Is it possible you've worked out west and in the mountains more recently than east coast/midwest? I ask because I've worked in a lot of different cultures in the midwest, from banks to startups, and tattoos are not an issue in any of them. 15 years ago that wasn't so true but in the last 7 or 8 for sure I've never seen it be an issue. Facial hair hasn't been an issue ever in my experience.