. If they had them why couldn’t I? My dad had piercings back in the 80’s, and he said that when I was older would eventually regret it. As a professional working for the State of Utah, he said that the marks left on his ear lobes were still somewhat visible and a burden from his youth. So I let it go, but I always wondered what it would be like.

A little over a year ago, I woke up one Thursday morning and decided that I was going to gauge my ears. It was the first thought that came into my mind when I woke up, I didn’t even give it a second thought. It was a couple weeks before my 20^th birthday, so I though it would be a nice present to myself. So I texted two of my friends and asked them to come with me, because I did not know what to expect. I immediately made the appointment for that following Saturday. The next day at work, I asked my supervisor what was the company’s policy on piercings. At that time I was working in a restaurant as a lower shift manager, and my boss said that they did not like it, but they couldn’t do anything about it if I wanted to, just that the piercings needed to be modest.

So that Saturday I went into Koi piercing studio, the best place that I knew to get it done. My sisters had always come here for their piercings, and so have most of my friends. The place was clean and the staff was very professional. One of the piercers, Mike, called me into his room after I had picked out the pair that I wanted. I sat on the table waiting as Mike was disinfected my ears and marked my lobes. I was starting out small with a 14 gauge, but I was a little nervous. Then Mike said, “Take a deep breath” and as I breathed the gauge went into one ear, and then another breath, in went the other. My ears stung and then went numb, and then throbbed for about five minutes. The pain went away quickly and my ears felt normal within 10 minutes. My parents knew what I was doing that morning, but when they realized that I had the intention of stretching out my ears just up to an 8 gauge, they freaked. My mother tried to tell me that this would have an affect how people will view me and how future employers and professionals will see me. I told them that it was not a big deal, that they were small, could close up easily, and that I did not plan on having them forever. So for the next couple of weeks, my dad and my uncles teased me about them, even my sick grandfather jokingly said, “If I could get up out of this bed I would rip those from your ears.” All of my cousins however liked my gauges, and I felt happy about them.

I wondered what possessed me to get it done so sudden. Was this a phase of rebellion? Following a trend? Simple curiosity? I guess it was more than just curiosity. I think the opposition from others fueled a little rebellion. Today piercings are pretty common among males, especially between the ages of 18-25. However to most people in college piercings are not a big deal, but once I get older would this effect my career? Such as future job prospects and opportunities?

I'm a canvas.

Go big, or go home.

This has always and will always be my motto. At the ripe age of sixteen I convinced my sweet, naïve, easily-persuaded mother that I should get my lip pierced. Though she is an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she somehow knew that if she didn’t sign the parental consent form at the local piercing shop, I would do it myself with a safety pin as she had seen so many times in my ears. Being a smart woman, she knew the risk of infection would be much worse if I didn’t go somewhere to have it professionally done. Little did she know that this was only the beginning.

Unfortunately for my mother, the next summer I was travelling Europe with a group from my high school. During my stay in Amsterdam, I decided to get my lip pierced again. Luckily for me you only have to be sixteen years old to make adult decisions in Amsterdam. It was a little disconcerting though that I seemed to know the proper piercing procedures a bit better than “Yahn”. For example, the fact that he used externally threaded jewelry (the ball screws onto the bar instead of into the bar as with internally threaded jewelry), and the fact that he pierced my lip from the outside in. You are supposed to pierce from the inside out because then you go through all the soft tissue first and only have to puncture the tough skin once, whereas if you pierce from the outside in you have to push into and against the skin the entire time, making the piercing more painful. This event stays with me because I still have the piercing in my lip, even though it was obviously poorly done and even in the wrong spot. I realistically should go get it re-pierced but to be honest, I just don’t care that much. Way to go, Yahn.

“At least it wasn’t a tattoo,” my mother stated. A week after my eighteenth birthday I decided it was time for me to get a tattoo. I went to a friend who was working out of his basement because he was in between shops. I made sure that all of his equipment had been autoclaved, which is a sterilization process to ensure that blood-borne pathogens such as hepatitis aren’t transferred between clients, and everything was sanitary. After a long and painful session, I came home and encountered my mother sitting on the couch. I figured she might as well know, so I told her I got a tattoo. She asked what it was and nearly screamed as I proceeded to lift up my shirt to reveal my plastic wrapped and newly tattooed side- yes, entire left side of my torso. It was of my favorite flowers, lilies, and started at my hip bone. It ends about two inches from my armpit. She was a little upset at how large it was (go big or go home, see) but exclaimed, “at least it’s pretty.”

This tattoo led to a memorial tattoo on my back for my best friend who had passed away when I was fifteen. It is also a quite large piece covering most of my upper back. These led to another large piece on my right side, a dinky little best friend peace sign tattoo on my ankle (which really shouldn’t count as a tattoo at all), and a cross on my left shoulder. All of these are meaningful to me and have a reason behind them, unlike a lot of individuals with numerous tattoos. I have plans for many more including both my feet, my other ankle, behind my ears, a collar bone, a half sleeve, and my wrists.

I currently have five tattoos, two piercings in my lower lip, two in my nose, thirteen in various parts of my ears in addition to earlobes gauged to 7/16”. I also currently hold a position as Regional Manager of eight silver shops in malls across the Salt Lake valley. I thought it out enough that I can cover up my tattoos if I’m wearing anything more than a bathing suit (which I am, the majority of the time), and if necessary I can remove my jewelry. Thus far my piercings and tattoos have not held me back from succeeding in my current job, though they have given many people the “wrong idea” about me. They make for interesting meetings of adults-especially parents of friends, and an awkward, scary discussion with my father and the rest of my family. Though I have been called several unflattering names, and many people have wrongly judged me, I would not change one of my piercings or tattoos. I am an intelligent young woman, with great work ethic and creative ideas. At some point I may tire of my piercings and take out my jewelry but my tattoos will always be there. So instead of boring the grandchildren with my life story told as a scholarly thesis with too small print, hundreds of pages and no space to breathe, I can tell and then show them parts of my life. And really, who doesn’t like a good picture book?

The tattoo that almost was...

I have no ink on my body, but there have several occasions where I have come close. The first time was in high school. I had it all planned out. I had the design I wanted and the placement picked. I even went as far as to spend a weekend airbrushing one idea on my body. It was cool, but just for a weekend. It was fun playing dress up for a couple of days, but it also gave me time to think about the long-term commitment that a tattoo represents. Looking back on what I had planned makes me grateful that I took the time to think about it. It was trendy and meaningless and would have been something that I would regret. I was trying to fit in by doing something that would make me stick out.

More recently I have had another encounter with the possible tattoo. I come from a family of six brothers. We wanted to do something to permanently link us together as brothers . We planned to have a "C" monogramed on our backs- the initial for our last name. Nothing inappropriate and it could be easily hidden. We got close, but without the commitment of all brothers there was no reason follow through. One of us married and then became conservative, so the brotherly tattooing never happened. I don't know if I would have regretted that mark. It represented something very personal and important to me, something that would have been relevant for many years to come.

Pierced Ears: My Rite of Passage

It seems so minute and insignificant to me now, but back when it happened it was like a rite of passage that I desperately needed to partake in. What is this ever "sacred" ritual I speak of? It was nothing more than getting my ears pierced, and it all happened when I was in fifth grade.

I realize that some girls undertook, and undertake in, this rite long before I had, but it took some convincing before my father even considered letting me get my ears pierced. I had heard horror stories of the procedure and was quite nervous to go about the whole thing. Accompanied by my parents and younger sibling, we walked into a small store at the mall where my mother told a sales associate I wanted to get my ears pierced.

I was seated in a tall chair where I was prepped for the piercing. The employee took a magic marker and placed one dot on both of my ears. She then held a mirror up to me and asked me if they looked all right and even. She then loaded the ear piercing gun with a stud, placed it to my ear lobe, told me to take a breath, and that was it. I don't remember feeling anything more than a slight pinch. The employee then proceeded to do the same to my other ear.

Getting my ears pierced was important to me, and a landmark in my adolescent life.

Today, I have only my ears pieced, once, and nothing else. Most dress codes that I have experienced allow for pierced ears, although some restrict what types of earrings can be worn (such as no dangling earrings or gauged ears). It appears to me that most employers are nearly desensitized to singly pierced ears, seeing as they are fairly common amongst most women today.

Personal Experience (Navel Piercing)

The summer between my seventh and eighth grade year i got a navel piercing. No one my age had one so I thought I might start a trend. I somehow convinced my mom to take me to the mall to get it done. At the very top of the escalators was a small shop designed to look a lot like "Claire's," with a sign that read "Navel Piercings." Little to my knowledge the girl that administered the piercing was new, and to be honest I think this was her first piercing after what happened next. She asked me to wait a few minutes while she went into the back to get everything ready. When she finally came out she was wearing gloves and holding an ear gun. Then in front of everyone walking by in the mall she had me pull my shirt up and lean back against the glass display box. She then said that i was a little skinny, that if i had a little more fat it would be easier. At this point I was getting nervous. The girl cleaned the area with rubbing alcohol and prepped the ear gun with an earring. She held the gun to my stomach and pulled out a bit of skin and placed it in the gun. She then stated that it would hurt slightly and then before i knew it she pulled the trigger and it was done. I was told to keep rotating the very tiny earring that was now squeezing my skin so tightly that I could barely stand up straight. I had to come back ten days later to get my barbell (an actual ring made for the navel). When I returned the manager was there and was furious about the procedure, she gave me my money back apologized and i later found out the girl was fired. All I have to say is that you better research your store before you go, a "Claire's" isn't going to cut it.

Ear Stretching.

Ear stretching has been around for thousands of years, and in several different cultures. Stretching of body piercings has been popular for a very long time, but lip and ear lobe stretching are the most common.

A standard ear piercing is created with about a 16 gauge (refer to gauge sizing chart below ). "Normal" earrings are generally an 18-20 gauge. So anything larger than a 16ga would be considered "stretched".

There really is no limit to the size which you can stretch your ears. I personally have seen someone with 3" tunnels in their ears, but elsewhere I'm sure there are larger holes.

There are several different materials and styles of jewelry you can wear in your stretched earlobes. Some common materials are wood, bone, acrylic (plastic), steel, stone, titanium, and silicon. Different styles are tunnels (which are hollow), plugs (solid), captive hoops, horseshoes, etc.

You can look at different types of jewelry online. Here is one website to start off:
http://www.sthbodyjewelry.com/catalog/Plugs-Tapers/

Tattoos Today

Early tattoos in the western world were typically seen on sailors or military personal. This harks back to tattooing's past and rediscovery by Europeans. In the western world, tattoos were influenced by the American Indians and Polynesians that europeans encountered during the age of exploration. These were the sailors, explorers, or military sent out by their governments. When the practice was brought back to European shores it was looked at as oddity to be displayed in circuses and fairs.

The United States helped to create the style of the modern tattoo. Most western tattoos of the past, and those of today for that matter, fall under one or more of these themes: nautical, military, patriotic, romantic, or religious. The United States' influence went beyond just artistic style. The first first electric tattooing machine was patented in the US in 1891. It is said that tattooing fell out of favor for the majority of western public until the 1990's when it experienced a renewed interest. Source: Encyclopedia Britannica

Navel Piercing

A navel (or belly button) piercing is fairly common in today’s society, but back in ancient times, it took being royalty to be worthy of having one. It is believed that ancient Egypt was the birthplace of navel piercing when Pharaohs pierced their navels as a rite of passage. Piercing and extravagant jewelry were signs of wealth, and in the case of the Pharaoh, power. The navel piercing was reserved solely for the Pharaoh, and any one found to be in violation of this reservation could be punished by execution. A mummy dating back approximately 5,000 years ago yields evidence that other forms of body piercing, such as piercing the ears, was practiced.

As the influences of popular culture expanded and belly button piercing were shown, the popularity of them catapulted. The growth of interest in the belly button piercing is said to be linked to popular culture icons such as Britney Spears, Alicia Silverstone, Madonna, and Beyonce, among a lengthy list of other female celebrities. The ease at which the piercing can be hidden or exposed appeal to people of varying ages. Clearly the belly button piercing has come a long way since the time of the Pharaohs, which may or may not be a good thing depending on whose parents you ask.

information: Wilkerson, L. < http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/stories/index.pl?read=119>

picture: http://historylink101.net/egypt_1/a-jewelry.htm

Maori and Ta Moko

The first documented discoveries of the Maori's, who reside in New Zealand, art (Ta Moko) was reported by traveler Captain James Cook in 1769. The tattoo designs themselves are called Moko and the process is known as Ta Moko. The process consists of using chisels, most made of bone, to etch the design into the skin. Unlike the smooth texture the puncture method (used today) leaves on the skin, chiseling left a rough grove in the recipients skin. Along with this two kinds of ink were generally used. One ink involved the mixture of vegetables with a caterpillar and the other (black ink) was made from burned wood.

The positioning of the tattoos on the face of the man represents/shows the different positions or achievements within their lives. The designs were also used as signatures and the tattooed face and body of a man were seen fierce in battle and appealing to women. Men's tattoos are more elaborate than women's; women were generally tattooed on the lips, chin, and nostrils, but in some cases the back and or neck might be embellished. However, the women are never decorated as elaborate as the men of the Maori.

Septum Piercing

(photo by Adam Woolfitt at http://www.corbisimages.com)

The practice of decorating the body with jewelry and ink has a long history stretching back at least 5000 years. Some of the earliest tattoos and piercings have been found on the mummies of ancient Egyptian women from 2000 B.C.E and the world famous “Iceman” found frozen in the Alps between the Austrian and Italian border, about 5,200 years old. Among ancient cultures, the purpose of piercings and tattoos were ritualistic, symbolic, and a form of identification.

One of the most common piercings found in many ancient and contemporary cultures is the piercing of the septum. The septum is the small wall of cartilage that divides the nostrils. This piercing can be found primarily in areas that contain primitive and warrior tribal cultures such as Papua New Guinea, Irian Jaya, the Solomon Islands, Nepal, Tibet, India, Panama and Washington State. The Kuna Yala of Panama use this piercing along with many others to display their wealth (above).