Bhubaneswar, Oct. 3: Tattoos, body piercings and quirky hairdos. Gen-Now won’t stop at anything when it comes to making a style statement.

But then one runs the risk of getting stereotyped, dubbed as punk or ubersexual. Such labels can be negative and may lead to personality stunting complexes. So, do piercings, tattoos, or fancy apparel define youngsters or is there more to their identities?

Shweta Patra, a physics undergraduate, believes most youngsters get tattooed or pierced for the sake of experimentation.

“If you are a real fashionista, you follow fads while they last. It does not leave you hung over. But if you are blindly copying someone so that people identify you that way, then you have a serious problem with your self-esteem. It means you are doing it just to grab attention,” the 20-year-old says.

Government employee and mother of two Samita Ray feels peer pressure motivates youths to experiment with their look. Her younger son, who is a die-hard fan of Barcelona footballer Carles Puyol, and follows rock music keenly, has chosen to express those passions by growing his hair long — like most of his other friends have. But, somehow, that has attracted undue attention.

“Neighbours look at him suspiciously and ask absurd questions about his sexual preferences. As long as he is not causing any harm to others, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with long hair. Or a tattoo, for that matter. But everything said and done, youngsters must be careful that these things about their looks or how people view them, does not lead to an identity crisis or a complex in them,” Ray says.

Alok Mohanty, a fine arts student and all of 21, asserts that physical appearances make for lasting impressions.

“When people say looks don’t matter, they are lying. You enter a place and every person there has formed different opinions about you in less than 60 seconds. If you have long hair, you must be a creative person. If you don’t have a Mohawk on your head or some cool designs embossed on your skin, people think you are probably old-fashioned,” he says.

His friend, Sitanshu, who is pursuing his graduation in architecture, agrees.

“When people will always judge you on your outward appearances, there’s no reason for you to pretend. Be what you are. Body art, piercing and hairstyles are extensions of your personality and it is you who chose to present yourself in a certain light. It is a matter of individual choice,” he adds.

Photographer Poonascha Priyadarshi, 27, who sports a Buddha tattoo on his left arm, said body art is a subtle way of speaking about one’s own personality.

“I subscribe to Buddhist beliefs and my tattoo testifies just that,” he says.

However, when he got inked, people reacted to it in different ways. Some found it cool but most others expressed shock and amazement because they had always thought of him as a geek, thanks to his spectacles.

“Now, probably, they see me as a spiritual guy. They hardly understand that it is something close to my heart. But many teens today get inked because it is more of a fashion statement for them, an addition to their bag of random accessories,” Poonascha says.

Like there are specific dress codes for different occasions, tattoos, piercings and hairdos also have a distinct significance, explains Neil, a radio jockey.

“Getting inked is a cool way of showing off your attitude. If I have suffered pain while getting tattooed, why shouldn’t I flaunt it?” he says.

It is a misconception, however, that only young, impressionable minds get swayed by fashion fads. Even the older generation is giving in to the impulse of getting their bodies painted and pierced. Om Acharya, who started Bhubaneswar’s first tattoo and body piercing parlour — Skivas — last year, says his clientele includes even doctors and chartered accountants.

“People of all ages are willing to go under the needle because somewhere, somehow they are becoming aware that it has got more to do with their individual style than just a fashion statement,” he said.