Face Tattoos Growing in Mainstream Popularity

It’s official: Face tattoos are no longer face taboos.

If there were any doubt that the inkings are becoming a mainstream trend, there is acceptance in the form of a trend piece in The New York Times. At one time, face tattoos were the domain of gang members, Aryan Brotherhood members and the odd odd celebrity such as Mike Tyson.

In fact, one tattoo shop profiled by the Times internally call the type of marking, “job stoppers,” for obvious reasons. But in recent years, the lines have been blurring. In part that’s due to the sight of more celebrities, including Justin Bieber and Post Malone sporting ones of their own. And in part, that has to do with the rise of reality TV shows like Best Ink that showcase the art.

“If you want to be transgressive — and a lot of rappers want to create a transgressive character — the last frontier is the face,” scholar Anna Felicity Friedman told The Times. “Some of it is to give them a rebel/criminal allure. And some of it is a more artistic or free-spirit reference.”