• June 06, 2012  |  6:05 AM MDT

Body Studs & Ink

Tattoos went mainstream years ago, with one quarter of all Americans between the ages of 18 and 50 reporting they’ve added some “art” to their body. But recently, a new trend has emerged: Those in search of a job increasingly remove their tattoos.

A study by the Patient’s Guide found that laser tattoo removal procedures increased by 32 percent last year alone. Fully, 40 percent of respondents cited “employment” as the reason they sought to have their tattoo erased.

And it appears job seekers undertake those efforts for good reason. Last week Careerbuilder.com released results from a survey of HR professionals. Bottom line: The people who hire are not crazy about body art. In fact, 37 percent of responding HR managers cite body piercings as the top physical attribute that can limit a candidate’s career potential.  Bad breath came in next, at 34 percent, and visible tattoos followed closely behind at 31 percent. 

In a lot of workplaces, sporting that old-fashioned, more traditional corporate look my help you land that all-important job. At least for now, stash your studs and cover you tattoos.