<p>I responded to a thread on cartilage piercing on the Parents Cafe forum with some mildly stated precautions. My response was ignored. As a recently retired pediatrician I have some experience in this area. I will spare readers the graphic details but there are risks associated with piercings and tattoos.</p>
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<li><p>The only safe area for piercing is the earlobe, and precautions are important there. The procedure should be done under sterile conditions, and any redness, swelling, or discharge should be evaluated by a physician as soon as possible. Nickel allergy is common, and nickel is used in stainless steel and gold: some people must use a minimum of 18K gold for posts. Infections should be treated aggressively.</p></li>
<li><p>Cartilage piercing carries a much greater risk of infection. The infection can spread along the cartilage, can be very difficult to arrest and control, and can lead to cartilage loss and disfigurement.</p></li>
<li><p>Nose piercings and tongue piercings are common sites for complications and infections. The human nose and mouth harbor some very nasty microorganisms as normal flora. Also, I have found it very difficult to remove the metal ornaments because of tissue swelling.</p></li>
<li><p>Tattooing carries the risk of infection with Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV if contaminated needles are used. The neighbourhood tattoo artist will assure you that all of the appropriate precautions have been taken, but how can you be certain?</p></li>
<li><p>Employers do not like piercings and tattoos or the image they project. I have had employers plead with me to stop young people from getting them before they enter the job market. One told me, ‘How can i send someone with piercings and tattoos into a customer’s home looking like that?’</p></li>
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<p>(Yes, I know that it is a personal choice and that most people with piercings and tattoos are good, upstanding citizens and kind-hearted generous people. I am only reporting what employers have told me based on their reactions and the reactions of the clients they serve)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>A tattoo that looks neat and artistic on smooth young skin will look very different forty years later. A visit to a VA hospital would confirm this.</p></li>
<li><p>Although I have not seen any study on the subject, there seems to be something oddly addictive about tattoos and piercing for some people: after one they seem compelled to add to the collection.</p></li>
<li><p>Disclaimer: I freely admit that I dislike the appearance of tattoos and piercings, with the exception of a single piercing in each earlobe with a tasteful earring. Pediatricians take great joy in watching babies grow into toddlers and into children and finally into young adults. We hate to see their natural beauty and talents destroyed by disfigurement and bad choices just as much as we hate to see their lives marred by disease and the harsh environments so many are forced to live in.</p></li>
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<p>You make some very good points and as a nurse, I agree with all of them. I’ve had many patients with Hepatitis C due to a tatoo or piercing from the past. One of the saddest was a 36 year old beautiful woman who died from complications after years of illness.</p>
<p>I also agree with what you posted. I suspect that many of these kids will be very sorry they did these things when they are older. Somebody is going to make alot of money trying to “fix” all the holes and tats in the upcoming decades. I don’t even like to see babies with their ears pierced. I finally pierced my ears at 30 mostly because I got tired of losing gold and silver earrings as I am sensitive to many of the alloys on my skin but I thought long and hard about putting holes in my body.</p>
<p>An excellent post. I agree with everything you said. </p>
<p>I have no idea why so many young people, on the one hand, want to eat organic and vegetarian or vegan, have aversions to any taint of chemicals, fertilizers, transfats, salt, corn syrup, and on and on…have some dirty ink injected under their skin permanently.</p>
<p>I think that TV shows like “L.A. Ink” and “N.Y. Ink” are putting tattooing in a positive light and glamorizing it. They don’t show the pain, and they skip over the aftermath, from the shows I have seen.</p>
<p>I tell my beautiful young daughters all the time not to do these things to their bodies. They have beautiful skin and to leave it alone. My oldest had her ears pierce twice. Once at the local jewerly store which was a horrible mistake and once at the pediatrician office to correct the problem. I often tell new moms that they should never take their kids to the mall for peircings. </p>
<p>My twins don’t want their ears peirced at all. I tell them these things are not acceptable and almost everything you have said, I have told them. They are listening and they do care.</p>
<p>Tatoos are just too big of a commitment. It would be like putting on an outfit and never being able to take it off. What I love today, I will be bored with a year from now, except that I can’t take it off, because it is injected into my skin, and I will grow to resent it, because it won’t go away and I don’t love it anymore.</p>
<p>Unfortunately since teens and young adults, as a generalization, tend to believe they are invincible, and are seldom swayed by what may happen or what they may think or feel in the distant future, I wonder if there are some effective ways to get through to teens about this topic?</p>
<p>I’m sorry. I don’t like this post at all. EVERYONE needs to be aware of the risks of any activity they engage in and the possible consequences. (Adults make some very stupid decisions also, not just teens). If you get a tattoo on any area that isn’t easily concealable, you might be limiting your general opportunities in life. Not just with employers but also socially because some people still stigmatize body mods and the people with them.
I always suggest that people go to a reputable artist. Ask them questions regarding the sterilzation techniques they use and if they’ve had training on blood borne pathogens. Even the cleanest shop is not a sterile environment and go elsewhere if they say they are. There’s tons of information out there about the risks, complications, and how to mitigate them. People have been getting body modifications SAFELY for centuries. Do some research and don’t be stupid :)</p>
<p>Tattooing and piercing is self expression. Coming from a family where everyone has tattoos and piercings and with me planing to get mine next summer I can say that while some will irresponsibly get one and regret it, there are some people who have great value to there tattoos. From the tattoo on my sister’s back which she got to show her love for my mom to the full back tattoo my cousin has in honor of our dead grandfather, there is some reason to it. Even Theodore Roosevelt and FDR had tattoos. And yes while employers do take into account tattoos and piercings, it’s only for places that are easily visibly seen. If someone gets a tattoo on their shoulder or back, it is rarely taken into consideration.</p>
<p>As well, tattooing and piercing can be very dangerous if done by the wrong person. For both parents and their children, if you wish to get a tattoo or piercing make sure that you do a few things before and during the process.</p>
<p>1.) Make sure your child has had the tattoo/piercing in mind for more than 6 months. If they show the commitment for that one idea for that long then they will probably still want it.</p>
<p>2.) If you do happen to go, make sure wherever you are getting your work done is certified. Most of the places that aren’t certified are the places where kids have complications</p>
<p>3.) Make sure you can see the needle being taken out of the packet. This shows that it is sterile as some places will reuse needles.</p>
<p>4.) Once it’s done, treat it with care, for tattoos don’t touch it or mess around with it. Treat it with aloe or other various lotions. For piercings make sure that you do not take it out until it is safe to do so, unless the hole needs to be cleaned.</p>
<p>If you cannot talk your child out of a tattoo or piercing, at least know the safety precautions that can be used to prevent something that could affect you for life. But if there is meaning towards a tattoo, it can be a beautiful thing to have.</p>
<p>Then why don’t you like this post? The OP is pointing out the risks and downsides of tattooing and piercing, which are considerable. What’s the problem with that?</p>
<p>Well, 21 years after I got my tattoo, it still means a great deal to me. It has retained its color and shape (since it is in a discrete place that seems immune to weight gain unlike the rest of me) and the symbolism has remained important through all the milestones of my life. That said, these are excellent posts and I wish more people would consider the long-term consequences before they head to the piercing/tattoo parlor.</p>
<p>As a teen, I really don’t see the appeal for body piercings or tattoos. They look too pointless and painful for me, so I will probably never get any. When I was an infant, my mom had my ears pierced, and as a little kid I always complained about them and never wanted to wear them. When I was in elementary school, my mom finally allowed me to stop wearing them, but I will always have the holes in my ears. Personally, I don’t think people should permanately do things do another’s body against their will.</p>
<p>There are two different issues here. The first is health and safety. Absolutely this is something to stress to young and old people alike. Tongue piercings, for instance, can cause serious dental issues. Belly button piercings gone wrong are a frightening thing. Young people doing their own piercings, or having a friend who supposedly knows just what to do :rolleyes: do the piercing is an incredibly bad idea. Let’s not even get into more, uhm, unusual locations for piercings, or more dramatic body modifications :eek: But if someone is bound and determined to get the piercing or tattoo, I want them to do it in the safest possible manner. </p>
<p>The second issue is how someone with a tattoo and/or piercing is seen by others. I do think there’s a world of difference between removable piercings (which look like a small, innocuous freckle) and, say, shirtsleeve tattoos (that extend from the shoulder to midforearm) or gauge piercings (where there is a large enough hole in the earlobe that one can see right through). Being able to present oneself as entirely straight-arrow is not something to casually throw away.</p>
<p>That said, in our area of Southern California we do have cashiers of both genders at Trader Joe’s with shirtsleeve tattoos and gauge piercings. Not what I’d want on myself or my offspring, but there it is. They’re always among the friendliest cashiers, too. I also see many many professional women in conservative working environments with double earlobe piercings and/or an ear cartilage piercing. Unlike the TJ’s cashiers, this doesn’t even raise eyebrows here anymore. I know, just more evidence we’re nuts. ;)</p>
<p>I didn’t say I disagreed with the post. I said I didn’t like it. The tone of it I suppose was a turn off since I didn’t even have to get to point 8 to guess the OP disliked tattoos and piercings. And some of the responses that followed just made me roll my eyes even more…lol. Just shows that even good information should be presented in a way that will help it be received.
But I would hesitate to say ear piercings are safe. Maybe safer than others. But I’ve seen enough bad ones to know that’s not absolutely true.</p>
<p>We get one of these anti-tattoo threads about every 4 months or so here on CC.
I get it. A lot of people hate tattoos.
I got mine in my 40s (2 of them) and love them. They aren’t wrinkled and gross and I’ve had them for 12 years. I have a professional job and it has never been a problem. They aren’t sleeves or covering my neck or anything. My daughter also has 2 small tattoos and they don’t seem to be a problem. She is an ordained Deacon in a fairly conservative Protestant denomination.
To each his or her own.</p>
<p>I support responsible adults making responsible decisions about what to do with their own bodies. </p>
<p>While I understand the arguments about ensuring you go to a place licensed by the state (many states require tattoo shops to be licensed and follow appropriate disease-prevention procedures - there’s not even a blood donation waiting period if you get a tattoo in a state that regulates tattoos, including change of needles/ink to prevent the spread of diseases, autoclave sterilization procedure of non-disposable equipment, etc) and not getting a tattoo in someone’s garage, taking appropriate care of any body modification you do, and thinking wisely about any permanent choice you make to alter your appearance whether that’s plastic surgery, a cartilage piercing or a tattoo there are several arguments that make no sense here:</p>
<p>1) I think they’re ugly: Well good for you, luckily there is no mandatory tattoo law in the United States so you are free and clear to not get one. I think mini skirts and Uggs are ugly and that short hair on women rarely looks good, but I don’t go around saying that means that no one should wear Uggs or get their hair cut short. My aesthetic preferences should have zero bearing on someone else’s decisions.
2) It’ll look ugly when you’re 80: Oh my goodness, really? I was totally under the impression that we were all going to look as hot as we did when we were 20 through age 95. Saggy skin is fine, but saggy skin with a tattoo is disgusting? Come on, I think I will have bigger things to worry about in my dotage.
3) Most tattoos and piercings are dangerous to get: Overwhelming evidence shows that if you visit a reputable place and follow aftercare advice, assuming you are an otherwise healthy individual, this is not an extraordinary risk. Body piercing is generally more risky than tattooing, and where you choose to get your body modification done makes a huge impact on safety.</p>
<p>Irishdoctor, I’m curious how a single piercing in each earlobe is somehow less of a “disfigurement” than a cartilage piercing.</p>
I also see many many professional women in conservative working environments with double earlobe piercings and/or an ear cartilage piercing. Unlike the TJ’s cashiers, this doesn’t even raise eyebrows here anymore. I know, just more evidence we’re nuts. ;)</p>