Tattoo and piercing trends raise questions

 


Dr. Cora Breuner, a pediatrician in Seattle, walked into a piercing studio 5 years ago with her then 18-year-old daughter. Being a doctor and a mother both, she watched closely to what the piercer was doing while preparing her daughters naval piercing. This started the study that has recently been published, to open a dialogue between youth and their parents about tattoos and piercings. Instead of an illegitimate piercing that can become infected or cause complications, the pediatrician encourages parents to help their children make their decision to achieve a healthy and sanitary procedure.  

Many tattoo and piercing studios follow a sanitation protocol, whether that is disposable equipment or reusable. Lucky Rabbit Tattoos in Muncie uses a completely disposable system for each procedure. Joshua Burns, the head piercer at Lucky Rabbit Tattoos, showed their clean room and the equipment they use. 

Jeremy Pettigrew, an environmental health inspector from the Delaware County Health Department, shared that each studio must pass an inspection at least once a month. Pettigrew is also working on passing a new ordinance that will require proof of a minor’s parent or guardian when attempting to get a tattoo or piercing under the age of 18. 

In Indiana the law that requires someone to be at least 18-years-old, allows minors to get tattoos or piercings with a parent or guardian signature. However, when most incoming freshman arrive at college, they are at the legal age and away from their parents for the first time. This is the reason Dr. Breuner conducted this study to encourage an open dialogue about big decisions such as tattoos or piercings. 

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