<p>Age at which it’s their decision - 18. They could walk into a salon, get it done, and not involve me in the slightest. Would I be pleased? Oh, he!! no, and for this reason:</p>
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<p>Oldest d has had “regular” lobe piercings since age 12. They still get infected occasionally. I would hope she’d never pierce anything else. Who needs a big old, nasty, festering eyebrow ring or nose stud? Anyway, that has deterred her.</p>
<p>D2 would like a second hole in her lobes. Two more years until she’s 18. </p>
<p>Personally, tats and piercings are something that the millennials do. I don’t find it attractive. I think that age is going to play some really mean tricks on them. But, in the grand scheme of things, it’s not a big deal to me. I do, think, though, that if kids want something visible, waiting until they’re employed so they can see what are considered acceptable appearance standards in their fields is a good idea.</p>
<p>Given the varied attitudes of employers, it seems prudent to restrict piercings to only one per earlobe for women and none for men, and to restrict tattoos to locations on the body that do not show in summer business clothing. The only exception might be for members of ethnic groups where a nose labret is considered routine. But in that case, I think it would be prudent to wear ethnic clothing to job interviews as a silent signal that the piercing is part of a cultural tradition. </p>
<p>A question for the employers on this board: If a person did get a piercing in some other location – say, an earlobe piercing on a man, upper ear on either gender, or nose or eyebrow piercing, but removed the jewelry, would you veto the person’s employment on the basis of the barely noticeable scar?</p>
<p>I’m conservative by nature so I didn’t let my kids have their ears pierced until they are both 16 or near to it. I had my ears pierced when I was 4 or 5 so I didn’t want them to repeat that awful experience until they really wanted it done.</p>
<p>The problem with tattoos is their permanence. They may be very fashionable now, but you’ll be stuck with them long after the fad has gone out of style. Imagine being stuck today wearing the same clothes and hair style you wore 10 or 15 years ago. With a tattoo that’s going to be your situation 10 or 15 years from now.</p>
<p>If you must make a bold or artistic statement with your body, make it with your hair and not your skin.</p>
<p>We’re in the medical business and my reps need to look, speak and behave in a professional way. Someone who would have all that stuff, probably wouldn’t be in my more conservative field anyway.</p>
<p>Now my office staff, generally none of them have been to college, and it’s an uphill battle even getting them appropriately dressed. But I assume if you are on this board you aren’t looking for a lower level office job. Even the office staff who don’t see others regularly aren’t hired with facial piercings.</p>
<p>My husband pointed out to my D that no woman in a management or trading position in his field ever, ever has a visible tattoo or piercing (except in earlobes). Many people will argue that no one cares anymore about tattoos but in many settings, they still send a strong negative message about class and status.</p>
<p>Single ear piercings are great for women who want to wear earrings but hate the pain of clip ons- my reason for that. Otherwise I dislike body piercings and tattoos. I think disfiguring skin only makes it look ugly. Even “colorful” tattoos are rather dull. I see no enhancement of anyone’s appearnce with any of the various body piercings or tattoos. Then there are the medical issues (as a physician I also look unkindly at breast augmentation and other cosmetic plastic surgey procedures for health reasons along with the artificiality). I find it offputting to watch TV shows on the Food Network where the chefs have tattooed arms. I don’t care how significant the tattoo is or how cleanly it was done and costly it was- I think they’re ugly. I also wonder about the person’s personality that they felt the urge to comply with the social norm of those with tattoos, large or small.</p>
<p>I didn’t pierce my ears until I was an adult. My husband has a discreet tat…I have no idea what he thinks about it but people that find out generally do raise their eyebrows, hopefully because they are amused. I can’t help it but I get an ooh ick when I see a little baby or toddler with earrings and I really get an oooh ick when I see a beautiful young girl in a grown with half a tat coming out of her dress somewhere. It’s not classy…it may someday, but I tell my kids to wait until that day or be discreet. I’m not too bothered by a guy with a small not dangly earring, but there are guys walking around that look like they have doorknobs sprouting out of their lobes. OP I like what your mom said…it IS socially risky. If the individual isn’t bothered by it then fine, but don’t expect everyone else to enjoy your self expression. If you “wouldn’t work for a company that would discriminate your self expression” then so be it…just don’t whine about it ever, it was a choice. Finally society aside, in some occupations you cannot wear jewelry at all and in some companies you can’t have visible tats.</p>
<p>The cool thing about people with tattoos is that they dont become hurt and base their perception of your personality off of the sole fact that you dont have any. Somebody mentioned judging peoples intelligence on whether or not they have tattoos or piercings. Well, thanks for at least admitting that your critical thinking skills are laughable. Tight ass. </p>
<p>When can people just stop caring about what other people do when it doesn’t affect them at all? Judgmental people are everywhere. It’s disgusting.w</p>
<p>I don’t like tattoos and never will. Yes, I do think they are trashy, especially on women. They are very commonplace on the 20ish adults in my conservative, midwestern state. I do think there will be quite a bit of regret in later years. I have seen 60+ year old women with tattoos, and well, skin ages and sags.</p>
<p>I don’t like piercings either, especially in food service outlets. At least they have the potential for being removed without the expense and pain of tattoo removal.</p>
<p>I work in a conservative industry. I’m positive it would not be a good career move for young adults in my profession to get visible tats and/or piercings. I have never seen it, not in large nor small firms.</p>
<p>I told my kids the same thing about tats as about proper English grammar–no one may notice if you speak correctly (don’t have tats/piercings), but there will definitely be people who do notice and have a negative feeling if you do.</p>
<p>As stated in prior posts, in some cases it DOES “affect them.” If you are hiring people who are going to be interfacing with the public, it could well affect your business. In that case, you could certainly hire them with the stipulation that the body art be covered during working hours.</p>
<p>OP - please think carefully and do your research before you do anything so permanent to your body. Yes, you can remove piercings and have tattoos mostly lasered off, but there is no guarantee you won’t be left with an unwanted permanent effect of some type.</p>
<p>Legal, regulated, storefront tattoos are still the leading cause of various forms of Hepatitis. There can also be adverse effects from the ink and it’s pigments. A strange one is that many black pigments are made from iron oxide. Try to get an MRI with a tattoo like that and it will hurt because those tiny pieces of iron will be trying to leave your skin!</p>
<p>If you get a mouth or lip piercing, not only can you end up chipping one of your teeth, you will be opening a door for mouth bacteria to enter your bloodstream, all the time. This can and does lead to heart valve inflammation and infection. Cartilage piercings also carry a higher risk of infection. I could do some research on the negatives of nipple or genital piercings but frankly I’d rather not know.</p>
<p>That being said, I find some tattoos and piercings quite beautiful. Not usually though and those ear plug gauges are quite disturbing - which I suppose they are meant to be. I’ve forbidden my daughters from getting anything other than earlobe piercings while they are financially dependent on us. It may seem harsh, but too often these decisions are made in some inebriated group state or for other idiotic reasons. It’s not such a bad idea to wait until your prefrontal cortex is fully formed (around age 25).</p>
<p>My S1 has multiple tattoos but they are not visible when he is fully dressed. They would only be visible if he were applying to be a beach life guard! In his line of work, tattoos are commonplace. He is a Spec. Ops officer in the U.S.Navy.</p>
<p>Well everything has been very interesting to hear. Tattoos and piercings can affect your job prospects. I just wish it wasn’t so…it’s a shame, really, because these people with tattoos and piercings can potentially be some of the best workers. And of course everyone should be careful…</p>
<p>I have asked my girls to not wreck their skin. Cut their hair, dye their hair, wear different clothing and jewelry to express themselves but don’t wreck their beautiful skin. </p>
<p>My parents owned a business and had a policy of not hiring people with visible tattoos but eventually had to give that policy up in order to hire the best qualified individuals. </p>
<p>It certainly varies widely by industry and even geographical location. </p>
<p>My son’s tattoo is in between his shoulder blades. The only kind of job he would not be able to get is one where he would have to be shirtless and I am more than fine with that!</p>
<p>Here is a little experiment a kid who wants a tattoo can do: wear the exact same outfit for a period of, let’s say, 6-12 months (which would be a loooong time by teen standards) and see if you really like it. Of course, wash the clothes as needed. :)</p>
<p>For girls who consider a tiny flower tattoo on their breast: go to a local Y and get in the shower when the older ladies are washing after their water aerobics class. Those big, shapeless smudges of ink on their saggy parts of the female anatomy… used to be roses. Gravity always wins.</p>
<p>If you really can’t get over the tattoo itch, go to a place that is state-licensed, and get a baseline blood test for Hep, HIV, etc. You will be surprised how many tattoo shops operate illegaly. Legal, licensed tattoo artists are upset by this fact.</p>
<p>Another fact to consider: skin is a living, metabolizing organ. If you would not inject dyes into your liver or heart, then why would you do this to your skin?</p>
<p>Personally, I think tattoos are not attractive. I was never drawn to men who had them and I like them even less on women.</p>
<p>I also have this religious thing about them. It’s against the Jewish religion to tattoo and I firmly believe that this is the reason the Nazis tattooed death camp and concentration camp prisoners - it was another way of insulting Judaism (as was cremating the bodies). I am morally opposed to tattoos for that reason, even though I am not in any way orthodox.</p>
<p>My oldest son, 21, asked about getting one and I was annoyed for the reasons above and because he owes me money for other things. My D’s two best friends each have one but she has so far chosen not to (she’s 20).</p>
<p>As for piercings, I have 2 holes in each ear but rarely wear earrings. I am a lawyer but in the past have worn a small hanging earring in one and a tiny pearl or diamond stud in the other hole. It’s never been a problem. I don’t like piercings other than that. Sometimes, I have to turn away if a person has a lot of them. My company is very conservative; I have seen some tattoos but no unusual piercings.</p>