Many people in Tucson wear tattoos openly in classrooms, workplaces and family gatherings as symbols of identity and works of art.

That wasn’t always the case, said James Peterson, an artist with two decades of experience at Grape Ape Tattoo.

“The biggest change in tattooing is that it’s now a viable career,” he said. “Years ago, it was shunned.” 

When he started tattooing 20 years ago, he said he didn’t know any other professional tattoo artists. 

“Now we have hundreds of people yearly,” he said.

The shift comes from media         exposure, he said.

“Up until 2007, there wasn’t a single tattoo show, even, let alone well-known artists,” he said. “After about 2008, there were probably like 10 shows on TV. It was a complete change in visibility.”

That visibility led to many more people getting tattoos.

“There had become a bulk of people who grew interested,” he said. 

Changing perceptions

In Tucson and across the U.S., tattoos have become more common in workplaces, according to a 2023 study from the Pew Research Center. About 80% of adults in the U.S. now feel society is accepting of tattoos, and 32% of adults have tattoos themselves, including 22% who have more than one. 

Artists like John Lewis, of 4 Forty 4 Tattoo, have watched the change unfold in real time, as events like Friday the 13th flash sales have transformed from underground rituals into widely accepted traditions.

“It’s kind of fun, kitschy,” he said. 

What began decades ago as simple $13 “bad luck tattoos” has evolved. The day is a whirlwind, he said, with back-to-back clients and machines buzzing nonstop.

“It’s just fun. Crazy, chaotic, super busy,” Lewis said.

With families lining up together, college students debating which design to choose and artists joking with each other between appointments, the vibe is like a neighborhood gathering, he said. 

Leonnie Aikens, a University of Arizona student studying to be a veterinarian, said she got her first tattoo as a tribute to her aging dog.

“I just kind of wanted that memory of her for the longest time,” she said. 

She has since added a moon and stars, building a story into the tattoo “piece by piece,” she said.

The experience, she said, mattered just as much as the design.  

“I have a very low pain tolerance,” Aikens said, but her tattoo artist put her at ease.

The sense of care reflects a more professionalized and client-focused industry, she said.

A comfortable experience  

Sophia Harris, a UA veterinary science major, said her first tattoo experience was also comfortable. 

“The shops I’ve gone to were clean and organized,” she said. “They opened new needles in front of me, which made me feel safe.” 

Artists walked her through aftercare instructions, explaining how to wash and moisturize her tattoo so it would heal properly. 

“That made me feel like they actually care about their clients,” she said.

Katherine Toth, a junior at the university, said Tucson’s tattoo community is “very welcoming.” Since arriving at College, she has added five tattoos and six piercings, all at local shops.

“Every single one of them have been very nice, genuine human beings that really want to share their love and art,” she said.

For her, collaboration is key. 

“My favorite part of getting a tattoo is always the experience itself and collaborating with the artist to make my vision come to life,” Toth said.

Addressing lingering stigma

But while tattoos are more widely embraced now, not everyone sees the shift as entirely seamless. 

Aikens said discrimination can still surface, particularly in more conservative or professional settings. 

In the medical field, both she and Toth observed that heavily tattooed colleagues received different treatment from patients.

“It’s still something in the works,” Leonnie said. “But I think it is getting better with time.”

Toth said she has rarely experienced negative reactions, and when she has, they typically came from older generations. 

“That is just the way things were,” she said, “but not how they are nowadays.”

Joseph “Magic” Gaspar, a tattoo artist of six years at the Splash of Ink Tattoo Shop, said education is important to reducing any lingering stigma.

He encourages clients to think long-term about meaning, placement, and how a piece will look in years to come. 

For many, tattoos are intentional artistic choices rather than impulsive decisions. 

“They aren’t frowned upon like they used to be,” Harris said. “It’s pretty normal for people with tattoos everywhere now.”

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.