As the interest in body art moves more and more into the mainstream, there are more stories about friction over age limits. Whose fault is it when a minor gets pierced or tattooed?

Read the article and then tell us what you think!

Hi Rae, Good Topic !!! Well here is my 2 cents worth, as a Mother of 2 boys, one being let's just say interesting (the older one) I would have to weigh in here and say if the ID was fake then it would be the fake ID user who is initially breaking the law. He did look much older than he was when he was 16 so unless you were an ID expert (he never used a fake ID) most would of not questioned him. BUT I always went with him for piercings until he was 18, because if he had his mind set on getting a tattoo he would of found a way to get one. Fortunately because I did go with him for piercings, they knew WHEN he would be 18 so that sort of gave me a guarantee that they would not tattoo him until then. Of course I let him "earn" a piercing by either doing well in school, a good report card, etc., which I am sure some people think is not a smart parent move because we all parent differently. The younger one got his ear pierced at 8, his big brother paid for it and yes I went and gave my consent. For me I think there are much worse things that my kids could be doing so wanting a piercing, blue hair is fine, the tattoo's I will not give in on because obviously they want a really cool something at 13 and they change their mind by 18.

My son is 17, and is considering getting a cross tattoo on hios arm. We have actually already gone through the process of doing the hennah ink so he can see whether he like it or not.

I have noe presonal problems with tattoos. I would love to get one myself, if it were not for the money issue - I even have my art drawn out..

So if Michael wants to get it done when he turns 18, and he has the money, I don't intend on stopping him. I DO intend on guiding him to a reputable artitist however. And encourageing him to get ink that can be easily covered by clothing in case of job interviews later in life. These are just practical things to keep in mind.

I think as long as I don't say flat out "NO" without a reason to back it up, my kids are willing to listen to reason. They know that I don't forbid them stuff just becuse I'm being "mean".

This is just another one of those areas, like drugs and sex, where having an open line of communication with your child really comes in handy.

If there's one email I get frequently and for which I have to write back and say "I can't help you and you should just wait until you turn 18" it's emails where I'm asked for advice on how to convince parents to let a minor get tattooed or pierced.

I didn't get my first tattoo until I was 21 because I wanted to be really sure I could make a decision I could live with for the rest of my life.

I'll tell you my 24 year old was in the Marine Corp and got his first tattoo while he was off on his own being a hard corp Marine, when he came to visit me one time, he had done something really odd with the sleeve of his shirt. When the sleeve lifted a little I saw the bottom of the tattoo first. It was funny at his age, he was still trying to hide his tattoo from me. After "yelling at him" mostly in fun, he now proudly sports his tattoo.
My ex, who is in his 40's. Suddenly started getting tattoos about 3 years ago. In three years he has a huge one on his back, he has one on his arm, one on his left chest and one on his shin. He went his whole life without tattoos and suddenly couldn't seem to put enough on his body. HIS mom is still fussing about them...the dude is over 40....lol...
My 16 year old daughter seems to think she needs one on the lower half of her back...hecky no...I want her to wait until she is over 18 (21 would be better)...I have no logic for this, other then making sure it's something she wants to do because it will be with her the rest of her life, most likely...and she may eventually get a job where visible tattoos are not allowed.
If she still wants one then...I'm fine with it.

I was 31 when I got my first tattoo, and just a couple of months ago got #2. I had to wait until I turned 18 to get my ears pierced for a second time - my parents were dead-set against it. I can only imagine how they would have reacted to a tattoo or the piercings kids are getting today. I would probably still be grounded to this day! LOL! And I'm not to far from being 40 years old! Oh my mom snarled her nose at me when she found out I had a tattoo, she didn't speak to my sister for a month after she found out about hers! We were in out 30's and well over the age limit for getting inked! I think if a kid uses a fake ID, then they should be held accountable for using it. Sure it will make the parents mad, but the kid willingly used a fake ID to obtain something they wouldn't have been able to get otherwise. As far as the artists who are turning a blind eye, they should be held accountable for their actions - kids shouldn't be tattooed or get body piercings until they are of legal age. I also know that kids now days look a lot older than we did when we were 18. Of course if a parent approves and goes with the kid to a shop, I do not have a problem with it. That is the parents choice to support the kids decision - I see nothing wrong with that. Their kid, their business.

I got my first tattoo when I was 16. Its a horrible smudge of a dragon now and I'm in the process of removing it. My first tattoo is quite small but I have recently gotten a couple of other tattoos at the age of 30. I'm glad I waited because I made the adult, conscious decision to get something that I would want on me forever. I strongly believe that the one I got earlier was a huge mistake and now a costly, painful mistake to get removed. With that said, I understand the laws about minor's getting tattoos. They are not mature enough and do not have enough life experience to judge how they will feel about their body art 10 years from now and it could end up being a horrible mistake.

I was almost 37 when I got my first tattoo - a ring on my wedding finger with my (then) husband's initials on top. The first shop I called flatly refused to do it, because 'people who ink their hands usually regret it later.' I simply couldn't understand that, since I'd been thinking about it for years, was an adult and could make my own decisions. Since they refused, I found another wonderful artist who did it for me without question. I'm currently in the middle of a divorce from the man I was married to at the time, but I still don't regret it. He helped me have three amazing boys, and I'll always care at least a little bit for him. My oldest son was 19 when he got his first tattoo, and I went with him. It was beautifully done by an artist I know well. My son is 25 now and is still trying to figure out his next one. My middle son (21) is in the Army, getting ready to deploy to Iraq in March, and is also considering ink. I'll support him in whatever he decides, and because he knows that ink is forever, is taking his time on deciding exactly what to have done. My youngest, who is 15, has been wanting a tattoo for years. In Wyoming there's a law that says you must be 18 for ink, 21 for cartilage piercing. This seems backwards to me. In any event, I've counselled the youngest the same way I have the older two - think long and hard about what you're getting, because you'll have to live with it. Yes, there are removal options, but what a waste of money! LOL Ink is one of the ways I express myself. Every one of my tattoos have special meaning for me, as will the next one. I'm not likely to get something that will be seen on 20 other people. They're all very personal for me.

I must be the late bloomer here...I never wanted a tatoo until recently. BTW, I'll be 65 in October. Funny thing, my two boys have very different opinions. The older one is having a fit that I'm going to have one and he's the one that hated the fact that I dyed my hair for years. The younger one seems nonchalant about it. Not sure if he is, or just won't express his true feeling. Be that as it may, I've been introduced to the cleanest body modification parlor I've ever seen Stiehl's body Modification I went there with my sister in law a couple years ago (she lives in Ithaca) and decided that's where I'm getting my second ear piercing done and a tatoo. One of the artists took my idea and made a gorgeous artistic rendition that I'm going to have done. Money is an issue right now since the place is 5 hours from me so I have to include the cost of travel, and lodging as well at the art work. (Can't stay at my sister in laws....I'm afraid of her big dog.) I've already purchased my black diamonds for the second ear piercing so as soon as I get my tax return in 2011, I'm on the road to Ithaca and my tatoo and piercing.

I don't think most people 18 really know what they want. A tattoo is a lifetime commitment. Forget about the hype surrounding tattoo removals, no removal method is 100%. Your skin will never look the way it did before the tattoo. My first tattoo was at 26, was buried long ago, under a cover-up. Thank goodness I found a real artist the second time around. Wait until you really know yourself and what you want, before possibly making a poor choice.

I think what most youngsters fail to consider is that a tattoo is for life and something they like now they probably won't in 10 years time. I wanted a tattoo from the age of 14 but I waited until I was 22. Over the years I designed numerous tattoo designs all around the same theme until there was one that I just kept coming back to. If I'd have got the first design I had at 14 (which I bloody loved at the time) I would hate it now.

It's often hard for parents to prevent it. A teenager can just come home with it already done. I think the people who do them should check ID and refuse minors, but then that doesn't address the issue of all the people doing it "bootleg."

I think the number of states making firm laws and enforcing them is slowly working to put the "under the table" artists out of work. Especially when tattooing teens carries misdemeanor charges and fines.

You were smart. I wanted one in my early years as well but I waited until I was 22 before I got my first one. My daughter wanted one as a dedication to her grandfather's memory, so when she turned 18, I went with her and she got one on her thigh (anchor with Grandpa written over it). He was a Navy man.

I have several now and will venture on to get more. tats are like potato chips, you can't stop at just one!!

I don't think it's really anyone's fault other than the piercer. I mean, they should verify how old someone is. Then again, I've been to places that allow you to get pierced as young as 16.. which is a bit strange to me.

If you are under 18, you need to provide a parent with proof not just some random adult you met off the street- that will sign consent for either a piercing or tats.

That's not a valid blanket statement, Maureen. Regulations are going to vary with the location where you are getting the body mod done (laws in the US are by state and sometimes county) and piercings above the neck are sometimes ruled differently.

While I mostly agree with the view that minors should wait until they're older to decide to get a tattoo, I find it a little bit of a generalisation. I'm seventeen and got my first tattoo when I was sixteen and a half. It's most likely the only tattoo i'm ever going to get, and I believe that I got it for good reason. In Australia the law is that if you are under 18, you need to get a form called a statutory declaration which needs to be signed by both a parent or guardian and a justice of the peace. Even then, if you take it to a parlor they're well within their rights to refuse you. I got my tattoo, which is a small ribbon and initials on my ankle because a close family member of mine passed away at a young age, and it was always something that he wanted to do. I believe it was the right decision for me and I don't regret it at all. That being said, there are people I know who are roughly the same age as me who have gotten tattoos that i'm sure they'll regret later on. I'm just putting my two cents in, but I guess what i'm trying to say is that while in general I don't believe that minors should be allowed to get tattoos whenever they choose, it should be decided on a case by case basis and there are other things to consider. (:

My 17-year-old son has wanted a tattoo since he was 13. I have always wanted one. On the day of his 17th birthday, myself, my son and my husband went to a very reputable tattoo shop and had a family tattoo done. I was 46 and my husband 57 - all of us were first timers. We did henna our tattoos first about a month prior to check the design, placement and just how we'd like a tattoo.

It has been a year and we are all planning for our next (and very different) tattoos. I believe in this situation my son was prepared for his tattoo. I can also see how some young adults may not yet truly be ready for this very permanent art.

Most important to me with my son's circumstance was to be sure he wanted the design; understood the permanency and that he did NOT go to an "under the table" shop.

don't think most people 18 really know what they want. A tattoo is a lifetime commitment

i got my first at 18, and since then I have gotten more. I knew exactly what I wanted, where I wanted, and that the committment was for a lifetime.

I just got my first tattoo at the age of 45. It was something I did for my birthday. I got a hawk on my left hip. It took about two hours and it hurt but not unbearable. I am now ready to get my next one. My boyfriend has two tattoos and says he wants to get sleeved...he owns a drum making business and is a drummer. I am glad I waited until now to get a tattoo...while it probably would've been prettier in my 20's it has great meaning for me now. My daughter wants to get one and I tell her she has to wait till she's 18. That's because I want her to think about it. Know what she wants and be sure. No one wants to make a mistake with that choice.

Love it Granny! You Go Girl! You know it's funny how much we let convention keep us from things and when we let go of what people think it's so freeing!!!

I think one should wait until they are an adult to get a tattoo or pierced. I don't even like when parents take their babies to get their ears pierced because the baby can't decide for themselves if they want that or not but it's being forced on them. It's not like getting the ears pierced has any medical benefit. Back to the tattoo issue. I think tattoos are personal to each person and should have meaning and not do it for a fad or just because. This is something you will have for the rest of your life and should be planned and have something on your body that you can live with forever. I was in my early 20's when I got a tattoo and I didn't choose it out of a book but it has meaning to me and it's something I know will have forever so it had to be something meaningful to me. Even at 18 you can't always think about a lifelong consequence so just make sure you know the reasons why you are doing it. Is it something meaningful or is it just because everyone else is doing it?

I'm happy that I didn't get the tattoo I wanted when I was 16. What I wanted then wouldn't be an expression of the person I am now. It was just something I saw and I liked at the time. I was 21 when I got my first piece, which is a tribal armband that represents freedom and individuality. I got it when I moved out on my own for the very first time. Since then I have added 4 more at different ages and stages of my life. Each piece is a personal experience or event that has happened within my life. I agree that 18 is a decent age for most people to get tattooed, since by then many people have matured. In Canada the age limit is 18 with provincial photo ID as proof of age. Most studio's here won't even tattoo under 18 even if the parent is present or has given permission. I believe piercing is altogether different since the jewelry can be removed, and in most cases the hole closes up which makes the marks virtually invisable. I agree with the member who posted that there are worse things kids could be doing. I also like the idea of rewarding good grades with a body piercing depending on age. I don't think I would want my 6 year old walking around with a lip ring or belly ring, earrings I could agree to!

that's great!! I support you.

I would like a Chinese dragon tattoo 。

For some reason it is accepted and considered normal to pierce the ears of babies but people freak when teenagers wants to have other piercings or tattoos. There are many people who are angry with their parents for having done that to them and I understand them perfectly. Earring piercing should be done when the person can give their okay because they want to and that goes with tattoos and body piercing.