Piercing and Tattoos for Teens

Should Parents Allow Body Decoration for Teenagers?

Oct 8, 2008 Mary McCarthy

Allowing a teen to permanently mark his or her body is an irreversible decision. Here's a guide for parents on how to handle the issue.

Has your teen asked to get a piercing or tattoo? Should you allow it? Some parents forbid such permanent body decoration until the teen is 18 and can do it legally on his/her own, while others think it’s okay.

Types of Body Art

While some teens feel it’s enough to express themselves through clothing, hairstyles or jewelry, others desire to display body art that is more permanent, such as piercings of the tongue, eyebrow or belly button, or tattoos on various parts of the body. Permanent hair color is another form of permanent body change that teens may desire. One particularly dramatic modern trend is that of gauging, where the earlobe is stretched intermittently to larger and larger hole sizes. Stretching the earlobe in this fashion is irreversible.

Parents Can Say No

Sometimes it is necessary for a parent to simply say NO to body art. Robert Butterworth, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles, is quoted in a recent article on teen body art. "We all know from our teenage years that a lot of the weird things we did were phases," he says. "But when you start doing something that's going to make it difficult to function in the world, then parents have to step in and say, 'Not until you leave home.'” Kids, he says, aren’t going to like it, but ultimately it’s the grown-up who is in charge [Dina Santorelli, Parenting Teens Online, Feb. 2008].

Safety

Other factors when discussing body art include safety -- will your teen have an allergic reaction to permanent dyes? Know the materials that are being put onto your child’s hair or skin. Safety is also an issue with regard to the piercing establishment -- infections are possible and likely in unsterile environments.

Other Issues

With piercings, there will be a great deal of pain. Are you and your teen prepared to deal with this? Cost is another factor. Tattoos can range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. Who will be paying for this? If a teen is old enough to make a decision permanently affecting his or her body, is he or she old enough to pay for it as well? These are issues that should be discussed in advance of body art application.

Before allowing teens to undergo permanent changes to their bodies, it is important to consult with a physician and consider all health and safety issues. What seems like a popular trend may turn out be a permanent regret later in a teen’s life.

Read more articles about parenting teens.

The copyright of the article Piercing and Tattoos for Teens in Parenting Teens is owned by Mary McCarthy. Permission to republish Piercing and Tattoos for Teens in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Teen Tattoo