Piercing and Teens: What Parents Should Know

Body piercing is all the rage, especially among teens, but there are certain things that you ought to know as a parent.

The first thing that parents should know when it comes to body piercing is that it is often a permanent thing. The holes may never fully enclose, or can leave scars. These are very serious conditions to consider before allowing a teen to permanently mark or scar their body. In addition, these piercings often lead to infection or irritation, especially if not treated properly afterwards.

If a teen gets a piercing that is done with an unsterile needle, or in an unclean environment, their risk of infection sky rockets. Unless you can control the circumstances around a piercing, it is important that you are careful about allowing one. A tongue that gets pierced, and has side effects like infection, etc. might have permanent scar tissue that leads to speech impediments, etc. Any piercing can have infection, scarring, and irritation. This can lead to loss of health, unsightly blemishes, and more. This is not something a teen will want. So, if you decide to allow a piercing, be vigilant about them caring for it, cleaning it, and keeping it safe.

The next thing parents need to know is that piercing is often accompanied by attitude change, and behavior change. A piercing can lead to a change in how someone perceives themselves, and thus how they act. Just like you should dress up when you want to make a good impression, a piercing can lead to a more risky set of behavior. For example, a girl who gets a belly ring is more likely to show off her body, which leads to all sorts of other behaviors. A boy with nipple rings may have the same experience. The point is, piercing no longer is contained to the ears and nose, rather people get everything from their genitals to their eyebrows pierced and more. If you want to keep your child’s behavior under control, encouraging risky piercing is not a good first step.

Next you should know that most schools have rules about piercings, and limit where students can get pierced. If you want your child to follow the school rules, and respect the rules and guidelines that they are expected to live within, do not willingly allow them to break them. Schools set rules about piercings to help eliminate disruption, and because pierced body parts often put kids at higher risk for health issues. Thus it is a safety and disciplinary concern.

Parents should know that teens want piercings for a variety of reasons, some are valid, and others have everything to do with peer pressure and fads. Do not allow your child to make a decision that can alter their health and appearance permanently without giving real thought and concern. If you are going to get pierced, make sure you choose a reputable place to get it done, and take proper care of it.