When you first get into high school, you may see many people with tattoos and piercings. It might come as a surprise to see people so young with such things, but in reality, it’s just them expressing themselves with art. With peer pressure and media, though, a lot of teens might get them to fit in with their peers. Even though you might want to fit in, you’ve got to think of the long-term effects.
With the effects of tattoos, there are all sorts of infections you could possibly get. With ink toxicity or medical errors, you might have allergic reactions. There are even blood donation restrictions if you were recently tattooed. There’s always the possibility of the removal process if you’re unhappy with it, too. When wanting a piece, you must find a good tattoo artist if you don’t want a messed up, permanent tattoo on your body.
There are so many different types of tattoos and piercings people can get, but tattoos are always more popular and easier to express yourself. People might get tattoos for several different reasons. It’s of course, a way to show people your thoughts, for spiritual reasons, about past loved ones, pets, etc. There are endless reasons why people get them, but you can always get one just to get one.
One tattooed high schooler says, “The worst thing you can do is get a stick and poke. If you really want a tattoo, just wait and get it done professionally” (Nikola J.). He had only one piercing, and when the chance came to finally get a tattoo, he took it. People assume that you’re older than you are when you have a tattoo. Although the 15-year-old gets many compliments on it, he also gets odd looks from the older generations. Other than that, he says it does not affect his school and work life.
“Knowing people too,” he says, “will help you get any tattoos and piercings you would want” (Nikola). With knowing the right people or the right artists, anybody can get a solid tattoo without having to worry about bad designs and issues.
Getting body art always has its troubles, including getting into problems with your parents or guardians. Telling your caretakers about it will help them help you with your disinfecting. You won’t need to worry about getting infections or forgetting to clean it if you’re reminded to care for it by people surrounding you. Even though everybody’s experience with getting tattoos is different, you must always be wary of the possibility of all of these troubles and problems.
Piercings are always the same too. Telling trusted people to remind you will always benefit you in the long run. Another high school says, “If you want a piercing that bad, don’t do it by yourself. Always have people with you” (Gabi G.). She has 14 piercings, all done around trusted people in case something goes wrong. Since it was done right, none of them got infected or closed up.
Cleaning them with saline, salt water, or even warm water with some soap will keep them from inflammation or infection. Her parents knew about all of them, and they were all happy with them. Being with your parents or guardians when getting pierced will always give you good benefits, so you’ll always want to be with someone trusted. As long as your needle and piercing place is clean, you don’t have to worry about anything unsanitized getting into your body.
“Make sure it’s something you want to have for the rest of your life. There’s no going back,” Gloucester High School security, Gary Rippel, says. He has 5 tattoos, all ending with no infections. Since he was old enough to be able to get them without needing reminders to clean and such, his tattoos were never infected.
Same as tattoos, you can get pressured into your piercings. Maybe you’re near people who are getting some, and you want to fit in by getting one too. To avoid that, you have to stand by what you want and what you feel.
Mrs. Hypes, a teacher at GHS, says, “No need to rush to get one. It’s gonna be forever, and you’re always going to look at it. Just because you like it at 15-16 doesn’t mean you’re going to like it forever” (Hypes). She’s had three tattoos, all being clear from any sort of inflammation of any sort.
She was also too old to ask for permission, so she didn’t have to worry about her parents’ approval or not. In all, remember the tattoos and piercings you want are permanent, and you should want it for the rest of your life. If you want to get a meaningful tattoo, wait until you’re a little bit older to really make sure that you’re going to be safe.
Piercings are different in some ways than tattoos. You can easily take them out, and it’ll close up, but having a lot can always have its problems. And having piercings is more normalized than having tattoos at a young age. Always having permission to do your piercing is needed, though. Having it professionally done is also needed if you want a less hurtful, clean cut.
“The biggest thing you have to do is to make sure it’s clean and sanitary after you get them. That’s the most important thing you’re going to have to worry about with your tattoos or piercings” (Savannah B.). As young as 15, she knows how to clean and take care of her piercings. Having 7, all professionally done with no infections, she knows how to take care of all of hers. Even though it’s pricey, she says, it’s all worth it. As little as 7 years old, she’s been getting more and more.
And in all, just be careful with tattoos, and make sure you want to get what you get. Always be wary of infections, allergic reactions, or inflammation, and you’ll be fine.
