Your Teenager, Tattoos and Piercings
What kinds of regulations govern Tattoo Parlors and places where body parts can be pierced? You could even insist that you consult the health department about it, or the family doctor.
Is your child planning to enter the military in the future? Some branches of the military will not accept recruits who are overly "decorated." I know you've seen many a vet with lots of body art, but the current military posture is a little different.
If your child wants a performing career, a job as a CPA, a teacher, or even in the clergy, he may find certain tattoos and piercings barriers to those goals.
Just as you are educating yourself, insist that your child also become educated. As cavalier as he may be acting, he has heard some horror stories about this kind of body art becoming infected or not turning out the way the customer thought it would. Do some on-line searches and come up with some real-life information about scarring, infection, the difficulties of reversing such procedures, and the dangers of procedures not done well.
You may even consider going to a plastic surgeon who can explain just what removal is like.
Why all this research, particularly if your child is of an age where he can proceed without your consent? Sometimes kids need a way out. Your child and two or three of his buddies may all have agreed to get eagle tattoos on their left biceps, and he doesn't want to be the one to back down. But you provide him a graceful escape if he can go to his friends and say something like, "Man, I've got the kind of skin that really scars. I'm not doing it."
So what if all your efforts are ignored and your child still wants a particularly odious procedure? You could try tying it to something else he really wants. Blackmail, in other words. If he wants to have his own wheels, ownership of the car could be tied to waiting until he's 21 to make such decisions. It's worth a try. By then, he may have moved on to other interests and concerns.
Finally, if you find yourself the parent of a teen with a variety of face jewelry or body art, try to relax. The face piercing marks really do shrink up and become pretty difficult to see over time, once the bejeweled one has grown up a little and taken the studs out. As to the tattoos, these may be more difficult to deal with. You can insist that clothing which covers them be worn to family occasions or events. Hopefully, you won't face this particular issue with your child because it's not an easy one. But if you do, try some of the suggestions and strategies in this article.
Good luck!
Kirsten
Savannah, GA
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