Inked and proud: More young adults are showing off their body art as tattoos shed their 'gangster' image
SINGAPORE — It may be ironic to see a grim reaper tattooed on a healthcare professional's arm, but for 27-year-old nurse Cameron, his newest tattoo is a source of pride that he has no qualms displaying openly.
Once frowned upon by society, such body tattoos are no longer hidden behind sleeves and are now finding acceptance among employers, so younger professionals feel comfortable to proudly display their ink as a form of personal expression.
Cameron, who wanted to be known by just his first name, is no stranger to the needle and has 10 tattoos across his body.
Each tattoo tells a story. The Egyptian design on his right leg reflects his fascination with the ancient culture, while the Spanish phrase "cada obstaculo nos hace fuertes" (every obstacle makes us stronger) inked on his chest is a reminder to persevere through tough times.
His latest and favourite — a haunting grim reaper with a disintegrating clock on his left arm — reflects his view of death as a natural, even beautiful, part of life.
"In my line of work, I see how some people cannot cope with death, but to me, there's nothing to be scared of and it's part and parcel of life. I think if you embrace death, it's less scary in that sense, which is why I wanted to get (this design)."
Tattoo artists who spoke to TODAY said that they noticed a significant increase in the number of young people getting inked in recent years, in line with how they perceive tattoos differently from older generations.
Mr Akira Ong, 34, tattoo artist and owner of Blackdot Tattoo Studios, observed that there has been a 20 per cent rise in clients aged 18 to their mid-20s over the past five years, while artist Mohamed Tirana Mohamed Sufian noted a 30 per cent increase in the same demographic over a similar period.
The acceptance of tattoos still lags among older generations and certain industries that adopt a more conservative stance toward body art due to their public-facing nature.
In a 2019 survey by online market research company YouGov, nearly two in five respondents (38 per cent) held a negative impression of people with tattoos.
This sentiment was particularly pronounced among those over the age of 55, with slightly more than half (53 per cent) expressing their disapproval of tattoos, compared to just 26 per cent of those aged 18 to 24.
Dr Lou Apolinario Antolihao, senior lecturer at the department of sociology and anthropology at the National University of Singapore (NUS), said that tattooing was often associated with social outsiders such as gang members and drug addicts in the past.
Now, tattooing is gaining acceptance and is seen as something “cool” among young people.
"There has been a remarkable change in how tattooed people are perceived in the past 20 years. Many (young people now) equate getting inked as a symbol of independence and defiance of constricting social rules," Dr Antolihao added.
WHY SOME YOUNG PEOPLE GET TATTOOS
For many of the young, tattoos are more than just art — they are tangible reminders of significant life events and personal experiences.
Showing off her nine tattoos on various parts of her body, another youth who did not want to give her full name said that her favourite one is that of the Greek mythological figure Medusa, which was inked in 2022 on her left thigh as a mark of her resilience and healing.
Ms Ng, 21, chose the design to commemorate her survival of a traumatic sexual assault that she endured at the age of 14, symbolising her journey from victim to survivor.
"I was very traumatised by the incident and I felt like I related a lot to the figure of Medusa who was also assaulted. (This tattoo) is a reminder of the abuse I went through and to remind me to be careful of the dark side of human nature."
As for finance manager Dinesh, a 32-year-old who wanted to be known by his first name, tattooing the names of his family members on his left upper arm brings him comfort, making him feel their closeness.
Along with his parents' names, he also has an anchor tattoo featuring the letter "G" on his left arm. The design commemorates his late grandfather, who worked as a sailor, with the "G" representing his initial.
"I have my mother's name tattooed on the back of my left arm, my father's name on the front and the anchor (design) on the inner part. I had their names tattooed on my left arm because it was close to my heart and I like having their names on my arm, it feels like they are close to me," he told TODAY.
PARENTAL AND SOCIETAL ACCEPTANCE
While they are expressing themselves in such ways, the youth interviewed by TODAY said that it still took a while for their parents to accept their tattoos and move past their initial reservations.
Mr Seah Jun Wei's parents initially disapproved of his tattoos, nagging the 31-year-old for "ruining his skin".
The firefighter got his first tattoo at 24 and it featured the phrase "What goes around comes around" on his left bicep, because he "simply liked the phrase".
"During the 2006 Fifa World Cup, when Italian team captain Fabio Cannavaro lifted the trophy, I saw a part of his tattoo on his left bicep and decided that I had to get a tattoo one day. It was always part of my plan and I knew that one day, I would get a sleeve (tattoo)," he added.
His parents did not notice his first tattoo initially since it could be hidden by his shirt sleeve. Then, as he progressed to get a full sleeve tattoo, there was no way to hide it completely.
His black and grey sleeve tattoo, inked in 2021, depicts the Greek mythological characters Cerberus, guardian of the underworld gates, and Persephone, queen of the underworld.
Mr Seah's 67-year-old mother said: "I asked him why he wanted to do something like this because this is permanent ink, not something that can be washed off.
"Of course, I was worried that it might affect his job prospects because not all companies will want (to hire) employees who are heavily tattooed, but he doesn't listen to me, so I can't say much. As long as he has an honest job and is a good person, then let him pursue what he likes."
To Ms Jamie Leo, who got her first tattoo of a plant at 20, her body is a canvas and a "sticker book" for tattoo ink.
The 26-year-old marketing executive embraces the trend among today's youth of collecting random, aesthetically pleasing tattoos on exposed areas of her body for visibility.
Each piece of ink she chooses is a reflection of her likes and facets of her identity, creating a patchwork of personal expression.
However, Ms Leo's parents were at first unimpressed by her tattoos, calling her "ang kong siao". In Hokkien, a Chinese dialect, it means someone who is crazy over tattoos.
Ms Leo's mother, who is in her 50s, said: "We won't say we fully endorse her actions, but what's done is done; we can't possibly skin her."
She added that she was worried her daughter might be judged by employers and the public, associating her with negative stereotypes.
When Ms Leo told her parents that she intended to get her fourth tattoo this year, an image of a rabbit from her favourite book The Velveteen Rabbit, they disagreed.
"Ultimately, she insisted and as she is already an adult, so we respected her decision and relented," her mother said.
As for whether visible tattoos hurt an applicant's job prospects, one analyst said that this is not necessarily the case and depends on the industry.
Dr Timothy Hsi, founder of career counselling firm Abundanz Consulting, said: "For example, it is highly unlikely that having tattoos in the entertainment industry would be frowned upon as compared to more formal roles like representing a government department."
Perceptions still count in today’s "competency-based hiring", he added, noting that visible tattoos on hands, arms, neck, or face might be frowned upon, especially for public-facing roles.
After all, many organisational leaders in Singapore were born between the 1970s and 1990s, a generation that values adherence to rules and societal conservatism, Dr Hsi said.
However, if a candidate communicates professionally and competently in an interview, hiring managers will look beyond the tattoos and consider the candidate's overall qualifications, he reckoned.
'NO EVIDENCE' TO SHOW TATTOOS' LINK TO GANGS
Tattoo artists are observing a significant increase in young clients.
Mr Akira Ong, a tattoo artist from Blackdot Tattoo Studios, said: "Youths make up about 40 per cent of our client base now. I think nowadays, getting a tattoo is like going to a cafe for them.
He added that the younger clients typically prefer palm-sized tattoos, which may be more affordable for them.
Mr Ong also noted that current styles in trend include cyber sigilism — a tattoo style characterised by its use of thin lines and sharp angles that often have a futuristic or cyberpunk look — and portraitures that capture the facial features of a person, reflecting a trend towards more abstract designs.
Older trends of Polynesian designs have seen a decline in popularity as the tattoo scene continues to evolve.
What helped the tattoo industry gain wider popularity among the youth is the lack of regulations that could stifle the growing trend.
For example, people under the age of 21 do not need consent from their parents to get a tattoo. A licence is also not required to offer tattoo services to others.
In a written parliamentary reply to Dr Lee Bee Wah in 2019, Minister for Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam addressed concerns about minors getting tattoos without parental consent, adding that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sees no need to impose regulations on the tattoo industry.
He clarified that the ministry does not track the number of minors who have been tattooed and there is no legal requirement for minors to obtain parental consent before getting a tattoo.
"People may choose to tattoo themselves for reasons such as beauty and fashion. While there may be others who do so to show their affiliation to unlawful gangs, the police have not observed any evidence to suggest that body tattoos lead individuals towards a life of crime," Mr Shanmugam wrote.
Mr Jaganeeswaran, 32, who has tattoos on his left wrist, right forearm and both legs, agreed that attitudes have shifted among younger people, who mostly see any association between tattoos and crime as a stereotype.
"I think tattoos are more like an art form to beautify the body, whether for self-expression or to remember an event. It's no longer associated with gangsters among youths today," he said.
Even though some employers may not frown on workers who have tattoos, Ms Casiline Ang, owner and tattoo artist at Divine Tattoo Studio, advised clients in their early 20s to think carefully before getting permanently inked, suggesting that 18 should be the minimum age for getting a tattoo.
"Some companies or roles in Singapore may not be that open and accepting of such body art yet, so we don't want (tattoos) to affect these persons' chances in life since they are still young," she said.
For 27-year-old nurse Cameron, he has no regrets so far about getting inked and intend to get more tattoos in the future.
"People get tattoos because they like the art or they take it as a form of expression. Different people have different ways of how they perceive tattoos but for me, I don't really care how people see me. It's more of how I see myself."
