Mom, can I get a tattoo?

I have friends who did the whole prison style tattoo thing in high school, and they regret those and saving the money to remove them.

Is there a place where they do henna/mehndi? He could experiment with a design for a few weeks, express himself, and have no regrets when he's older. If you have an artist in the family, you could get the henna paste and do your own designs. Hopefully that will help you get through the next 4 years with regard to tattoos.

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My rule for tattoos is that you have to want the same design for 5 years. Then you can get it. I've wanted a tattoo for 25 years. I'm 40 and still haven't wanted the same design for 5 years straight. Removal is costly, painful and usually results in scarring.

They do have tattoos that last about 6 months now. They aren't henna but I'm not sure what they are. I saw a news report on them. I think they are a reasonable TEEN alternative.

Wish I had more info on what they are called though.

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My Parents made me wait till i was 18 to get my tattoo they figured when i was an adult i would have to deal with the consequences of my actions well little did they know the addicting feeling of tattoos i got my first one on my 18th birthday and my most recent count is 4 (and i jsut turned 19) they all have a good meaning or reason wether it be a memory for the death of three of my good friend or my grandmother or the one i got to symbolize the bond between me and my mother....the idea of wanting the same design for 5 years is a little extreme i think the meaning behind the tattoo is more important than the design......also becuse my parents didnt want me to get the tattoos i think that made me want them more not to mention the tounge peircing and the ears and the things i still want to do (my nose and i want to get another tat on my foot i jsut dont know of what or why yet) anyways i think that making him wait is a good idea they are permanant and at 14 i dont think he has a good enough idea of what to get yet

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I have a number of tattoos, including a symbol in place of a wedding band that both my husband and I have. None of mine have less than a year of continued desire behind them, and I refuse to get anything I consider "cute" on me since I don't want to look at silly things like unicorns or duckies when I'm 80. Mine must have a personal significance beyond "well, it looks cool".

As parents, we've already talked about what our rules will be. Piercing we're ok with, since it heals fairly quickly if removed. Tattoos won't be happening until they're old enough to vote, since to me, if you can elect someone, you can decide on your own skin. I have one piece that was done when I was very drunk and 14 or so that I regret (the artwork, not the meaning) and I'll now spend 1000$ covering it up. I don't want mine to deal with that.

and 14! I wouldn't be able to stop laughing if mine ask at that age! As if I'd let them!

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As someone with tattoos and piercings, the golden rule is - if they will tattoo someone under the age of 18, they are not a good enough tattooist to let loose on anyone's skin, let alone a child's! A good artist will be getting enough trade from consenting adults that he or she won't need to pierce or tattoo an under-18. Once your son knows that it will only be substandard tattooists which will agree to work on him, he might reconsider. Either way, I am glad you told him no. I had my first piercing at 16 and my first tattoo at 19 - once I knew I was ready for them. At 14, I wouldn't have even considered it, no matter how much I wanted them.

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A google search on "semi permanent tattoos" will bring you up loads of information on whether or not these actually work.

What about air brush which last 3-7 days?

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I got my first (and so far only) tattoo at age 20, and I hope that when my kids are old enough to ask, I can point to it as an example of responsible tattooing. I got it as an adult, I'd chosen the design over a year before getting it, it had personal significance (self-designed and unique rather than chosen off a wall in a tattoo parlour), obtained it in a safe and clean environment, and it's located in a discreet location.

My kids will obviously be free to make their own choices when they're 18, but hopefully knowing about my tattoo will either make them take the decision seriously, or take away the coolness factor.

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I just sent you a picture.

I made both boys wait until they were 18 although the older one cheated by joining the Army at 17.

Now they've both covered with them. I was appalled and they're still hearing about it but they're grown. They'd need major surgery to have them removed.

I thought they'd regret them but they're 38 & 39 now so I guess the tattoos are here to stay and my younger boy keeps adding to them.

The girls know better than to ask. They're allowed one hole in each ear and that's it. No piercing and no tattoos. They settle for the wash off variety.

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Oops. They're 34 and 39, not 38 & 39.

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First of all, no reputable tattoo artist or piercer will deal with anyone under the age of 18, so definitely I wouldn't allow anything other than ears being pierced prior to that age. However, once they are over the age of 18, if they save up the money to get it done on their own, there isn't much I can do about it. I'm certainly not going to kick them out of the house or whatever for getting a tattoo -- it's their skin, after all.

I have two tattoos, both of which I thought about and wanted for quite some time before actually getting. I got my first at 22, and my second at 29. I don't have any piercings, because those just squick me out.

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"I then countered with a gruesome story of a dear friend who ended up having her tattoos surgically cut out of her upper arm and chest, leaving her scarred for life"

That sounds a bit dated - being a heavily tattooed female and mother, having been in a couple serious relationships with tattoo artists and being pretty involved in the tattoo community, knowing many, many people that have had tattoos removed, I know there are many reputable doctors to perform laser surgery without any scarring. That's old school removal there.

"The girls know better than to ask" LOL, that's why I didn't ask and had my first at 17 very low below my belly button so my parents wouldn't see it. My mom freaked when she found out I had some, by then I had 3 and 2 were rather large. But I didn't live at home anymore and once of age, nobody was going to stop me. I now have a full sleeve in progress among several other large tattoos and sure I don't like a couple anymore because they didn't turn out how I wanted and yes, because I've matured but it doesn't bother me in the least. I'll get them removed or covered up some day but it's very low on my priority list.

" on a part of his body that will not show it if he has to dress up for a board meeting." I worked in the very corporate world before ditching it all for a SAHM position - and I always went to interviews in long sleeves, wore long sleeves in the beginning, mainly so they wouldn't pre-judge me but I personally didn't care. Then eventually said screw it, they know I'm a hard worker and very good at my job, and I switched to short sleeves, they never cared. Times have changed - many of the stores I couldn't get a job at as a teen because of my tattoos now have fully covered women managing them, Banana Republic, cough cough. Too ahead of my time I suppose.

The only thing I hate about my tattoos is hearing annoying comments about tattooed people, but I probably wouldn't like those people anyway. My husband has ZERO tattoos, I wear the ink in this family. And my kid? Totally not allowed near a tattoo machine until he's 18 and I will be doing strip searches.

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Watch out for henna, MANY people are allergic to it.

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