A woman who has previously gone viral for claiming she was rejected from a job because of her tattoos has revealed what she looked like before.
Ash Putnam, from California, U.S., took to TikTok and claimed she finds it difficult to find work as she’s covered in tattoos.
In a now-deleted video, she alleged: “I went in today and asked, ‘So what was the reason I didn’t get hired?’ The response was, ‘Oh, you just don’t have enough experience; there were candidates with more experience than you.’
“I asked if it was about my tattoos because I know a lot of places don’t like tattoos. She said that wasn’t the reason. I don’t feel like that’s true, but whatever, I will leave it at that.”
The TikToker’s video amassed millions of views, but instead of receiving support, she was trolled for her ‘scary and demonic’ ink.
Now, Putnam has opened up about her tattoo journey to IGV, while also revealing what she looked like before.
Putnam knew she wanted to embark on a tattoo journey from a young age.
“I knew I wanted to start my body modification journey when I was around 13 years old,” she tells IGV. “I loved seeing all the alternative people on Tumblr and knew I wanted to look like them someday.”
One of Putnam’s boldest decisions was to black out her entire right arm.
“I ended up covering my entire right arm with blackout because I want to put new tattoos on top of it eventually,” she explains.
Currently, she is in the process of getting her forehead tattoo lasered off to make room for a new design that will follow her hairline.
Additionally, she is removing several stick-and-poke tattoos on her legs, which she did at 17 and no longer favors.
Putnam, who estimates she has spent well over $10,000 on her tattoos, is not done with her body art yet.
She plans to get more ear piercings and add white ink or color tattoos on top of her blackout sleeve.
“When the rest of my body is covered, I will be done with getting tattooed!” she declares.
Currently, Putnam earns a living as an Uber Eats driver and through platforms like TikTok and OFs.
The tattoo lover has faced challenges in the job market due to her appearance.
“I haven’t been able to get retail jobs because they think my look is unprofessional, but at this point, I do not care,” she asserts.
The backlash from Putnam’s viral TikTok has solidified her decision to avoid customer service roles altogether.
Reflecting on her experiences, she advises: “Think hard about what kind of tattoos you want, just so you don’t have to do laser down the line. Don’t get face or neck tattoos if you want to work in the corporate world!”
Contrary to what many may assume, Putnam’s tattoos haven’t impacted her love life.
Her husband shares her passion for tattoos, adding a layer of mutual understanding and appreciation to their relationship.
When it comes to her friends and family, reactions have been mixed.
“My friends love my look. With my mother, it took some time, but now she loves it,” Putnam says.
“I know my dad and his family don’t like it, but I do not care because he hasn’t spoken to me in almost ten years.”
Putnam loves the versatility of her tattoos, as she can cover them when she feels like it.
She explains: “I have covered my face tattoos once, and I did like it because I love how a full face of makeup looks sometimes.”
Below are some photos of Putnam before her tattoo journey…
