Teen hygiene

Tattoos and body piercing
A glance around most high-school cafeterias will confirm that tattooing and body piercing are popular features of teen culture. If your teen wants to undergo one of these procedures, ensure that the decision she makes is an informed one because all body piercing and tattoos involve some risk to health and require regular maintenance.

Your teen must consider whether or not she'll be able to deal with any lifestyle changes that may result. During the healing time for a bellybutton piercing, for example, she may not be able to sleep in certain positions or wear certain clothes. If she chooses to have lip or tongue piercing, she may find it painful to eat or speak until it's healed. A piercing could also affect her participation in her favourite sports: Some kinds of piercing will be snagged during contact sports; during the healing period, she won't be able to remove a bellybutton ring to go swimming. If she gets an eyebrow ring or a visible tattoo, will it affect her chances of getting a job?

You might suggest that your teen first try a removable tattoo or a clipon ring for nose, lip, or bellybutton. These are less expensive, pose few health risks, and are widely available in many fashion accessory stores. If your teen decides to proceed, make sure that he chooses a reputable tattoo or piercing parlour. If he is under eighteen, most parlours will refuse to serve him without your written permission or without speaking to you in person.

You or your teen should make sure that the technician is qualified and that the parlour is clean. Inquire about safety procedures: All needles, forceps, and similar equipment should come from a sealed, sterile package and not be re-used. Inquire about the kind of jewellery to be inserted in the opening; to reduce infection, all body jewellery for new piercing should be 316L or LVM surgical stainless steel, solid gold (14K or higher), niobium, or titanium. The technician should also provide written instructions about any after-care required to avoid infections. The healing time for most piercing ranges from several weeks to a year or longer.