Tattoo parlors used to be reserved for bikers, gang members, and sailors at port, but that’s no longer the case. Body modification shops have changed so much over the last 30 years that older generations wouldn’t even recognize an average tattoo parlor. More sterile than a doctor’s office, smelling like fresh candles, and flaunting a high-quality espresso machine in the corner, many modern tattoo shops are more akin to a swanky art gallery than a prison yard.
Aesthetically, these shops have changed dramatically, but not as much as the stigma surrounding the tattoo and piercing world itself. Instead of harboring criminals and hoodlums, tattoo shops are open to anyone and everyone, and as the stigma surrounding tattoos and piercings changes, so does the clientele. Because they are now widely accepted, even matcha-loving college students, middle-aged suburban parents, and dear ol’ grannies and grandpas are encouraged to get poked.
Checking off their last bucket list item, older generations are finally getting that tattoo or piercing they always wanted, simply because they can finally do so without judgment.
