Tattoo you? The clientele at tattoo parlors is changing to include more than bikers
Judi Batchelor was appalled years ago when two of her sons got tattoos.
The 84-year-old retired educator grew up in a time when only rough characters had tattoos.
“People just didn’t get them, it was looked down upon,” said Batchelor, who lives in Satellite Beach.
But times are changing.
Just look at the small bird tattoo Batchelor now has near her ankle. She was inspired to get it when about 30 of her relatives got similar ones in honor of a family member who passed away.
More: My needle-shy teen wanted a tattoo: Given its loving words, how could I say no? | Opinion
Satellite Beach tattoo artist Cash Combs inked Batchelor on her 84th birthday. The grandmother said she plans to get another piece of body art on her 85th birthday in April.
“I am proud of my tattoo,” Batchelor said. “When it’s not cold out I wear flip flops to show it off.”
In recent years more people are getting tattoos and more businesses are changing their policies regarding employees getting inked.
In 2012 about 21% of Americans had at least one tattoo. Compare that to 32% of Americans who were tatted in 2020, according to a survey conducted by Pew Research Center.
Gone are the days when people associated criminals or gangsters with the ones getting inked.
According to the Pew Research Center, 24% of people with tattoos have a bachelor’s degree and 21% have a postgraduate degree. The study also showed that 31% of inked people are in middle-income households and 21% are in upper-income households.
Combs, the tattoo artists who decorated Batchelor, estimates 70% of his clientele are working professionals from engineers to doctors to pro athletes.
Companies also are relaxing their policies regarding employees and tattoos. Businesses like Disney, UPS and Virgin Atlantic have adjusted their dress policies allowing employees to have some visible tattoos.
Mark Longenecker, owner of Endless Summer Tattoo in Cocoa Beach has been a tattoo artist for 30 years. When he first started in the business it was illegal to give tattoos in some parts of the country.
“If you could open a shop it was on the outskirts of town because it was seen in a bad light, as criminal activity,” Longenecker said.
A shift took place once there were magazines dedicated to the tattoo industry. Longenecker said it really got a boost when TV shows like Miami Ink hit the airwaves.
In 2014 Longenecker made an appearance as a contestant on the national TV show Ink Master. He finished in the top four out of 18 tattoo artists.
“It opened the eyes to a lot of people and took that scary light off it,” Longenecker said. “It takes out the fear of tattoos and tattoo shops. People who were against it before, even if they were extremely judgmental, they see there is a reason you are getting a tattoo and it becomes more acceptable.”
Batchelor chuckled when thinking about how her views on tattoos have changed over the decades. Years ago she never would have thought she would be celebrating birthdays in her 80s by getting tattoos.
“I already have my appointment booked for my 85th birthday,” she said. “I think I’m going to get a dolphin because I’ve always liked dolphins.”
The only debate Batchelor is having about tattoos these days is where on her body she should get them.
Spitzer can be reached at Mspitzer@Floridatoday.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: The clientele at tattoo parlors is changing to include more than just motorcyclists
