Dear Justin,

Many companies in fact do have policies against body art and piercings. While some employees have challenged this in court, to date the companies have won in most cases. Also, employees are often required to remove piercings and cover tattoos while at work. A company’s position is typically that the employee is a representative of the company and must maintain a professional and business-like appearance.

Even the U.S. Marine Corps now restricts tattoos. Its four criteria are content, location, size, and effect of associating the Marine Corps and the Marine Corps uniform with the tattoo. If a Marine has a tattoo that is not in keeping with these standards, he or she is required to have it removed at their own expense.

Getting a tattoo is a major decision--because it can be a lifelong decision. While it’s possible to have tattoos removed, the process can be costly and in some cases even more painful than getting the original tattoo.

Think about the reasons that you want to get a tattoo. And consider that there are lots of different ways to express yourself through your appearance, like your clothes and hair. Instead of getting a tattoo, you may want to consider other forms of less-permanent self-expression.