me want tattoo underage

ineedanswer

im asking because it seems like some of the ppl in this forum have quite a bit of experience. Im thinkin of getting a tattoo done but im only 16.. (although i could prob pass for 18) iv put a lot of thought into what i want but is there any way i would be able to get it done well, and the way I want it if i dont have permission from a guardian ? some parlour in dublin or galway ?

Will

No where that is in any way decent will tattoo you when 16. I wanted ink from a young age, i waited until i was 21 and am thanking my lucky stars i did otherwise i'd have ended up with the stupidest things on me. your tastes and preferences will change over time. What's another 2 years when you are gonna have it for the rest of your life?

bodice ripper

from the last time some one asked....

bodice ripper wrote: »

getting tattooed under 18 is just plain dumb.

1) you simply have no grasp of who you are, and so incapable of knowing what you really want in the long run.

2) because you are not 18, your choice of artist is limited by who is willing to tattoo children. not an ideal situation

3) because you are still in puberty, your body and skin will continue to change at a quick rate. this can cause tattoos to warp, move and in my experience - they seem to fade rather quickly in the first few years (this is merely an observation)

your parent's consent is irrelevant. you cannot make an informed discision for you and they cannot either - becuase they aren't you.

do the adult thing, and wait.

Maximillion Power

Just to put things in perspective I am the other side of the story to Will, I was 16 I didnt wait I really regretted the work I got done and spent a small fortune in the last 2 years getting a piece of it covered and a piece of it redone a number of times. I wish I had waited because I now have a number of Tattoo's that I love because I picked them as an adult (I am now 25). Your opinions will change so much from 16 to your early 20's. Your quality expectation will not be as high and a tattoo is for life. I like what I got mine reworked into but I still wish I had left a blank canvas to work with when I was say 21/22. So get material, get ideas, but dont get inked yet

January

Maximillion Power wrote: »

Just to put things in perspective I am the other side of the story to Will, I was 16 I didnt wait I really regretted the work I got done and spent a small fortune in the last 2 years getting a piece of it covered and a piece of it redone a number of times. I wish I had waited because I now have a number of Tattoo's that I love because I picked them as an adult (I am now 25). Your opinions will change so much from 16 to your early 20's. Your quality expectation will not be as high and a tattoo is for life. I like what I got mine reworked into but I still wish I had left a blank canvas to work with when I was say 21/22. So get material, get ideas, but dont get inked yet

Heck I even regret one of the tattoo's I got at 18!

Wait a while OP, it'll be worth it in the end.

Maximillion Power

adrieanne__x wrote: »

Heck I even regret one of the tattoo's I got at 18!

Wait a while OP, it'll be worth it in the end.

It was more the line work in my case, the more I stared at the crookedness it would drive me demented, it was quite obvious that I had been a youth who was conned out of my few quid by somebody who didnt care much for his craft. more fool me :rolleyes:
So I would urge anybody thinking of jumping on the tattoo highway and getting inked underage to wait, pay for the work you are getting done by a reputable artist when you are at the very least 18. A cheap tattoo aint good and a good tattoo aint cheap, start saving :cool:

Kersmash

Just don't do it. wait till you're 18.

squishykins

It's a very special case when you get it at that age and don't regret it...I got mine done when I was 15, in a reputable place who I won't name cuz they thought I was 18, but it's very low key, I thought about it for about a year and I got it in memory of my granddad, so obviously I didn't regret it...I think there's a pic of it in the introduction thread...

micayla

I wanted a tattoo when I was in my early teens, I got my first one last week and I'm 25. Had I gotten a tattoo back then I know I'd have regretted it. You're 16, a tattoo is forever so waiting a couple of years isn't all bad. It'll allow you to really think about what design you want and where. And like everyone else had said, at 18 you'll have your choice of fantastic artists. It may seem like everyone is being anal about underage tattoos but honestly, you'll be happier if you wait

Sprrratt

If you want to get inked nobody can tell you otherwise only advice. It is not illegal to get tattooed under the age of 18 here. It is however, sort of unwritten artists code to not tattoo somebody until they are fully matured both mentally and physically.

I myself am 16 and I have 3 tattoos already. My first was at 14. I regret my first yeah, but in a months time I am going to be having a forearm sleeve done whilst correcting my first tattoo in the process.

Now before anyone says you are stupid, you're a kid, you will regret this sooner or later. I disagree. Who is anyone to say I am not fully matured or have had enough life experience to make a decision confidently and say "I want that, I wont regret it".

I'm 16 and I have 3 tattoo's yeah so what? You didnt expect that? Well im also full time employed for almost a year now.

My only advice is if you do decide to get a tattoo and are refused. Dont attempt to get it done by a friend or in someones house. Get it done by a professional who will tattoo you. There are plenty artists in Dublin who share the same views as me.

Good luck anyway

EmmaMarie_X

ineedanswer wrote: »

im asking because it seems like some of the ppl in this forum have quite a bit of experience. Im thinkin of getting a tattoo done but im only 16.. (although i could prob pass for 18) iv put a lot of thought into what i want but is there any way i would be able to get it done well, and the way I want it if i dont have permission from a guardian ? some parlour in dublin or galway ?

I no a guy in Galway,hes very good and he done my tattos when i was 16...dont want to say to much over this though as hes a word of mouth kind of guy.

Pierced Off

EmmaMarie_X wrote: »

I no a guy in Galway,hes very good and he done my tattos when i was 16...dont want to say to much over this though as hes a word of mouth kind of guy.

For "word of mouth kind of guy" read "scratcher, who works out of his kitchen and tattoos children". If you cut your leg would you let someone stitch you up on their kitchen table? Then why the hell do so many of you think it's cool to have someone break your skin multiple times with a sharp needle in the same surroundings?

Sprrratt

Pierced Off wrote: »

For "word of mouth kind of guy" read "scratcher, who works out of his kitchen and tattoos children". If you cut your leg would you let someone stitch you up on their kitchen table? Then why the hell do so many of you think it's cool to have someone break your skin multiple times with a sharp needle in the same surroundings?

Well you could pretty much tell if hes a clean artist or not. The artist should open a sterilized needle for every client. Also he/she should have cleaning solution wiped over a couple of times and small bit of vaseline on the skin to stop bleeding. Its hardly open heart surgery now is it.

Sick of all this clean boll*cks. Tattoos have been around for thousands of years.

EmmaMarie_X

Pierced Off wrote: »

For "word of mouth kind of guy" read "scratcher, who works out of his kitchen and tattoos children". If you cut your leg would you let someone stitch you up on their kitchen table? Then why the hell do so many of you think it's cool to have someone break your skin multiple times with a sharp needle in the same surroundings?

he done my 2 brilliantly and at least 5 of my friends and you could see he was really clean and that he was proud of his work...hes done a better job than a lot of expensive fellas in tattoo parlours have

Pierced Off

What sort of autoclave was he using to steralise his grips? How did he dispose of bio-hazard waste(Bloody tissues to the uninitiated) and what about used needles? And thats just for starters.

EmmaMarie_X

Pierced Off wrote: »

What sort of autoclave was he using to steralise his grips? How did he dispose of bio-hazard waste(Bloody tissues to the uninitiated) and what about used needles? And thats just for starters.

He had a benchtop auto clave that he had from when he had his own tattoo parlour...he also had red and yellow sharp containers and other plastic containers for the tissues ...And its not really up to you to sound so pretentious..im sure you dont really know what your on about anway

Hellrazer

Sprrratt wrote: »

Well you could pretty much tell if hes a clean artist or not.

How??Because he wipes the table down with bleach?Because he wears cool looking latex gloves??

Thats bollox--You need training in cross contamination and blood borne pathogens before you break someones skin.Its not a case of looking clean its a case of being actually clean.

The artist should open a sterilized needle for every client.

Thats whats called common procedure.

Also he/she should have cleaning solution wiped over a couple of times and small bit of vaseline on the skin to stop bleeding.

You cannot sterilise skin.What you are doing is minimising what "might" get into an open wound.

Its hardly open heart surgery now is it.

Maybe not but you can still get an infection that would be as dangerous as if you were getting open heart surgery ie Mrsa,Staph etc.

Sick of all this clean boll*cks.

Thats your opinion.Mine is that anyone who breaks the skin should be clean and trained the right way to minimise me getting any disease.

Tattoos have been around for thousands of years.

But we didnt have resistant strains of diseases back then.As well as that people didnt live for 80-100 years so any of these diseases that might have been around probably didnt kill them but old age did.Some strains of hep might not kill you for 20+ years.Likewise with Mrsa--you can be a carrier for years but not actually die from it until it gets into an open wound like a piercing or tattoo. Aids might not kill you for 30 years.

You need to cop on a bit with your "sick of this clean bollocks"
Thats what gives the industry a bad name.

Hellrazer

EmmaMarie_X wrote: »

..im sure you dont really know what your on about anway

Actually youre wrong there--Pierced off is a trained professional.

Sprrratt

I guess im just an easy going person. I have no intention of going to any place that isnt reputable in the area. I still hold the opinion that people shouldnt be scared ****less going into a shop. Its bad enough already.

bodice ripper

I amn't listing the reasons this is STUPID AS ALL HELL again since not one argument has been put forward that undermined my original list.

I think this thread is an ad for why you shouldn't tattoo children, as the various people who are for it refuse to acknowledge that there are dangers involved in tattooing. well done.

bodice ripper

no wait, there was another list from before...

bodice ripper wrote: »

1. Tattooing carries a risk of infection, potentially serious. If the person doing the tattoo does not carry out the correct hygiene procedures, there is the potential to spread hepatitis. Deciding to get tattooed is a decision that should not be undertaken by children.

2. In addition to infection that is the fault of the person tattooing, poor aftercare could possibly lead to infection running from minor to major. Children are not to be trusted to undertake this responsibilty. Further even a fairly minor infection could seriously damage the end result.

3. There is a small chance of an allergic reaction, which in extreme cases can lead to serious scarring. Children are not capable of making an informed decision on whether they are willing to take that risk.

4. Tattoos placed on body parts which are still growing have been known to move and or warp.

5. Children cannot make informed choices on permanent changes to their appearance. They cannot make informed decisions that will effect their job options/choice of partner etc. Neither can your parents, as they don't know what sort of person their children will grow up to be.

Sprrratt

These days a 16 year old isnt always physically a child. Mentally its another story but completely their choice to get tattooed.

bodice ripper

Sprrratt wrote: »

Mentally its another story but completely their choice to get tattooed.

read my post. children cannot make desicions on pontentially risky procedures - and as if to prove my point we have children advocating getting tattooed in houses.


anyone tattooing children out of their gaff deserves what ever happens to them, with any luck it will be a van full of furious relatives...

Aishae

you cant be too careful about being sure of hygiene - an infection can be a potentially life threatening thing and if you have a flippant attitude to the dangers including this, then you might need your head testing. a tattoo is more than just a nice piece of art on your arm/back etc. its willingly letting yourself be wounded (yes wounded - a new tattoo is a wound as the skin is broken - and so many times) and signing up for the responsibilty of aftercare - which can take quite some time - to achieve the end result of a nice piece of art.
im one of those who waited till i was in my early 20's - i did that as my tastes kept changing (i wasnt gonna be into star trek forever) and i couldnt settle on something that had nothing to do with the current trends and everything to do with me and who i am, so now ive two that reflect me.
i dont think you defo have to be 20 but you need to approach EVERY aspect - not just the design - seriously and thoughtfully

Sprrratt

bodice ripper wrote: »

read my post. children cannot make desicions on pontentially risky procedures - and as if to prove my point we have children advocating getting tattooed in houses.


anyone tattooing children out of their gaff deserves what ever happens to them, with any luck it will be a van full of furious relatives...

Of course, I would never condone that. Read up my posts and you'll see I advise not to ever go near a mate or some house to get tattooed. Go to a professional shop to get it done. There are so many around you dont have an excuse.

I believe anybody age 15 and up should be mentally mature enough to make a decision regarding their skin. Instead of telling people of that age that they are incapable of making that decision we should be teaching them how to make the right decision.

Aishae

Sprrratt wrote: »

I believe anybody age 15 and up should be mentally mature enough to make a decision regarding their skin. Instead of telling people of that age that they are incapable of making that decision we should be teaching them how to make the right decision.

crikey - i know so many aged 14-15 and i wouldnt trust them to know what theyll want in ten years (i.e a tattoo they got tomorrow) - half of them cant seem to say anything except 'im so bored' - thats simplifying it a bit but its usually what they say. i do know some who seem very mature for their age yes.

but we have to have the age limit somewhere - if we lowered it to 15 then 14 year olds would say lower it to 14 and so on. a similar dilemma to the 'should we reduce the age of consent or voting?' dilemmas

bodice ripper

Sprrratt wrote: »

Of course, I would never condone that. Read up my posts and you'll see I advise not to ever go near a mate or some house to get tattooed. Go to a professional shop to get it done. There are so many around you dont have an excuse.

I believe anybody age 15 and up should be mentally mature enough to make a decision regarding their skin. Instead of telling people of that age that they are incapable of making that decision we should be teaching them how to make the right decision.

believe what you like. I work in this industry - I see what these children bring in to get tattooed when we turn them down. I can assure you these things are very different from what adults get.


edit: and like I said, children should NOT be making choices about getting procedures that could lead to major infection - even if you think that is no big deal (as a child I mean...)

Sprrratt

bodice ripper wrote: »

believe what you like. I work in this industry - I see what these children bring in to get tattooed when we turn them down. I can assure you these things are very different from what adults get.

Good for you.

bodice ripper

Sprrratt wrote: »

Good for you.

you won't respond to any point I make, you are just jamming you fingers in your ears. I doubt you are mature enough to choose your own underwear.

Sprrratt

bodice ripper wrote: »

you won't respond to any point I make, you are just jamming you fingers in your ears. I doubt you are mature enough to choose your own underwear.

I wont get into a debate with somebody who wont open their mind open for a second.

bodice ripper

Sprrratt wrote: »

I wont get into a debate with somebody who wont open their mind open for a second.

open my mind? I am a tattoo artist, AND i was 16. so I know both sides of this quite well. you on the other hand only seem to know "I want it, and I should get whatever I want".

these are FACTS, not opinions:

*you can get infectious diseases from tattooing
*you can make tattoo choices which can and will adversely effect your life
*when you tattoo an area that continues to grow, tattoos frequently warp and change shape