What do you do when your teenager says he/she wants a tattoo? This is a tough questions for many parents for a number of reasons. To start it is a hard question if the parent has tattoos but feels that they have outgrown their tattoo but simply have not investigated tattoo removal. It is also a hard question if you as a parent are familiar with the risks of tattoo inks.

The challenge can also be that many parents fold almost immediately when their teenager decides they want a tattoo. The problem is that the parents rarely take the time to get the facts about tattoos and the potenial health risks. Additionally how much thought wil a teenager really give to the type of tattoo they would have? Are they really in a position to choose an image they will want to look at for the rest of their lives, or will they come back a year later and request your help with tattoo removal cream?

So some simple advice would be to say – no. There is no reason a minor needs a tattoo. Yeah I know there will other of their friends who have one or more than one but it still remains that ultimately it is something that can wait. Perhaps taking the time to educate your teenager on the risks of tattoo inks is a better idea. Perhaps they should know about the girl who contracted  HIV from her first and only tattoo.

If all that fails then I guess you are left to sign a consent form that will allow our teen to get a tattoo. Would you actually do this before you actually got the facts on the tattoo parlor or the tattoo artists? Would you simply take your teen’s word for it that the establishment was ‘OK’?

You owe it to yourself to do all the due diligence to see if the coast is clear. If you are uncertain of what to ask I suggest the following:

1. Check the credentials for the tattoo parlor

2. Check the credentials of the tattoo artist

3. Determine if the artist mixes their own inks and what they are made of

5. Visually inspect the place where inks are mixed and where tattoos are applied.

6. Investigate their sterilization and needle use/reuse procedures.

7. Inquire as to to how long it might take to remove the tattoo in the future based on the ink composition.

I know it sounds like a lot but what are your options otherwise to protect our teen’s safety?

Get more information about the risks of tattoo inks – The Secret Dangers of Tattoo Inks. If your teen has already run off and got a tattoo that that needs to removed then check out – The Tattoo Removal Cream Store.