Dr. Linda Helps - Recently, I read a newsletter from a leading children's hospital in which a pediatrician passed along some helpful information to parents concerning teen tattoos and piercing. Here is a summary of Dr. Bolduc's remarks. He practices with Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters Medical Group in Newport News, Virginia.

My intention here is to help parents who may be dealing with a teen who wants to tattoo or body pierce or who has recently done either. Parents and teens need to be informed. I am not endorsing these procedures, but want you to know what's involved.

Risks associated with getting a tattoo:

• Tattoos can put your child at risk for contracting diseases such as HIV, hepatitis and tuberculosis. Risk is decreased if the shop is clean, safe and professional.
  
• Tattoos can bring on skin infections such as impetigo, dermatitis and possibly an allergic reaction to the tattoo pigment.
  
• Risks associated with piercing involve: chronic infections, prolonged bleeding, scarring, hepatitis B and C, tetanus, HIV, skin allergies, abscesses or boils, irreversible holes, chipped or broken teeth, choking and speech impediment.
  
• Piercing a tongue can breed bacteria.
  
• Eyebrow skin is extremely sensitive and thin.
  
• Cartilage at the end of the nose can wither away because blood can't get to it properly when the nose is pierced.
  
• Ear lobes are usually OK to pierce because medically they are made of fatty tissue that allows for good blood supply after the piercing. This helps ward off infections.
  
• Piercing places should use an autoclave to clean needles and instruments.
  
• Shops should use single service equipment--all needles and tubes are individually packaged, dated, sealed and autoclaved.
  The person who tattoos should use guidelines created by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for the handling of body fluids.
  
• The person doing the tattoo or piercing should wear gloves.
  Don't pick or tug on the area of piercing or tattoo. Clean with soap not alcohol.
  
• Tattoos are sensitive to sun and need sunscreen protection of SPF 30 to protect.
  
• A new tattoo needs to be dressed like an open wound with antibiotic cream for several days.

Related article: Teens and Tattoos

Dr. Mintle – author, professor, Approved Supervisor and Clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy – is a speaker and media personality, as well as a licensed clinical social worker with over twenty years in psychotherapy practice.

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