The image of doctors for hundreds of years has been considered to clean cut and conservatively dressed individuals, in particular countries, dressed in a lab coat. In more recent years more alternatively dressed individuals have emerged in the mix of professionals. Data in Australia now suggests one in four Australians have a tattoo, with younger generations and women being tattooed at a much higher rate. Patient surveys in the last decade have shown the perception of tattoos in doctors to remain very controversial, and can have significant implications on how professional, competent, and approachable doctors are. More often than not, those with visible body art were considered less confident, professional and approachable than non tattooed peers. This is irrespective of other physical characteristics such as gender and age. It is also important to consider the generational shift, with younger patients demonstrating more acceptance towards tattooed surgical doctors. More specific tattoo factors such as the nature and placement of the art are considerations into the perceptions of the individual. With the generational shift in attitude to professional appearances in the medical and surgical field, should our current standards of professional attire be reconsidered to be more inclusive of the shifting societal norm?