Teenagers are always looking for ways to express themselves. What better way to express yourself then a tattoo right? Well that’s the debate with many people nowadays whether or not teenagers should be able to get tattoos. In my opinion tattoos for teenagers are great, but only if they have true meaning to the person. Some people may argue that tattoos should wait until the person is older so they can truly develop a strong idea of who they are. According to some psychologists people usually solidify their self-identities between the ages of 21-23 so if teenagers are getting tattooed earlier then that then they may regret those decisions later.
However I believe that tattoos with meaning should be gotten if the teenager wants them. One of my friends got his first tattoo at 17 of his mother’s name with two cancer ribbons on either side which definitely has meaning and will for the rest of his life. On the contrary another friend of mine recently got a tattoo of M.O.E on the top of his hand. M.O.E stands for money over everything but will this saying really have enough meaning throughout his life to be kept on the top of his hand? I highly doubt this, especially when you’re older and much more mature then you are at eighteen.
So the question I leave you with is: should teenagers get tattoos? Are they mature enough to get something that will be meaningful for the rest of their lives?
I think teenagers should be able to get tattoos if they are fully informed of the health risks. First off, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a year for the site to heal. In addition, most teens complain about redness, swelling, and pain after getting a tattoo, but they are actually lucky. In reality, a poorly done tattoo can result in permanent skin discoloration, hepatitis, HIV, tetanus, and other bacterial infections.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, many teens are not aware of the potential negative consequences of getting a tattoo. Consider the drunk frat broski who wakes up with no idea how he got one. It only cost him $50 to make the mistake. Unfortunately, it’ll cost him $1,000 and a substantial amount of pain to remove it.