Though no one has posted to this thread in a while I wanted to make a few comments. First, I grew up around heavily tattooed bikers... but they also worked as computer programs at IBM and were incredibly smart and wealthy. I have almost 100 hours of tattoo work that only slightly pop out at the neckline (chest and back) and multiple large gauge piercing. My thoughts about having a tattoo "forever" was that I will not live "forever" and since I did not pick this body, I will do what I like to it and what makes me feel comfortable. As a borderline hypochondriac, I was afraid to get pierced or tattooed until I met a registered nurse turned piercer and kept the cleanliness standards at his shop above that of a hospital.
I waited to get my first tattoo til I was 21 even though I was desperate to get one at 18. I worked several weeks with an artist getting it right. My full back piece I worked with the artist over several months. It was very expensive and should be if you want something done right.
When I was working in the Midwest, no one cared about tattoos. In fact, on several occasions, I had high end clients from several large companies tell me their kids had tattoos/piercings and they were happy to see I was successfully working in my field. My bosses back then even joked that they had hired me because I looked "artsy". Since I moved to LA, I have seen full sleeves and neck tattoos on nearly every set. If you are good at what you do it does not matter.
I love my tattoos and have kept most of my piercings but they are from a part of my life where that was more important to me. I am sure I will never get another piercing and the likelihood of more tattoos gets farther away as my ambitions to further my career become greater. I could get full sleeves now or put a down payment on a Alexa.
Have you looked at Chapman University?