Posted by QuickReadAbout.com Staff in Tattoos and the piercing of the body in strange places are both a form of “self-expression” – even though parents see it as “self-mutilation.” Mom probably had her baby daughter’s ears pierced practically on the way home from the hospital, but the idea that her little angel now wants to pierce her belly button AND her nipples is simply horrifying.
Teenagers (both boys and girls) are demanding body piercing so they can wear nose rings, nipple jewelry, and belly button rings.
It was once drunken sailors on shoreleave who woke up and found that they had gotten a tattoo. Today, it is parents of teenagers who wake up to find that their teenage son or daughter has gotten a tattoo.
So what is a parent to do? The first thing is to have a serious discussion with your teenager about body piercing and tattoos. Leave off the “you’ll be sorry someday” and the “what will you grandmother think” accusations and concentrate on the health aspect of body piercing and tattooing.
There has never been a case of AIDS caused by a body piercing (that we know of), nor has there been a case of AIDS caused by the use of contaminated needles in a tattoo – that we know of. But there IS a very real possibility for contracting hepatitis B or C when needles are used under unsafe and unsterile conditions. The hepatitis virus can live for up to 10 days. And the danger doesn’t come only from the needles. It can live in jars of ink for just as long.
Tattooing and body piercing is an unregulated industry. There are no legal standards of cleanliness required for these shops. It is strictly up to the consumer to determine whether body piercers or tattoo artists practices in a safe and hygienic manner.