Are tattoos safe?

[maxinetwells]

My son wants to get a tattoo, he is 14 what are your thoughts on tattoos, are they safe?

 

[keith99]

Done at a top flight professional salon they are safer than a hospital visit.

Done by teenagers who do not have access to proper equipment and supplies they are apt to lead to a hospital visit.

That is based on salons in California based salons I know about in detail. No guesses about the rest of the country and especially not other countries.

Most top flight salons will be hesitant to do a 14 year old, especially for anything extensive. If they are not being anal retentive about the documentation that you are the parent I'd have concerns. That may make things very difficult as most 14 year olds do not have good ID.

 

[homeofmew]

Yeah wait till he's 18, see if he wants the same tattoo.

 

[WolfGate]

Safe, yes. My daughter and I had a conversation about them (she is 15). I don't have links to what we researched handy, but in general there were some things that came through to her.

People who get tattoos as teens or young adults are very likely to regret them later, particularly if they get tattoos in highly visible areas. Women over around 25, with tattoos in areas that could be hidden, were the least likely to regret a tattoo. That was enough for her to understand that perhaps she would be wise to wait and see if she wants one after college.

I have no issue with them. Personally I would not mind having one, but my wife finds them not desirable. Actually typical of our generation- so no big deal.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Safe, yes. My daughter and I had a conversation about them (she is 15). I don't have links to what we researched handy, but in general there were some things that came through to her.

People who get tattoos as teens or young adults are very likely to regret them later, particularly if they get tattoos in highly visible areas. Women over around 25, with tattoos in areas that could be hidden, were the least likely to regret a tattoo. That was enough for her to understand that perhaps she would be wise to wait and see if she wants one after college.

I have no issue with them. Personally I would not mind having one, but my wife finds them not desirable. Actually typical of our generation- so no big deal.

WolfGate:

The quality of inks has improved enormously; I guess this would be one of the things that you guys have figured.

BTW, is your state one of the ones that allows it for under 18s? Up here it's 18. I guess it's a rite of passage, really.

(PS:I like your Ephesians header; an epistle I love.)

 

[Inkachu]

My son wants to get a tattoo, he is 14 what are your thoughts on tattoos, are they safe?

A reputable, clean tattoo shop will be safe, but that aside, there is NO WAY I would allow a 14 year old child to make a decision that will impact their appearance until they're dead.

 

[faroukfarouk]

A reputable, clean tattoo shop will be safe, but that aside, there is NO WAY I would allow a 14 year old child to make a decision that will impact their appearance until they're dead.

Having a safe, wholesome inking experience is part of a broader set of lifelong commitments.

 

[Odetta]

I think that I would allow my son at 14 to get one only in certain circumstances. Say, he lost part of a limb and wanted a tattoo on the stump to show he's accepted his changed circumstances. Or his recently passed father's name on his arm or something as a memorial. In other words, it would have to be meaningful for an extreme circumstance.

I would make him wait until he is not a minor under my control to get a just-for-the-fun-of-it tattoo.

 

[Inkachu]

Another hesitation I would have with a 14 year old, is that their body isn't finished growing. Getting a tattoo so young means that it will likely be stretched and distorted later in life as their skin stretches and grows to accommodate body changes.

 

[keith99]

Another hesitation I would have with a 14 year old, is that their body isn't finished growing. Getting a tattoo so young means that it will likely be stretched and distorted later in life as their skin stretches and grows to accommodate body changes.

Excellent point. And one many 14 year olds just might accept.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Another hesitation I would have with a 14 year old, is that their body isn't finished growing. Getting a tattoo so young means that it will likely be stretched and distorted later in life as their skin stretches and grows to accommodate body changes.

It's not a bad idea for an adolescent/young adult to get checked out with a doctor about the placement of a proposed tattoo, for that very reason. Being prepared heed possible medical advice and to wait a bit, is all part of good practice.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I think that I would allow my son at 14 to get one only in certain circumstances. Say, he lost part of a limb and wanted a tattoo on the stump to show he's accepted his changed circumstances. Or his recently passed father's name on his arm or something as a memorial. In other words, it would have to be meaningful for an extreme circumstance.

I would make him wait until he is not a minor under my control to get a just-for-the-fun-of-it tattoo.

Odetta: Do you think a good strategy can be, in the circumstances described, to promise instead a tattoo voucher, if wanted, for his or her 18th birthday? rather than doing it earlier.

 

[WolfGate]

WolfGate:

The quality of inks has improved enormously; I guess this would be one of the things that you guys have figured.

BTW, is your state one of the ones that allows it for under 18s? Up here it's 18. I guess it's a rite of passage, really.

(PS:I like your Ephesians header; an epistle I love.)

North Carolina, our home, does not allow minors to get tattoos. Conversation with my daughter was more to help her think it through well before the day comes when she could.

Thanks on the header comment. I find it a good personal reminder on anonymous message boards.

 

[faroukfarouk]

North Carolina, our home, does not allow minors to get tattoos. Conversation with my daughter was more to help her think it through well before the day comes when she could.

Thanks on the header comment. I find it a good personal reminder on anonymous message boards.

WolfGate:

I guess your daughter will be deciding whether to do it at 18 when a lot of her girlfriends will go to the parlor, or whether to wait a while until she's 100% sure of the design.

Some time ago I saw a video about how inks have improved enormously in terms of quality. (If I find it again, would you like me to post a link?)

Your daughter won't remember the time when tattoos were principally a man thing; now, of course, in North America having it done is also deeply established as a womanly thing to do; and 59%-70% of parlor clients are female. Of course, now, as well as young men, young women, once they finally figure a strongly favored design, can approach tattoo plans with confidence, as a way in which adults, men and women, express themselves.

(Yes, Ephesians is among my favorites.)

Blessings.

PS: This seemed generally relevant as well:

I am a 44 year old mom of 3 girls and they are all different. My oldest has always been a little edgy and she wanted a tattoo since she was 5. We went round and round about it.. I was raised very conservative and still remain that way. My husband and I finally agreed and she got one on her wrist. It has been a tremendous witness to everyone around her and to those she meets. I must say a year after she got her tattoo, she went with me and I got one too. I love it. It expresses who I am in the Lord. I told her though, that whatever you put on your body permamently, says to the world that is what is most important to you. So I would choose wisely. She is now 21 and a beautiful woman in the Lord. (Source: todayschristianwoman dot com )

 

[jabrenica]

I'm surprised it was not mentioned in any of the replies I read . . .

Tattoos are unbiblical.

We are not to make markings on our bodies.

[FONT=Arial, helvetica]Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:28

That should settle it.
[/FONT]

 

[faroukfarouk]

I'm surprised it was not mentioned in any of the replies I read . . .

Tattoos are unbiblical.

We are not to make markings on our bodies.

[FONT=Arial, helvetica]Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:28

That should settle it.
[/FONT]

What about the previous verse which seems to say that men should not trim the corners of their beards?

Do preachers shave?

If preachers shave, then they are tacitly admitting that New Testament Christians are not Old Testament Jews in the land under the law.

Many Christians, seeking to exercise Romans 14 Christian liberty, find that faith based designs (Christian fish sign <><, Bible ref. or quote on wrist, etc.) can be effective tools in witness.

 

[Dave-W]

What about the previous verse which seems to say that men should not trim the corners of their beards?

Do preachers shave?

the churches I grew up around in the 60s said it was a sin for a man to have any facial hair and condemned you to hell.

 

[jabrenica]

What about the previous verse which seems to say that men should not trim the corners of their beards?

Do preachers shave?

If preachers shave, then they are tacitly admitting that New Testament Christians are not Old Testament Jews in the land under the law.

Many Christians, seeking to exercise Romans 14 Christian liberty, find that faith based designs (Christian fish sign <><, Bible ref. or quote on wrist, etc.) can be effective tools in witness.

Why should we pick and choose which verses we like and don't like?
Men ought to obey the Word and grow their beards just as they ought to keep their skin unmarked. I fail to see how Romans 14 negates this. Christ must be saddened by attempts to witness through disobedience.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Why should we pick and choose which verses we like and don't like?
Men ought to obey the Word and grow their beards just as they ought to keep their skin unmarked. I fail to see how Romans 14 negates this. Christ must be saddened by attempts to witness through disobedience.

Very few Bible believing Christians would hold that men in this dispensation must wear bushy beards.

 

[faroukfarouk]

the churches I grew up around in the 60s said it was a sin for a man to have any facial hair and condemned you to hell.

"Wonderful things in the Bible I see,
Especially what's put there by you and by be."