Report: More young people have tattoos and piercings than ever before

Meredith Newman | The News Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption More young people than ever have a tattoo Tattoos and piercings among teenagers are more popular than ever — and pediatricians need to talk about it with adolescents.

Tattoos and piercings among teenagers are more popular than ever — and pediatricians need to talk about it with adolescents, a new report said.

The American Academy of Pediatrics released its first clinical report this week regarding tattooing and piercing for adolescents and young adults. The report highlighted potential concerns for teenagers and provided guidelines for doctors about how to talk to their patients about important safety measures.

"Let's face it, kids are getting tattoos or piercings now," said Dr. Jay Greenspan, chairman of pediatrics at Nemours/A.I. Dupont Hospital for Children. "We know it's mainstream and we want the medical community to be a part of it."

It's unclear how many American teenagers have tattoos and piercings. The report cited a Pew Research Center study that said about 38 percent of young people ages 18 to 29 have at least one tattoo.

In Delaware, it's illegal for someone to tattoo or perform a body piercing on a minor without a parent or guardian's written consent.

But there are always ways young people can get around the law, Greenspan said. That's why a frank discussion is necessary.

Ten years ago, there was an association between tattoos and alcohol, drug use, violence, sexual activity, eating disorders and even suicide. But that's not the case anymore, the report said.

Twenty-nine percent of people, with and without tattoos, believed there was a link between tattoos and "deviant behavior" in 2008. That percentage was 24 percent in 2012, the report said.

Greenspan credited celebrities such as Allen Iverson and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, both of whom have visible tattoos, to boosting ink's popularity in recent years.

"There's more every year," Greenspan said of tattoos. "The reality was, 20 years ago, someone who had a ton of tattoos and piercings might have had different behaviors."

Male athletes are more likely to have tattoos than men who aren't athletes and women are more likely to have piercings than men, the report said. There wasn't a difference between the sexes when it came to tattoo prevalence.

But of the population of young people who do have tattoos, 72 percent were covered and not visible, the report said. High-ear cartilage is one of the most common visible piercings, followed by navel, tongue and nipple and genital.

While the rate of tattoo complications is unclear, the American Academy of Pediatrics believes it's likely low. Common tattoo complications can be inflammation, infections and neoplasms. Preexisting conditions like psoriasis, systemic lupus and sarcoidosis can lead to reactions.

There's also not enough reliable data indicating the number of body piercing complications, the report said. Teenagers who have a higher risk of infection, particularly those who are diabetic or taking blood thinning medication, may have a greater risk of complications when getting a piercing.

The report recommended those who get a piercing pay attention to the jewelry's studs or clasps, since they're usually a lower quality. Surgical stainless steel rarely causes skin reactions, the report said.

And navel rings tend to cause more issues for people who are overweight or pregnant.

Both the Nemours doctor and the authors of the report advised teens and parents to seek out reputable parlors and consult with their doctors beforehand. It's become normalized, but there are still risks.

"It is a surgical procedure," he said. "A needle is involved."

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