Originally posted by InsaneIQ Jennifer, you are just taking it to the extremes and way over analyzing it. You have to put things in context. Do you honestly think that I, being involved in body art industry, would have a child that would be ignorant about the pros and cons of tattoos? That's like saying Barry Bonds' kid doesn't know how to play baseball. And which wise guy determined that at the magical age of 18, everything becomes clear and all the decisions are right? The maturity level, or the lack there of, is totally dependant on the upbringing of an individual.

I agree with jenniferR2279 When I was 13 I had some crazy ideas for my tattoos an when I was 16 then changed the reason its 18 is so the person can be sure I only had one design I wanted an thats the one i got all the others I backed out of I'm only 18 but I'm walked into places when i was 15 that have tattooed an pierced an they've asked if I've wanted inked an shit but I always said no because I was underage at the time an its not right the artist tattooed the 13 year old shes still just a kid hell if a 6yr old came up an said ''hey mister I want barbie on my arm'' would he do it? I doubt it so why the hell did he do a 13yr old the reason its 18 is to protect the kids an the artists look at the artist if he'd have said no he would still have a reputation worth summt...now he's looking at a year in jail doing prison tattoos if he's lucky....its winds me up summit rotten to see shit like this kids shouldnt be inked or pierced...they should wait till the of legal age at least that way they can be sure of what they want...well more sure then if they were 13-16..its not right an the artist gets everything coming to him..I dont think you should blame the parents I know a few 13-15yr olds shagging diff blokes every night and there parents dont know any diff they think there at the local youth club....I think the kid an the artist should be punished....times like these I wonder what happend to public floggings.....it makes all the respectable artists look like idiots an gives the greater population more reason to look down at body modders....bah it winds me up...hopefully the rest of the modding comunity wont be effected to badly by this. Rant over.

Originally posted by InsaneIQ I knew I wanted a full body suit Japanese style tattoo since I was 5 years old. I had the basic design and layout and that concept remains the same to this day. It's not until recent years do I have the means to finance and start this huge project. If I had the money back then I'd have it done already. Age and maturity had nothing to do with my choice; pure economics.

Originally posted by JenniferR2279 Katie, I really hope you don't think I'm picking on you, babe....I don't know your situation,  I'm not the all knowing and all seeing. I've made my fair share of dumbass mistakes in my teens and early twenties, and I'm still making them in my late 20's! LOL My mistakes, as dumb as they've been and as many have affected not only me, but others, make me the person I am. I wouldn't change any of them, knowing that they would totally alter my life as I know it, but a part of me wishes that I'd had someone tell me that I wasn't effin' superchick when I was 16....though I would be lying if I were to say that I would have believed it for a second.

regardless of age, people regret things, and not just body modification related things. i hate how people always think that we will regret what we do because of what we did at a certain age. it really doesn't matter for everyone. some people know what they want their whole lives, but the majority of people do change a whole lot during their teen years. i myself am a pretty definite person, i don't usually change ideas of what i like or want, but if i got the tattoos i had thought of when i was younger, i would hate them now. i don't even care for tattoos anymore. sure, this may change again, but at this point in my life, i don't see it happening.
if my children however want to have tattoos, i will wait until they are legal age. not just because they are (usually) more mature at that age, but because i want them to see a good artist and i know good artists wouldn't take anyone younger. i sure as hell don't want them seeing some dumb scratcher just trying to make money, and hopefully i can teach them why i don't want them to have tattoos or certain modifications at a younger age that have been performed by another person. i'm aware i started young and i have work that a lot of people my age never really has unless they do it themselves or have a family involved in the industry, but i knew what i want when i got it and i don't regret any of it even today. i still want things i wanted years ago. i want to be involved in the lives of my kid(s) as much as possible, and i don't want them to have to hide things like i have, and i especially don't want them ever going to some hack or scratcher because they can't come to me about something modification related.