Dear Prudence,
I have extensive tattoos from my neck to my knees. As a child, my brother “accidentally” dumped hot grease on me. I spent months in the hospital, and he went on to kill neighborhood pets. I ended up cutting off all contact with my family as a teenager after they let him back in the house once he left juvie. The tattoos cover the burns and have given me control over my appearance. My work started taking me into more “straight-laced” sections of society, and I get double takes, disgruntled expressions, and awkward questions. I have had people demand I explain why I would do this to myself—after all, I am such a “pretty girl.” They get shamefaced very quickly after I tell them I was burned badly as a child. I dislike bringing this up, but especially because then some people want to know what happened. I have tried very hard to separate myself from my past, and it hurts to keep bringing it up. I can’t afford to tell these people to just mind their own business, since I do depend on them for my income. Other than just dressing like a nun, how so I diplomatically tell them off?
—Tattoo Talk