You've been approached by your child who wants to get a tattoo or body piercing. Either by personal opinion or by apprehension for what might go wrong you say 'NO'. But you know that 'Because I'm the Mom/Dad' isn't going to be good enough. Hey, we were all kids once and when did we let one little 'no' stop us from buggin' Mom and Dad on a daily basis...hoping to wear them down! This month let's explore some facts to arm yourself with solid information for that conversation. I define 'child' as any dependant that is living under your roof whether they are under 18 or simply...living under your roof where your rules apply!
One might think it strange that I am taking this approach but it stems from a phone call I recieved at our studio the other day. A mother called because her 15 year old son was wearing her down with his request to 'express himself' with numerous body piercings. We chatted for quite awhile about his requests and her feelings. She did not feel he was old enough to take such measures and she just wasn't informed enough to give any reason except... I am Mom and I say No. We talked about the social implications and the health issues involved. As we concluded our conversation she thanked me profusely for the information I gave her and said I should publish what I had told her so here we are! Thanks for the idea, Mrs. Mom. This column because of you!
Let's address the under 18 group first. By law they are a minor and a whole book of laws applies to them, their safety, and your responsibility. For starters Hawaii State Tattoo Regulations state: "Title 11 Chapter 17 Section 7: it shall be unlawful to tattoo any person under the age of 18 without the written consent of the parents or legal guardian. All written consent shall be kept on file in the tattoo shop. Eff. Sept 18, 1981" (Tattoo regulations for our state can be found at www.hawaii.gov)
As stated parents or legal guardians must sign a consent form. Without that consent a tattooer opens themselves up to that book of laws applying to minors to be thrown at them with full force. We are talking of charges of confinement, kidnapping, child abuse, and other such serious charges. What? Sounds pretty serious, huh? But think, the tattooer has a hold of the minor in order to enact the tattoo...hence confinement. The tattooer's word against the child if it was a willing choice or not...hence possible kidnapping. If they can charge a teacher with child abuse for hugging a child what offenses do you think they could charge a person with who is making a permanent change to that child's body? Oh, boy! I personally know of tattooers who have had these charges pressed and it became a legal nightmare for them.
By Hawaii state law you have recourse if your minor child appears with a tattoo done without your consent. If a person has violated this statute it is quite likely they are experimenting with tattooing and the health issues I have talked about in previous columns come into play. Hepatitis, STD's, HIV and a host of other bloodbourne pathogens should be ruled out by blood tests and monitoring.
For more information about tattooing please check the website for the Alliance of Professional Tattooers www.safe-tattoos.com. Or feel free to email me and I will be happy to chat with the specifics you might be looking for.
Extensive coverage best left to an adult who can make proper
decisions regarding social and occupational consequences.
Body piercing unfortunately does not fall under the same state regulations. As of now there are no laws regarding piercings in Hawaii. Education is your best defense.
Piercings involve deeper penetration than tattooing. A needle is going to pierce through the site and jewelry introduced. If that needle and that jewelry have not been autoclaved (steam heat/pressure sterilization done only in professional studios) I refer again to the bloodbourne pathogen column! It's not 'just ear piercing' or 'just a navel piercing' it's serious business and lifelong consequences can result.
There is no such thing as a 'simple' piercing. The majority of healing problems in a tattoo/piercing studio come from the piercing clientele and almost all are those done on minors.
For 26 years I have seen the parade of giggly minors come through shops wanting that 'cute' navel piercing. Their maturity level is generally not ready for the long arduous healing period of six months or longer. They become impatient and prematurely change quality jewelry to that cute unsterilized stuff they buy at you know where. The next thing the piercer knows he/she has another parade of the same kids with raging navel infections brought on by failure to comply to proper aftercare and handling.
The lady who called me said her son wanted a lip piercing and his nipples pierced. What about his school's guidelines? Many schools do not allow any visible facial piercings. Check with your school's handbook for their restrictions. Does your child hold a job? What are the employer's guidelines? If they are in food service it is very likely that the employee has no options and visible piercings are not allowed.
Under the age of 25 a person's body is still growing, developing and changing. Piercing and introduction of jewelry can have serious consequences to this evolution. I also reinterate the point of touching a minor with or without consent from a parent. Nipple piercings or anything below the neck can fall into a very shaky area for adult clients much less a minor.
For more information about piercings please visit the Alliance of Professional Piercers website www.safepiercings.org. This organization is one of the finest in the world and membership is one of the hardest to achieve. Again, if you have further questions my email is but a click away!
Thank you for visiting and I hope I have given Mom and Dad more options than just 'because I said so'!
