A physician adorned with tattoos all over her body is sharing her experiences of facing challenges and being judged due to her heavily inked appearance. Dr. Sarah Gray, hailing from Adelaide, has always been fascinated by body art, and her love for tattoos began at the age of 16. At 30, she proudly claims the title of ‘the world’s most tattooed doctor’ and is a source of inspiration within the tattoo community. However, despite her positive influence, Dr. Gray has not been exempt from adversity.
Similar to a scene from the movie Pretty Woman, Dr. Gray recounts instances where she was overlooked by shop assistants in upscale stores. While on a quest for a birthday treat in the form of designer heels, she found herself neglected by three separate shop attendants as she sought the right size to try on.
At the age of 16, Dr. Sarah Gray of Adelaide found herself captivated by body art and decided to get her very first tattoo.
Dr. Gray shared that she is now known as the “most tattooed doctor in the world” and has become a respected figure in the tattoo community. Recalling a frustrating experience, she mentioned how she was ignored by staff at a store who prioritized other customers before her. Despite the initial disappointment, she found a silver lining in saving money by not making a purchase. She also recounted an incident at a restaurant where she and her husband were asked to leave due to the establishment’s policy against visible tattoos. This encounter left her feeling disappointed, highlighting the challenges faced by individuals with tattoos.
She believes that being in the spotlight can help spread the message of not judging others based on their appearance.
Just like in the movie Pretty Woman, the 30-year-old woman shared that she has experienced being ignored by shop assistants in upscale stores. She also mentioned how she and her friends were once turned away from a casino because of their visible tattoos. This incident happened after they attended a body art expo, so most of them had a lot of tattoos. Despite this, she was able to speak with the management about unfair discrimination based on their appearance, and they eventually made an exception for them to enter. She expressed frustration about how some night venues have such strict policies, which can lead to people like them being unfairly judged as “bad” or associated with gangs simply because of their colorful skin.
While searching for a pair of designer heels for her birthday, she found herself ignored by three different shop assistants when she needed help finding the right size to try on.
This wasn’t an isolated incident for her, as she recalled a similar experience when she went out for lunch with her spouse.
Originally, Dr. Gray started out just wanting a few small tattoos from specific artists, but over time her collection expanded. What began as a simple plan for a large back piece grew into a nearly complete body suit. Dr. Gray humorously refers to herself as an “art collector” because instead of hanging art on her walls, she wears it on her skin.
Despite the lengthy tattoo sessions, Dr. Gray remains unfazed by the process. She can easily spend over 12 hours in a studio during one session. While she admits she doesn’t enjoy the pain (more of an annoyance she has gotten used to), she loves the final result.
For Dr. Gray, the transformation of a tattoo from a stencil to a finished piece through layering is truly amazing. In her eyes, the reward of the end product far outweighs the challenge of enduring the process.
She shared that in the past, she and her friends were once turned away from entering a casino because of the establishment’s strict tattoo visibility policy.
Initially, Dr. Gray intended to only acquire a few small tattoos from certain artists and a large-scale back piece. However, over time, her tattoo collection expanded beyond her original plans.
When she first began, she never imagined she would end up with a full body suit, but now she’s almost there. Dr. Gray doesn’t agree with the idea of it being an addiction, as she believes she could stop if she wanted to. She described it as catching the “tattoo bug,” where you start with one piece and gradually feel the urge to get more. According to the doctor, people continue getting tattoos because it’s a unique way for them to showcase their personalities through art on their skin. She mentioned that tattoos have significantly boosted her body confidence by enabling her to creatively express her identity.
Dr. Gray likes to call herself an “art collector” because she doesn’t just admire art on walls – she wears it on her skin.
The doctor shared her opinion on why people tend to get more tattoos after their first one, stating that it allows them to express their personalities through body art. Dr. Gray has so many tattoos that she considers her body a complete canvas rather than individual pieces. She estimates having spent over 300 hours getting tattooed and hopes to fill the remaining gaps on her body suit soon. While some of her tattoos hold personal significance, others were chosen simply for their artistic value. They represent various aspects of her life, such as her career, Vegas wedding, love of anatomical skulls, horror, and cheese.
At 30 years old, she has lost count of the number of tattoos adorning her body. Instead of separate pieces, her skin now boasts a seamless canvas of ink.
Dr. Gray is close to completing her full-body suit tattoo with just a few small areas left to ink. Despite some negative experiences stemming from her tattoos, Dr. Gray acknowledges that being heavily tattooed has brought many positive changes to her life. She credits the tattooing community with helping her to find her soul mate, make friends around the world, and serve as a role model in the traditionally conservative field of medicine. Initially worried about being taken seriously as a medical professional with visible tattoos, Dr. Gray has seen a shift in societal attitudes towards body art over time.
A few of her tattoos hold special significance for her, such as representing her profession, her spontaneous Vegas wedding, her fascination with anatomical skulls and the horror genre, and her adoration for cheese.
Despite facing challenges because of her tattoos, Ms Gray believes that being tattooed has had a positive impact on her life. She believes that having colorful skin does not affect her skills, and with anti-discrimination laws in place, she should not be treated differently based on her appearance. Ms Gray has worked hard to build professional relationships and be remembered for her hard work, determination, and positive attitude, rather than just her tattoos. She finds that her colorful appearance often sparks conversations and makes her approachable. However, she does not appreciate when people inappropriately grab her arms, as it violates personal boundaries. She advises others not to be that person.
The youthful physician noted that tattoos no longer carry the stigma of being associated with criminals or questionable behavior.
In medical school, she was always aware of her tattoos being on display, worried that her peers and patients may not perceive her as professional.
Dr Gray shared that her colorful appearance often sparks interesting conversations and makes her approachable to people. She noted that while there are occasional disapproving comments or looks, they are rare. Despite previously winning the titles of Miss Inked Australia and New Zealand, Dr Gray has recently completed her medical degree and aspires to become an orthopaedic surgeon. She aims to challenge stereotypes and teach others not to judge based on appearances. Dr Gray emphasized that tattoos no longer carry negative connotations and that everyone should embrace their unique style. She encouraged those who dislike tattoos to appreciate the artistry behind them before forming judgments about individuals who choose to adorn their bodies with ink.
