It depends on the seriousness of the job. If you're going to work as a waitress, I doubt any of those will be a huge issue. But then again it depends on the restaurant.

If you're going to work say, at a bank, all of those will probably be problematic.

The employer is really just looking for a serious employee to deal with the customer. You don't get the feel of a serious person if she/he has green hair, piercings and tattoos.

Top no-nos:

1 - Oddly colored hair (dyeing your hair is fine as long as its not bright green, blue, etc etc)

2 - Piercings (Regular earrings are fine, no crazy triple piercing or bars through your ears though. A small nose stud is pushing it a little. No tongue, lip or eyebrow piercings.)

3 - Tattoos (Nothing on the face, neck or hands. The rest can be covered up by clothes so its not a big deal)

Definitely tattoos would be the deal breaker.

Tattoos are ugly and stupid.

1-piercings

too extreme and some people are turned off by them (there's a masochistic element)

2-colored hair

weird but they can ask you to dye it or wear a hat

3-tattoos

they can be covered up but it depends where they are. also tattoos are pretty common these days

Obviously it would depend upon where you are applying. Hot Topics would love all of the above but most industries would not. I have hired - Obvious tattoos, especially any that could be taken as offensive in any way are a deal breaker. It you have a tat that I can't , don't or shouldn't see it's your business. Piercings should be gender appropriate and professional. At one time for example, if you wanted to work for Disney - ladies were allowed one piercing per ear and gentleman none.

Colored hair - if your changing your gray to brown your fine but I suspect you mean the lime green and purples. Deal Breaker in most professional settings. Image and first impressions - fair or not - mean a lot to the business. You may be the absolute best at what you do ( I think of Goth Abby on NCIS) but you have to get your foot in the door. Many businesses have written Policy and Procedures for dress code and image.

If forced to place them in order as degree of item would come into play and change the order:

1: Colored Hair

2: Tattoos

3: Piercings

I would not hire any of the above!

I think it would depend on how extreme it is, and the work enviroment. Any of them could be if "over the top."

1) Colored Hair would probably be first because it's probably noticed quicker because it can be seen from a distance.

2) Probably piercing would be #2, but a pierced nose septum could be moved to #1

3) Tattoos wouldn't be bad if they were covered. But this would be moved quickly to #1 if it's on the face.

In general the more noticeable or distracting = higher ranking (bigger deal breaker.)

I have a double life. Insurance broker by day and medical tattoist by night....

I'm not tattooed but a LOT of my friends ARE, and I mean from HEAD TO TOE.

From an employers point of view, it just depends on the job. I am not tattoed and if I like my insurance job I can not have piercings or tattoo. But in my tattoing world, I look totally out of place with all my pierced and tattoed friends.

My parties are a hoot, you have the suits and the tattoed ones and they all get on like a house on fire!