Body piercing and tatoos - would you allow your teenage daughter...

Well, I got my nose pierced (with my mothers consent) at age 12, going on 13. And not to say that my mom was at all lax about her rules - it took me FOREVER to convince her, and it took even longer to find a salon that would actually DO IT, being that I was 12 and only had a parent's consent. I'm not a parent, but I would probably let my daughter get her nose pierced at age 14, it would be hypocritical not to let her (considering my own situation). I think a nose ring can actually look cute, so long as you make sure she gets a small rhinestone stud rather than a hoop or something that looks tacky and noticable. I think 14 is plenty old enough to get a nose piercing. And, honestly, my mom made me pay the $40 myself, do all the research, and pay for all of my nose-piercing "care products". And I had to learn how to take care of it myself, so it was a lesson in responsibility, as silly as that sounds. I don't think 14 is old enough to get a belly button piercing or a tattoo, though. There's something s.exual about a belly button piercing (don't you think?) and I wouldn't be comfortable with my daughter getting it done. And tattoos just aren't a good idea for 14 year olds (I remember when I was 14 - I was incredibly impulsive about things, and if I was able to get a tattoo at that age, I'm SURE I would regret now). But honestly, there aren't too many "ramifications" of piercings, especially in the nose. Because your nose is a mucus membrane, piercing holes QUICKLY close up and rarely leave any kind of scars (unless the piercer did a bad job). I would say there's a larger ramififcation for TATTOOS, which are incredibly expensive to get covered up or removed. The bottom line, though, is that it's totally up to you, as a parent. Until she's 18, you have totaly control over these things. The only thing that I would worry about is your daughter deciding to try piercing herself..by herself or having a friend do it. This is just a BAD idea, and teens don't realize it at the time. At least if you had your daughter get her nose/belly button pierced in a professional salon, you wouldn't have to worry about sanitation or her scarring herself. I know that when my mom refused to take me to get my lip pierced (at age 15), I had one of my friends do it for me - and I was lucky not to get any infections or have it turn out bad or anything like that, but it happens all the time. If you decide not to let her get anything done, make sure she's educated about why shouldn't try doing it herself, either.

Well, personally as a mom with body mods I don't see an issue any sort of modification. However, I do agree she's too young for a tattoo because at that age I am not sure if she truly would understand the significance behind any tattoo she would design at this age. That said I don't feel she's too young for a nose ring or naval ring. Though, she needs to be aware of the healing time involved and how to care for such a piercing. My second nose piercing has taken almost 4 months to heal, and my naval piercing took almost a full year to heal. Of course, I was nursing when I had it so I would catch it quite a bit. If she doesn't have a dress code at her school perhaps you could allow for the nose piercing let's say if her grades remain good for the term, or such. I know with our own children we'll be allowing them to have piercings below 18 so long as our piercer does them, but they will not be allowed their first tattoo until they are 18. (And most parlors don't tattoo children below the age of 18 anyhow). Namaste-Anora

Well, your daughter is too young to get a tattoo.. i mean, she has to wait until she's 18.. i'm not married yet and i don't have a child either but if i'm going to have one, i won't allow her to get a tatoo or body piercing at a very young age.. back to your topic, you're not being an ogre mom..what you did is right.. you know, you need to exercise your power at times..

I don't think you are being an ogre at all. I'm sure it would be hard to make her understand that though! 14 is way too young in my opinion to commit to having piercings of that sort and tattoos.

I totally agree with you. I dont think kids realize the perm affect tattoos and such can have. I got my first tattoo at 16, totally snuck it by my parents, and now I live to regret it. I wish i would of never got it, what seemed cute at the time, is now totally pointless. As my parents used to say, and as I say to my children, When they dont live under my roof, they can do as they please... Until then, its my rules ;)

My daughter is 17 soon to be 18 and she was nagging me for a lip piercing and a tattoo since she was 13.I told her that she also had to wait until she was 18,Iam hopeing she will forget about it.

I am 23 years old and when I was that young I wanted everything I could get to make a statement about myself. Thank goodness I had a very old fashioned father who would not allow it in his house. When I turned 16 I had a friend pierce my tongue, which I still have. I hide that from my parents till I was 18. Then at 18 I started getting tattoos, which I now have 4. One of them I wish I never had done. It was my fist one and really didn't think about what I really wanted. I just ran out got something done, thought it was the greatest thing at the time and now wish I hadn't done it. For your daughter a nose piercing I think is okay. If she doesn't like it over time it will heal quick. Nose studs are normally small and can't even see it. For the belly button, I would say no to that for a couple more years. That piercing can get infected too easily and hard to take care of. Now for tattoos. That is a major no. Not untill she reaches the age of 18. Make sure she plans for what she wants, taking time to make sure that it is going to be the perfect one that she is going to want on her body for the rest of her life. Also, jobs sometimes will not hire people with tattoos showing. So she should think about that too. Tell her if she does good in school or maybe starts helping around the house more ect. That you may allow her to get the nose piercing. Then wait a couple more years and let her get the belly button piercing. Maybe over time she will change her mind on what she wants to do or not do to her body. I wish you the best of luck because soon the rebellion teenage side is going to start and she may try to go out and do the things herself. That's what I did anyway, may not happen with her.

you are right in your decision she should wait till 18 to get it done, thanks for sharing, as part of our tradition, girls get the ear and nose pierced; they wear ornaments in ear and nose pin in nose. Boys too used to get ears pierced; but now it is gone; girls too don’t like to get the nose pierced any more.