Get Your Parents to Let You Get a Tattoo
Do you want to get a tattoo? Are your parents against you getting one? Here are some ideas and tips for convincing even the strictest parents to allow you to get a tattoo.
Contents
Steps
Is this really what you want?
- Make sure you know why you are getting a tattoo. If you're not entirely sure why you want one, or if it's simply to show off or because all your friends have one, there's no point trying to convince your parents of its utility at your young age.
- Consider your decision carefully. Wait a few weeks after you decided to get a tattoo. Make sure that this is definitely something you want to do, and that it is not something you will regret doing later. Tattoos are serious business--they are not easily "erased" and removal does not come cheap or painless.
Doing your research
- Organize your ideas. You might want to write down the points you want to present to your parents on a piece of paper before actually talking to them. The following are things you might want to include:
- You might change your mind.
- Why you want to get a tattoo. What are your reasons for wanting a tattoo? "I just want to get one because it sounds cool" or "I want a tattoo because all of (or one of) my friends got one" are not reasons that your parents will support. However, reasons such as "My tattoo will be a daily reminder to me of something that happened in my lifetime" or "I want this tattoo to be a symbol of a value I have (or am striving to get)" are both good reasons to get a tattoo.
- What image or words you want to be tattooed onto your skin. If you want the words "hope", "love", "peace", or related positive, uplifting words as a tattoo, your parents will likely be more supportive of your decision. However, if you want to tattoo a "dirty" or "cuss" word on your skin, or you want a negative or "bad" image or word tattooed, your parents might count that as a strike against you.
- What reasons should you be enabled to get a tattoo? Have you been very responsible the last month (or longer)? Have you been very nice lately? Has your behavior been decent and respectable?
- Make sure to consider the placement of the tattoo. Your parents might be more willing to allow you to get a tattoo if the placement of it is relatively unseen, yet not in an incredibly private area. Good placements are on your shoulder, in between your shoulders, on your back, on the back of your lower legs, on your ankle, or even on the side of your abdominal area.
- Do your research. Look around at the places where tattoos are given. Make sure that the work the tattoo artist has done is well done, and that they are very professional. You will earn points if you select a popular, professional tattoo artist that has lots of experience. Your parents will likely want to review the work that artist has done, to assure that they know what they are doing.
- Know what the artist does. Your parents will want to know about the artist's practices. Are they very sanitary? Are their tools clean? You can get all different kinds of illnesses that are passed on by the tools used to give you a tattoo.
Persuading your parents to let you have a tattoo
- Show your parents that you really understand what getting a tattoo means. Explain that you understand that tattoos are permanent and tell them that you definitely want the design you have chosen on your body forever. Tell them why you like your design so much, perhaps it is a tribute to a loved one, or an image or phrase that holds personal meaning to you. This will help them to understand why you want this permanently on your body.
- Present all of the information you gathered during the research phase, to address their questions before they even ask them.
- Allow your parents to have their say on things. Shouting at your parents and not letting them have their own opinion will only prove you're not mature enough to have a tattoo.
- Allow your parents to help you design your tattoo and give their own ideas. Don't let them pressure you into having something you don't want, but listen to them and take on board what they say. For example, if you really want a visible tattoo, your parents may suggest you get it somewhere that can be covered easily if there's a time that you don't want it to be seen. Think about what they say, you may be glad you followed their advice in the future.
- Take your parents with you when you go to look at studios and talk to artists. Your parents will want to make sure the studio is clean and hygienic and also look at the artists work to make sure that they do a good job and can create good looking tattoos.
- Offer to help save up for the tattoo yourself. Your parents will know that you really want a tattoo if you work hard and earn money for it.
- Be ready for your parents to say no. If they do, say, "okay, I understand," and then wait a few weeks and ask them again. If you start nagging them or try to "reason with them" then they will just say no. But if you act maturely, they will notice and think you really are ready for a tattoo!
Tips
- On the day of your tattoo appointment, make sure the artist talks through the procedure with you before they start. Also make sure that the equipment looks clean and that the artist washes his hands, wears gloves and cleans and shaves the area to be tattooed. If he doesn't do this, either ask him to, or get out of there. It's not worth risking infection.
- Always ask to see an artist's portfolio. If they don't have a portfolio, do not have them as your artist. Any good artist should be proud to show you their work, so by not showing you any, it implies they may not actually be very good.
- Listen to your artist during the design process (for example they may say the design you want won't fit where you want it tattooed) but don't let them pressure you into something you don't want.
- Take your parents with you when you go to get your tattoo done. If you need their legal consent then obviously you will need them with you anyway, but if not, ask them to come along regardless. They can be good for moral support and it will also make them feel more comfortable about you getting the tattoo if they don't have to sit at home worrying.
Warnings
- Never go to a studio that looks unclean or has a bad reputation from people you know.
- Remember this is permanent. You can't just wipe it off. It is there for good, unless you get a cover-up or get it removed by expensive laser surgery.
