A 29-year-old woman named Sarah Hutchinson, who is an actress from Ancoats, Manchester, shared her experience of being treated differently at work and being followed by security guards in shops due to the fact that 70% of her body is covered in tattoos. Known as Joey to her fans, Sarah has faced typecasting in her acting career, often being labeled as a criminal or homeless individual because of her tattoos. Colleagues have even mentioned that her tattoos make her seem intimidating and ‘mean’. Sarah got her first tattoo at 15 and estimates that she has spent around £7,000 on body art since then. She recalled an incident at a supermarket where she felt uncomfortable and was being followed by a security guard while wearing shorts and a top during the summertime.
A lady with tattoos covering 70% of her body shared that she has faced job rejections and is constantly monitored by security guards when she goes shopping.
Sarah Hutchinson, a 29-year-old actress hailing from the Ancoats area in Manchester, often finds herself being pigeonholed into roles as a lawbreaker or someone experiencing homelessness.
Ms. Hutchinson, known for her appearance on ITV’s The Cabin, got her very first tattoo at the age of 15 – a phrase that reads ‘4ever in my heart’ on her wrist. She believes she has spent approximately £7,000 on tattoos since then.
While out looking for lunch one day, Ms. Hutchinson noticed that a security guard was following her around. Curious, she purposely checked if he was still tailing her and indeed he was. In a playful manner, she joked with the security guard, saying she might steal something if he kept watching her. Ms. Hutchinson shared that she often gets stared at whenever she goes out, despite not doing anything wrong. She even demonstrated the contents of her bag to prove she was not stealing.
Aside from her successful career as a personal trainer and musician, Sarah has tattoos of a star, a moon, and the word ‘why’ on her hands, which she regrets. She also has her ex-partner’s name inked on the underside of her wedding ring finger, a painful reminder she wishes to remove. Unfortunately, the procedure to repair or remove these unwanted tattoos could potentially cost her around £1,500. Additionally, Sarah’s girlfriend refuses to marry her until the ex’s name is gone.
After getting plenty of tattoos herself, Sarah shared a tip for those looking to get inked: she suggests avoiding tattoo artists who charge less than £350 a day.
Drawing from personal experience, Sarah advises those interested in getting a tattoo to avoid booking an artist who charges less than £350 per day. She also suggests waiting a minimum of three months after selecting a design before getting it inked, to ensure satisfaction with the chosen tattoo.
Sarah mentions that due to her numerous tattoos, she has faced stereotypes at work and is often given similar acting roles. She has been perceived as intimidating, leading to people avoiding interaction with her. Additionally, she has been typecast as a criminal or homeless person due to her body art, receiving unfavorable roles because of it.
Despite regretting some of her tattoos, like a list of friends’ names that she impulsively got one evening, Sarah does have tattoos that she is proud of. She believes that tattoos are still associated with negative behavior in society, which can lead to unfair assumptions and treatment of individuals with body art.
She mentioned that her colleagues have often labeled her and assigned similar acting roles based on her abundance of tattoos.
Sarah, who wears many hats as a personal trainer and musician, admits that her hand tattoos – a star, a moon, and the word ‘why’ – are something she regrets. On the other hand, she showcases sea-themed tattoos like a bottle bearing the words ‘Not all who wander are lost’, and ancient Egyptian murals that she’s proud of. Regarding her hand tattoos, she said, “I have a moon and a star, and next to that I have the word ‘why’. I ask ‘why’ I did it.” To cover them up, she has plans to get blacked out skeleton fingers, depicting the image of bones through the finger. Sarah also acknowledged that she has some poorly done tattoos due to opting for cheap tattoo artists in the past, but she’s in the process of getting them fixed.
