As a millennial myself, I don’t normally like to jump on the “let’s lump millennials into one big group” train, but this interesting. Millennials have earned the reputation of being one of the most pierced and tatted generation. According to USA Today, research suggests that around 56% of folks between the ages of 17-25 have a piercing somewhere other than an earlobe.
But now it seems like a many in that group are living to regret that choice. Dr. Laurence Milgrim, a plastic surgeon, suggested that there has been an influx of millennials coming in for tattoo and piercing removal. Why? Well there are many theories, most of which are career involved. The reality of the work-world is that that excessive body modification is generally frowned upon. Don’t get me wrong, it’d be cool if workplaces were more accepting of tattoos and piercings, but unfortunately, that’s just not the case. Maybe that will change?
For Eugene Gentile, director of the Undergraduate Career Management Office at Rutgers Business School in New Brunswick, it’s not matter of stifling personality, but rather limiting distractions. When someone’s in job interview, or at a sales pitch, the idea is that the audience is focused on the speaker, not their tats. Plus, that reconstructive surgery is going to run you around $1000-$2000.
So I say, do what you want with your body. We all know that a person’s outer dressings means little when it comes to character. But, just be ready to pay for that tattoo or piercing removal if you want to climb the corporate ladder.