What age should a child be permitted to get a tattoo or body piercing?




Coco :heart:

in my opinion, they should get any tattoos or body piercing. i can see girls getting their ears pierced but other than that, not until they're adults.

i don't know what's going on though, at the last school i worked, one of the young ladies has her tongue pierced. she was 13 at the time her mother allowed her to get the piercing. but then again, what about children who go and get piercing and tattoos without parental permission. actually, is that even legal? if so, it shouldn't be. people aren't allowed to get cigarettes or alcohol until they're 18 and 21, respectively.

also, i don't think little boys need to have their ears pierced. i've seen a few preschoolers with BOTH ears done.

maybe i'm just too old...LOL!

well they gotta be of age if they choose but not before
sure the baby gurls can get the ears piercing thing
but all that other stuff i say no way !!
look at dis way why bring harm to the body .
gotta be an adult no kids

I'll tell you what scares me ---- it's putting a ring through the ****oris! A woman would have to sign a medical release form before I would touch her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ouch!!!

so it's seems you don't mind the piercings otherwise, like say, through the nipple?

btw, welcome Ebonyman! :kiss:

I think it is such a violation of a child's rights when a parent alters (cosmetic surgery) the way God made them, without them being of legal age to know what they are agreeing to.

I was firmly against my daughter's ears being pierced before she was of legal age, but my dear darling Mother, God bless her soul, did not agree with me and one summer when the children were visiting her, she took Felecia and got her ears pierced. What could I do? Sue her or something? God Forbid, as that would have been a greater violation than the one I thought I had endured. My mother-in-law was so happy that Felecia came back with her ears pierced! She did not agree with me either but wouldn't have dared gone against my wishes, like my own Mother so comfortably did. Of course Felecia was happy too! Everyone was happy but me.

My reason for being so adamantly against it, is because we (adults) are living here and now and have no idea what tomorrow will bring. Will these things still be considered fashionable? Will our children's lives take a path that abhors such things and then they are faced with having to undo something (if possible) that was done to them simply for the sake of "fashion?" In my opinion, there are more important things to make sure of as a child is growing up, than if their ears are pierced. If they should choose to have them pierced when they are young adults ... so be it ... at least it will be their choice, made with a mind able to process such decisions fully.

My daughter is now 17, her ears have been pierced many years without any negative results (infections, torn holes, etc.). God is Good.

I always worried that my son would want his ear(s) pierced! :eeek: I don't think I could have handled that, or at least I didn't want to have to. Raising a son (man) alone, as a single mother, I tried (prayed) with all my might to raise a man that would be a man, with no idea of what a man really is! No easy task! Pierced ears and earrings just didn't seem to fit into my idea of "male." Again, God is Good. He has never had either of his ears pierced and I don't think it's something that he wants. He does have a tattoo though, purchased after he became an adult.

Coco ... Great question Sis. I think the appropriate age is 18.

Ebonyman ~ Welcome ~ Welcome ~ Welcome ~ :)

:heart:

Destee

truely for a gurl a child the ears is o'k but to take it 2 other parts
of da body is a destructional mask to GOD's eyes
now boys is a whole new mess no male should be lable wit
piercing til they r of age and on their own
but we see so many children and even teens all pierced out
wit all kindz of tattoo's
a mess..

Hello all,
The reason for my question....

My daughter will be Sweet 16 this month and asked if she could have a tattoo for her birthday. I am not against tattoos. I have one myself, but didn't receive it until after 30 years old. She has told me a lot of the kids in her school have tattoos and I'm being too old fashioned. I thought about it for a while and then asked a few close friends what they thought. They suggested I allow her to get one with certain stipulations, such as, I ok the tattoo design, size and location. I still haven't decided. :)

Thandiwe,
A tongue ring? OUT OF THE QUESTION! I dislike them so much. Ouch!(my mouth hurts just thinking about it) I don't even want her getting one when she's an adult and moves out. I thank God she hasn't asked. :)

"i've seen a few preschoolers with BOTH ears done.
maybe i'm just too old...LOL!"

I don't think you're too old at all. I've not only seen preschoolers with both ears pierced....I've also seen them with gold chains hanging around their necks. Things like that trip me out,
but hey...that's another thread, huh? LOL!

Shh-Erykah,
I got your point girl.

Ebonyman,
"I'll tell you what scares me ---- it's putting a ring through the ****oris! A woman would have to sign a medical release form before I would touch her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I don't blame you brutha... I'd do the same. :wave: Welcome to Destee's

Thandiwe....The nipple? These thoughts are so painful.

Destee,
I feel you on the piercing without your permission. My daughter's father allowed her to have her nose pierced. It's been a year or more and I still dislike it.

I also feel your reasoning for being against tattoos/piercings is very sound.

$Rich$,
I don't think other parts of the body should be pierced other than the ears on females
and one ear on males.

Thanks everyone for your opinions. I appreciate them all....Bigtime! :)

Coco :heart:

cocobutterskyn:

My opinion? --> Stand your ground. Do (give permission) for what you honestly believe! If you truly believe your daughter should be older to make such a decision about a tatoo --- then that's what you should stand by! And I think you are right! In fact, how many times do older people wish they had not gotten that tatoo at that younger age when they are NOW going for that job interview or when NOW they find that tatoo embarassing? I advise you to tell her that as long as she is underage below 18 y/o that you must substitute your mature judgment for hers and prohibit a tatoo right now and when she is legally independent at 18 y/o, she can vote, and do whatever she wants. [In fact, I would stretch it to when she is no longer living off your home or money and is out completely on her own!] Not that I am religious (because Lord knows I'm a sure-'nough sinner!), but it is written that "Ye shall not ... print any marks upon you: I am the LORD." [Leviticus 19:28]. So, you can tell your daughter that tatoos are wrong since time-in-memorial ---- so I guess it is old fashion!


Thandiwe:

No. I feel the same way about rings in the nipples that I do about rings in the cliitoris ---- I want nothing obstructing my thing! AND, I don't want to be libel for any damage caused by my erotic enthusiasm!

:) :laugh:

gotcha!

supposedly you must be 21 to get a tattoo... but ummm i've seen children under 16 with piercings and tattoos.... I had my ears pierced when I was a few weeks old says my momma. Didn't get my tattoo until I was grown, marriet and paying ma own billz:D




One

Update...

Her birthday has passed and she is without a tattoo.
She and I had a discussion. I gave her my decision and
my reason(s).....she accepted them and without fuss
(shocked me) she usually tries to wear me down. :)

Anyhow...she asked for a sleep over...I can survive that. :)

Ebonyman,
I stood my ground and it worked out fine...thanks :)


Zorb,
I don't know if the legal age is 21 or not, but I do know my girlfriend's daughter got a tattoo at 18 without her permission.
Thanks for your input. :)


Coco :heart:

Personally, I agree with Destee. Besides my religion being against such things, I didn't pierce my ears until I was 18. I think it should be an "adult" decision (if you really consider an 18 yr old an adult). Hey, when they're out of my house, they can pierce their ears and get tattoos... but they're so beautiful, I wouldn't want them altering what God has made them. I have a tattoo on my stomach of all places and it has been stretched and changed from my pregnancies... I was 18 and wasn't thinking about the future. I guess I'll let them know that.
-7

greetings all....
I personally don't think that a teenager should get piercings but when the age of 18 is reached, I think that it is ok. I myself have several piercings, tongue, belly, chin,nose, ears, and I am ready to get more... I look at it as simple body adornment,,,, just like many tribes in our mothaland.. Just like the afro, mudcloth and all things african in our american society,,It is just an attempt to get closer to the things we have lost....well, this is just my opinion. I didn't realize so many people have negative views on piercings.. I don't see anything wrong with it as long as you are at a responsible decision making age, and as long as you take care of your body to avoid infections and such....
give thanks....
nicelocks

Nicelocks,

I read somewhere that women with body piercings, especial tongue, are more sexually active then women without such body piercings. Is that true? :)

Ebonyman

:tongue:
well i have had my tongue piericed for about a year now. when i first got it, i had just become sexually active so i was new to the game. now, i have a boyfriend but we have a long distance relationship. so personally, i don't think that it has made me more active... it just enhanced my "natural born skills." ;) but a lot of people do assume that people with tongue rings like to give oral sex. personally, i don't think that's true cause i know a lot of people with tongue piericings and it's not like that at all...

MissPoetik,

Did you get your tongue piericed BECAUSE you planned to become sexually active and you thought it would be help?

PLEASE tell me MORE about HOW the tongue ring ENHANCED your "natural born skills".

I have always been afraid to allow a women with a tongue ring to give me oral sex because I thought the metal would hurt me. Do you think this fear is reasonable. Why? Tell me about your experiences.

Ebonyman,

when i got my tongue piericed, oral sex was not on the brain at all. call me naive, but i wasn't even thinking of the relation between the two. after i got it done, people were comin' at me and assuming that it was for that purpose. they would say things like, "what you know how to do with that?" after awhile it got annoying cause i wasn't even doing the oral sex thing. i have a few friends who have their tongues piericed too and they have experienced the same thing.

now i'm in a monogamous (is that how you spell it?) relationship so... my man gets it all. but in the past, i never met a man who said that it bothered him. but i have met guys who asked me about it because they were wondering what it felt like. i wouldn't know personally but, i have never had any complaints. ****! you got me tellin' my business. but it's cool though... holla!

my view is this. i not only think that you should be "of consenting age" to get tattoo's or body piercings, but I also think that you should be old enough to know how to care for them properly and take whatever repercussions come with them. Neither tattoo's nor body piercings should be done on a whim. I believe they should be researched, cause and effect, and you should go to a place that has been cleared by the health department and the better business bureau. Their licenses should be clearly displayed and you should know enough on-site beforehand to know if they are using sterile methods. Everything from hepatitis to AIDS can be aquired from tattoo's and body piercings, not to mention infections of the blood and skin. Typically a teenager should not be allowed to get a tattoo or body piercing without parental consent. (ie: an adult present) but we all know that there are bootleg places that will do things under the table. I personally have 1 tattoo and two body piercings (not counting pierced ears) but I also work in a very corporate environment and nothing can be seen by employees or co-workers. That is MY personal life and no one elses...my man sees me and that is our personal world. I have always been shocked and amazed by people who get tattoo's on their necks, forearms, ankles and then want to be taken seriously by corporate Amerikka when they have matured some. You pigeon hole yourself by being so blatantly radical and anti-mainstream. Tattoo's are permanent markings, so a person should be very careful about what they choose. (Yes they can be removed...but from what I hear it's VERY expensive, about 4x more than the tattoo itself.) I didn't get my ears pierced until I was in high school and I didn't get body piercings until I was married and raising a family...people tell me to this day, that they would never in a million years think that I had either of them...I tell them that it's exactly how I like it. I love them both...I think they are a form of self-expression, rebellion and beauty...but I also think that tatto's and body piercings are trendy...so be careful. I would never pierce my face (ie: eyebrow, tongue, lip, etc.) not because I'm worried about what people think, but because when I no longer want it, it will leave a visible scar...so where on the one hand, I believe that people should be free to express themselves...on the other, I think you should be mature enough to know what that expression may cost you in the future, and be mature enough to be comfortable with the consequences.

Before i read any comments.... My personal opinion... 18.. and that is only because it makes them legal... But spiritually.... One should have no reason to intentionally scarr their body.... And personal Pleasure does not override an out-right sin. Thats almost like... how old before they can have sex?... 18

if my doughter or sun comes up to me before the age of 18 for a tattoo.....
i will give them both a tatto on their eye !.

and maybe youre baby for little earings......
but even thingking about that..
maybe i would have to ask the baby also first....
because if i do it maybe this baby dont like it...maybe it is thinking
why do you put this in my ear......
Do i have a date tonight?

Thandiwe i like what you said the last two lines above me..(yeah how far will people go about 20 years???)
and i will teach my children first zelfrespect how god created them and how lovly ...their body is as it is........
and if they deside after that they want a tatto (18)..its their choice....

18 is a decent age to get a tattoo or piercing because he or she will hopefully be out of his or her parent's house. My mom made me wait until I graduated from high school before I could get my ears pierced. Although kids should not get them at a too young of age. Due to the fact they may not use the best judgement.

One weekend during my freshman year of university I was at the mall I had a change-of-heart about tattoos. The mall was packed with people and it was like everybody at the mall had a tattoo. It is not too difficult to spot a homemade tattoo. One of my ex roommates had a homemade tattoo one the back of his neck. I think it was suppose to be a sword but looked more like a fork with a drumstick at the end of it!!! YIKES! Usually when someone gets a tattoo he or she wants something that is unique. Well I decided to be different and not get any tattoos. Sometimes less is more. Tattoos are nice, just like black women with blonde hair, if done well it will look good.

Well.... I was 12 when I got my first tattoo..... and by the time I was 16, I had 4 tattoos and 3 body piercings......

NOW...... I have 5 tattoos, 5 body piercings and 2 brands......lol......

I don't want anyone to think Imma weirdo so... all my tattoos and piercings can be covered.....my brands too.....

But if I had kids...... there is no way in hell they are getting a tattoo at 12....... maybe 16....... but not 12

i think it's all good when you're all grown... i waited until i was 18 to get my tongue piericed and i just got my first "tat" a couple of months ago. i do want another tattoo and i even want the "monroe" piericing but i'm waiting until i get into my career. it may be acceptable in some workplaces and in others it may not be. whatever i do, i want to leave myself with the option of keeping it covered when i have to.

I say 18....i m gettin a tat when I turn of age :)
NO PIERECINGS THOUGH...except the ears

I am 23, with 7 lovely tattoos..I love all of em :fairy:

i started getting piercings for my birthday.. my dad would take me.. even if my moms said no sometimes....
i have four on each ear ( 2 reg and 1 trigus the rest cartiledge) and my belly button... want the tongue/nipples done but moms said i cant get it while i live wit her.... and tats.. dont have any at this moment but the next pile of cash i get that i can spend freely ima get a couple

ever since i got my belly button done when i was 16 i started this fascination wit peircings... dont kno y... but i dont want any on my face

35!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

People thought I was mean for not getting my daughter's ear's pierced at birth. But I felt that it was her body and that she should not get her ears pierced until she was old enough to ask to have them pierced.

So that didn't occur until she was 7 years old. I think I got mine done at age six in my grandmother's kitchen.

Now my daughter would like her nose and belly button pierced. I've told her that she can do that next year when she turns 18. The belly piercing woudn't really bother me since she doesn't wear clothes that show off her belly....but I guess it's the principle of what it implies. As for the nose I'd just like her to think about it some more.

She wants a few tattoos but she can't make up her mind. And again I've asked that she not put a tattoo on her body until she is sure about what she wants. I don't think she really wants to end up looking like Tupac...with 20+ tattoos.

I don't think kids should get tattoos or piercings (except ears). If they are of age then ok....but I would not let my kids get anything until they were old enough to go get it done themselves...with their own money...on their own time. All in all...I love tattoos and some pierceings. Belly button tattoos and piercings are sexy (if you have a nice flat stomach). Lower back is really sexy. A couple of piercings in the ear is good. I don't like nipples piercings though. It's just seems slutty to me. JMO. Tatoos on the breast are ghetto to me. JMO. I actually like tattoos on the back of the neck on SOME women. I was surprised. I've seen a couple that were really sexy. They were small though. I want more tattoos myself. I only have one now but I'm getting another as soon as I finish drawing it.

I have one tattoo and 7 earring holes.. all in my ears! I got the first hole at 5, the second at 12, the cartilage in my right ear at 18 and the thrid hole at 20 and the tattoo at 18...... I see nothing wrong with little girls having their EARS pierced at a young age as long as they are old enough to take the responsibility of taking care of them. Tattoos? I didn't get one until i was old enough to sign the papers and pay for it myself. Will I let my son get his ears pierced? That's up to his father. When he turns 18 and moves out of my house, I can't stop him. A tattoo in high school? Maybe as a senior in high school, as a graduation present or something.. something very, very small done only at a licensed facility that I have personally checked out and he would have to pay for it with his own money..... Then again, maybe when he turns 18........

My kids can get what they want when they can pay for it on the condition that I go with them when they get it and I have a say in who does the work..I have 5 tats working on getting 2 maybe 3 more this year and two earrings in each ear and I have no problem with my kids wanting either but like I said I say who does the work and they pay for it... I love tattoos when they're good and even more when they're on a good lookin woman .....ugly women with good tats just don't work messes up the ink...Mississippi Red

ugly women with good tats just don't work messes up the ink...Mississippi Red

THAT IS COLD! LMAO! *SMH*

It may be cold but it is true....lol.... I talked to my man a minute ago about my next piece..it's a picture of a lynching that I have ...happened in the sip in 1910 to two brothers that at this time are unknown...can't wait to get it on.... but yes ugly women !!! if you are reading this do not get a tat please!!!! fa ya boy.... ink is expensive ... if you are thinking about getting a tat and you're not sure whether or not you're to big for this work then DON'T GET IT!! lol.... :grin:

Oh yeah what is SMH...I went to public school in Natchez MS and am ignorant as hell.... :smokin:

Oh yeah what is SMH...I went to public school in Natchez MS and am ignorant as hell.... :smokin:

SMH = Shaking My Head

:heart:

Destee

appreciate that....

i agree with nicelocks, i also have piercings and i believe that they are just body adornments like those worn by our ancesters. I guess tattoes and peircings are just like any other priviledge. my opinion is that it depends on the indivivual. if the teen responsible enough to have one then let them. My daughter is fifteen, and I gave her permission to get a tattoo but i will not let her have a peircing because it takes more responsibity to take care of and i know she won't but then again my son is 17 and has a tongue ring