24-Year-Old Undergoes Painful Cosmetic Procedures To Land A Job
A 24-year-old man in China is undergoing the painful process of undoing the changes he began making to his body in 2018. His highly visible tattoos have made both his personal and professional life more difficult.
Xiaolong was in his late teens when he began adding ink to his body as a way of escape. “I was rebellious back then,” he said. “using tattoos as an outlet for my unhappiness.” While many people who get tattoos don’t regret them, Xiaolong isn’t one of them. He said that “they’ve caused significant difficulties” for him and his family.
Much of these hardships are tied to employment. Having to show his face, even from afar, has caused Xiaolong problems. In China, tattoos can become significant obstacles for job applicants. In some professions, they are prohibited entirely or must be covered up. Tattoos also still carry a social stigma and are associated with criminal behavior or being an outcast.
Finding employment has been tough, I face constant insults during my livestreaming sessions, and even routine tasks like renewing my ID or using facial recognition become awkward and inconvenient.
— Xiaolong
After deleting his social media accounts last year, Xiaolong began the tattoo removal process in October of 2024 by removing a small hand tattoo. In December, he moved on to his face tattoos, but he was forced to put the treatment on hold due to the pain and heart discomfort he experienced during the removal. Still, he is determined to continue.
I regret it so much now. What seemed cool in the moment does not hold up in the long run. I just want to live a normal life again
— Xiaolong
