Why teenagers like tattoos and body piercings

Young people get tattoos and body piercings for many reasons. For example, they might want to:

• make a fashion statement
• be like their peers
• express identity and individuality
• mark a significant event in their life
• show loyalty or connection to a particular group or cause
• protest against their parents’ or family’s values
• be part of a traditional rite of passage for their cultural group.

You’ll see many people, young and old, with body piercings and tattoos. Even if you have mixed feelings, it might help to know that many people feel OK about them – or don’t even notice them.

How old do you have to be to get a tattoo?

Laws about age and tattoos vary around Australia.

Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales

Teenagers aged under 18 years need their parents’ permission for tattoos. Parents must give permission either in person or in writing, and they must say what type of tattoo they agree to and where.

Northern Territory

There are no specific laws about getting a tattoo. But tattooists will sometimes ask for parental permission for anyone aged under 18 years.

Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland

In these states, it’s a criminal offence for a tattooist to do tattoos for someone aged under 18 years, even with their parents’ permission.

Western Australia

Teenagers must be aged over 16 years and have their parents’ permission for tattoos. Parents must give permission in writing and say what type of tattoo they agree to and where.

How old do you have to be to get a non-intimate piercing?

Laws about age and non-intimate body piercings vary around Australia. Many professional piercing studios also have their own policies and might ask for parental permission or refuse service to teenagers aged under 18 years altogether.

Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory and Queensland

Teenagers aged under 18 years can get body piercings if they can make a sound and reasonable judgment about them.

Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales

Teenagers aged under 16 years need their parents’ permission for body piercings either in writing or in person. Parents must say where the piercing can be.

Western Australia

Teenagers aged under 18 years need their parents’ written permission for all body piercings except for ear piercings. For ear piercings, teenagers aged under 16 years need their parents’ permission. Parents must say what type of piercing they agree to and where.

How old do you have to be to get an intimate piercing?

Laws about age and piercings in intimate areas – for example, nipple or genital piercings – vary around Australia.

Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory

There are no specific rules about piercings in intimate areas. But many professional piercers won’t give teenagers aged under 18 years piercings in intimate areas.

New South Wales

Body piercers aren’t allowed to give teenagers aged under 16 years piercings in intimate areas, even if teenagers have their parents’ permission. Many professional piercers won’t perform intimate area piercings on teenagers aged under 18 years.

Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia

Body piercers aren’t allowed give teenagers aged under 18 years piercings in intimate areas, even if teenagers have their parents’ permission.

How to talk with your teen about tattoos and body piercings

If your child wants a body piercing or a tattoo, talking about it together is a good first step. Here are ideas to help you have a positive conversation.

Pick a time to talk

You can help the conversation go well by making a time to talk with your child. It should be a time when you can both think and talk calmly without being interrupted.

Listen to your child

Start by listening to your child’s point of view. Your child is more likely to be open with you if they feel that you value their thoughts and feelings. Let your child talk about why a tattoo or body piercing is important to them. Try to respect your child’s view, even if you don’t agree with it.

Talk about your feelings

It’s OK to let your child know how you feel about the tattoo or body piercing. You might feel fine about it, you might really hate the idea, or your feelings might be somewhere in between.

If you do have negative feelings about tattoos or body piercings, your child might be more willing to listen to them if you calmly ‘own’ your feelings, rather than trying to put your values on your child or tell your child what to do. For example, ‘I don’t like the idea of you getting a tattoo at 16 because you might decide you don’t like it in 5 years time. And then it’ll be difficult and cost you a lot of money to get rid of it’.

Discuss the legal issues

Make sure your child knows how old they have to be to get a tattoo or piercing in your state or territory and whether they need your permission.

Look for compromise

If your child wants a very visible or very large tattoo or body piercing that you don’t want them to get, you might compromise on its size or location. Another option might be delaying the tattoo or piercing until your child is older. For example, you might offer to pay for it for your child’s 18th birthday.

It’s worth being careful about banning tattoos or piercings completely because this might result in your child getting one anyway, but without taking the proper safety precautions.

Talk to someone with a tattoo

You and your child might find it helpful to talk to someone who has a tattoo or a body piercing to get a different view. You could ask how the person felt about the tattoo or piercing at first and how the person feels about it now. You could also ask whether it has had negative consequences or whether the person would do things differently now.

Risks of tattoos and body piercings

Getting a tattoo or body piercing does come with some risks. These include:

• bacterial infections
• serious infectious diseases like hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV
• thick scars called keloids (these are more common among people with darker skin)
• allergic reactions
• eczema flare-ups
• gum disease or damage to teeth from mouth piercings.

People who have certain conditions or use certain medicines have a higher risk of infection or complications, so they should avoid body piercings or tattoos. If this sounds like your child, it’s a good idea to check with their GP about whether getting a tattoo is safe.

Health and safety issues

If you agree to your child getting a tattoo or body piercing, or if your child is going to get one no matter what you say, protecting their health and safety is important. You can do this by helping your child look for a tattooist or body piercer who:

• uses gloves
• sterilises all equipment
• uses new needles for each client
• has staff with the relevant qualifications and licences.

You can also talk with your child about the dangers of do-it-yourself and backyard tattoos or piercings.

Some parents ask for references before choosing a tattooist or get recommendations from friends who’ve had good experiences.

Other things for your teen to think about

There are some other things that are worth talking about if your child wants a tattoo or body piercing. These are:

• caring for the piercing or tattoo in the first weeks or months, while it heals
• getting a tattoo removed in the future – for example, cost, pain and difficulty
• getting a job – for example, how a facial tattoo or piercing might affect their job prospects
• feeling regret in the future if the tattoo is of a former partner’s name.

If you’re finding it hard to talk about tattoos or body piercings with your teen, our articles on negotiating, managing conflict, problem-solving and difficult conversations can help.