I am also a student, but have worked as a phlebotomist for a couple years; and I also have tattoos on my forearms, just a couple small Japanese kanji characters. I always had to keep them covered, either with small bandages or wearing a long-sleeved shirt. I live in Arizona, so long-sleeved shirts are not so comfortable in 100+ degree heat; so I have decided to get the tattoos removed altogether. It may not be that big of a deal for you having to cover the tattoos, but my tattoos are not significant enough for me to keep them anyway- and I also got tired of getting the dirty looks from patients. I also agree with LPNBearColumbus about the facial hair, not that big of a deal.