Face Tattoos: What to Know Before You Get One

Face tattoos have never been more visible. Musicians, athletes, actors and influencers wear them, and a small script word by the eye or a tiny symbol on the cheekbone no longer shocks the way it did twenty years ago.

But a face tattoo is still a different decision from any other tattoo. It is the one you cannot cover, the one everyone you meet sees first, and one of the hardest to remove. Here is what the research and the industry say before you book.

From outsider mark to mainstream look

For most of modern Western history, a face tattoo signalled someone outside mainstream society, associated with prison, gangs or extreme subcultures. In many Indigenous cultures, facial tattooing carries a very different, sacred meaning: Māori tā moko, for example, records identity, genealogy and status, and has seen a powerful revival.

The modern mainstream shift is more recent. Boxer Mike Tyson's tribal tattoo around his eye in 2003 made headlines worldwide. In the late 2010s, a wave of rappers and pop stars made face tattoos part of their image, and musicians like Post Malone pushed them into the pop charts. Smaller, more delicate facial pieces followed: fine line stars, hearts, single words and "freckle" tattoos.

What employers actually think

Attitudes toward tattoos at work have relaxed a great deal, as we covered in our look at whether tattoos can stop you getting a job. Face and neck tattoos are where that acceptance is weakest, and there is research to show it.

A study published as "Employment Interview Screening: Time to Face the Ink" asked 243 people involved in hiring how they would respond to a candidate with a face or neck tattoo. 20 percent said they would not hire that person at all, and 50 percent said it would depend on the position. First impressions and stigma dominated how screeners described their reaction.

A separate study by researchers at Colorado State University, published in the Journal of Business and Psychology, tested simulated job applicants with visible tattoos. Tattooed applicants were less likely to be hired, and being highly qualified did not close that gap. Those with mild visible tattoos who were hired were offered starting salaries around $2,159 lower, and applicants with larger, more aggressive tattoos fared worse still. That study did not test face tattoos specifically, but face tattoos are about as visible as tattoos get.

The practical reality is that your field matters enormously. In tattooing, music, hospitality, fashion, the trades and self-employment, a face tattoo may make no difference or even be an asset. In customer facing corporate roles, law, healthcare, education or the military, it can still close doors, and in many countries employers are legally allowed to set appearance standards.

Why many artists will say no

Do not be surprised if a reputable artist refuses to do your face tattoo, especially if it would be your first tattoo or your only visible one. Face, neck and hand tattoos are sometimes called "job stoppers" in the industry, and many experienced artists have a personal rule against putting them on someone without other visible work.

This is not gatekeeping for its own sake. Artists see the people who come back years later wanting them covered, and a face tattoo done on impulse can follow someone for the rest of their life. An artist who asks you questions, suggests starting smaller, or sends you away to think is usually looking out for you. An artist who will tattoo anyone's face on a walk in, no questions asked, is a warning sign, as we explain in our guide to tattoo red flags.

What is different about tattooing the face

Pain. Facial skin is thin and close to bone, particularly on the forehead, temples, cheekbones and around the eyes, so most people find it among the more painful areas. See our guide to tattoo pain by body part.

Fading and blurring. The face gets more sun than almost any other part of the body, and facial skin renews quickly. Very fine lines and small details can soften faster than they would elsewhere, so bolder, simpler designs usually hold up better.

Healing. You cannot keep a healing face tattoo out of sight, and it has to be protected from sun, makeup, skincare products, pillows and your own hands for weeks. Our tattoo healing timeline explains what to expect.

Removal. Laser removal is possible on the face, but it usually takes many sessions spaced weeks apart, it costs considerably more than the tattoo did, and complete removal is never guaranteed. Avoid do it yourself methods entirely, for reasons we set out in our piece on at-home tattoo removal.

Questions to ask yourself first

• Would I still want this in ten or twenty years, in a different job, relationship or stage of life?
• Is my career secure in a field where it will not matter, and would I be happy if that career changed?
• Do I already have other visible tattoos? Most people who are happy with face tattoos worked up to them.
• Am I getting it during a difficult time, after a breakup, a loss, or on a night out? Big permanent decisions made in the moment are the ones people most often regret, as our look at tattoo regret shows.
• Would a placement I can choose to show, such as behind the ear, the hairline, or the side of the neck, give me the same feeling?

If you decide to go ahead

Start small, and live with it. Choose an artist with healed facial work in their portfolio, not just fresh photos. Talk through placement carefully, because symmetry and the way a design moves with facial expressions matter far more on the face than anywhere else. Keep it simple enough to age well. And budget for sunscreen for life.

A face tattoo can be a confident, beautiful statement. It just deserves more thought than any other tattoo you will ever get.

Sources: "Employment Interview Screening: Time to Face the Ink," Merrimack College; Henle, C. A. and colleagues, "Visible Tattoos as a Source of Employment Discrimination Among Female Applicants for a Supervisory Position," Journal of Business and Psychology, as summarised by Colorado State University.