A 19-year-old man in New Zealand walked out of prison with a tattoo his brother gave him. It was meant to be small. It covered nearly his whole face.
The tattoo reads “DEVAST8.” It stretches across the lower half of his face, a word that started as a tribute between brothers and ended up a permanent mark on his life. The story of how he lived with it afterward is odd, and it has attracted attention from around the world.
The Night In Prison
A homemade drink made from apples, sugar, and bread was the engine behind the tattoo. Cropp shared a cell with his brother, and one night, after they drank it, his brother marked the word across Cropp’s face.
Later, Cropp said the tattoo had been meant to be much smaller. He also said he regretted letting it get so big. The ink was permanent, and the regret was real.
After Cropp pulled a knife on a tourist during a failed substances deal and was sentenced to a term of 27 months for aggravated robbery, he served his time with his brother at his side. The tattoo stayed with him long after his release, following him far beyond the prison gates.
Finding A Job After The Mark
Cropp’s tale spread far and wide because he told of how difficult it was to find work on account of the tattoo covering his face. That word “DEVAST8” is big, and it appears in a spot that most employers set eyes upon first.
After his story went viral online, he received a number of job offers, among them one for scaffolding. He was also contacted by a company that proposed NZ$22 an hour. A separate business offered to remove his tattoo for nothing.
Cropp attended a removal session but abandoned the process once he began work on the scaffolding. He later stated that he wished to retain the tattoo.
More Trouble After Prison
His first jail term did little to steady Cropp’s life. He was handed 10 months for his conduct, which included aggressive and intimidating behavior, breaking a protection order, and carrying a meat cleaver, in 2019. Then in 2022, he faced fresh charges, this time for disorderly behavior, substance possession, and resisting arrest.
When he got out of prison, he arranged to stay with his grandmother and have a pacemaker installed. His intention was to settle into a calmer way of living.
The Tattoo Removal Question
Tattoo removal is not like erasing ink from your skin. A dermatology review listed several potential problems, such as pain, changes in skin color, blistering, scarring, allergic reactions, and leftover ink. Laser treatment can remove tattoos, but it may also cause some of these side effects.
Permanent ink that was applied by professionals tends to be deeper in the skin, which makes it harder to remove than ink from amateur work. Even after several treatments, some tattoos leave behind color or alter the look of the skin. Multiple treatments and realistic expectations are necessary because the process takes time.
It is not a quick fix.
The Celebrity Tattoo Cover-Ups
Ariana Grande had Pete Davidson replace a tattoo with the word “Cursed.”, and in doing so, she gave her children the names Cropp’s tattoo comes with a side of celebrity cover-ups. Johnny Depp turned his “Winona Forever” tattoo into “Wino Forever.” Angelina Jolie covered Billy Bob Thornton’s coordinates.
Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson’s brief relationship led to several tattoos that they later changed. Grande covered a “Pete” tattoo and swapped another matching design for an olive branch. Davidson turned the bunny ears, inspired by her, into a black heart. After their breakup, their matching tattoos became cover-ups.
A small tattoo meant to keep Jennifer Lawrence hydrated ended up carrying a tiny scientific mistake. On her hand, the letter “H2O” was shown with the 2 raised rather than lowered, a formula she later admitted was wrong. Lawrence knew the error from the start and said she should have verified it online before making it permanent.
I want to make one thing very clear: the fact that these individuals failed with their tattoos does not mean you should get one yourself if you aren’t sure about it.
The Job Search Question
Job candidates with exposed body art are often judged by employers who favor a traditional, professional look, particularly in customer-facing positions. Cropp insisted on keeping his identity visible despite the risks that choice could carry.
A study where 25 hiring managers were interviewed found that most said tattoos had a negative impact on hiring decisions. The effect depended on where the tattoo was, the type of job, and the industry.
“The unusual tattoo quickly went viral after Cropp left prison and struggled to find work.”
The study described a bias that Cropp encountered, and he responded by finding work that ignored his appearance.
What We Learn From This Story
Tattoos tell stories, and Cropp’s story is one of them. Some of those stories are about love, some about regrets, and some about nights that did not go as planned. The mark on his face is a reminder of his past, and he has chosen to carry it rather than remove it.
The narrative demonstrates how a lasting decision can turn into a major hurdle. A tattoo that began as a tribute between brothers accompanied Cropp long after his time behind bars. He secured a job in spite of the mark, and he kept the tattoo.
The portion of the passage that deserves particular attention concerns Cropp, who preserved the mark he made.
Source material: “Face Tattoo Creates A Major Hurdle After Prison, Until A New Job Changes The Young Man’s Plans,” Bored Panda.
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