Raising Teens Today Who Want Body Piercings: Personal Experience

PART I

Step Back in time for a moment

In the blog posts, "How to properly handle your teen wanting a tattoo - part I & part II," that I wrote five weeks ago, I discussed my opinion on tattoos and what parents can do to connect with young adults to help them make an informed, responsible decision. In the first part, I let you know my personal experience regarding my decision to get a tattoo when I turned 18. If you recall, I was adamant about not getting a tattoo because I was not confident I would like what I got when I matured, and my tastes changed.

"I refused to get a tattoo because I knew deep down inside my core that I was too immature for one. I realized the odds weren't in my favor and that I probably wouldn't like whatever design or placement I may have chosen back then." ~ Dan Currie, How to properly handle your teen wanting a tattoo - part I

Flash-back to today's raising teens blog

Today we will dive into an alternative, semi-permanent option to tattoos—body piercings. Read on for the full story of this delinquent juvenile, or jump to a particular section of the post by clicking the links below:

• Stop Me - I'm 18!

• Today's the Day

• Thought Process

• Nipple Piercings

• More Body Piercings!

• But Why?

• Conclusion

• Still to Come

Stop Me - I'm 18!

What I left out of the story a month ago was that instead of tattoos, I went for body piercings, knowing that they are only semi-permanent and would heal if I took them out. Yes, leading up to my 18th birthday, my heart was set on obtaining some body shrapnel. So within a few days after turning 18, I scheduled an appointment to get my first piercings at our local tattoo and piercing shop.

Today's the Day

My girlfriend, who was already 18, took me to get my body piercings. She had body piercings already, quite a few of them, so she knew what the deal was and what I was in for. We walked in; the inked-out tattoo artists greeted us, and I filled out the forms and, in no time, was getting ready to be poked with a 10-gauge needle.

Thought Process

Once again, as stated in the 1st part of the tattoo blog, I have a knack for thinking big picture and thinking things through when it comes to permanent or semi-permanent decisions. With body piercings, I wanted something bold that stood out, made me feel like a badass, and made my friends in awe and envious at the same time. On the flip side, I needed to make it subtle, preferably hideable, since I worked at a grocery store with conservative values- not to mention my authoritarian parents (see my post, "What THE? Parenting advice: Raise them without being overbearing - PART IV" for what authoritarian parents are like).

Nipple Piercings

After careful consideration, I chose two piercings. Each nipple received a 10-gauge bar horizontally. I was already planning for bigger and better if my plans went as predicted. My thought process was perfect. It was bold; it made girls cringe and think it was hot simultaneously, while guys thought I was a badass, and my friends were excited for me, all approving. As a bonus: not only did my employers not know (or need to know) about it, but my parents didn't either, as I always ensured I kept a shirt on.

More Body Piercings!

Later on, after my parents found out and I had left my job at the grocery store, I got bigger and better with the body piercings:

1. I got a Lebret piercing, specifically a spike below my lower lip.

2. Figuring I should finally do more with my nipple piercings, I resized them from 10-gauge to 8-gauge by pushing larger-sized bars into them. And if that wasn't good enough, I dropped them from 8-gauge to 6-gauge using the same technique a few months later.

3. The last piercing I had done, and perhaps the most unique and eye-raising of them, was the bridge of my nose between my eyes.

But Why?

"Why would you want to do that to your body?" So was the frequent question asked by my parents and more conservative people I knew. The answer was simple: I loved piercings. I loved how they became a part of me, the glimmer of the metal, the ability to change out the bar depending on my mood, how people looked at me, and how this was something I decided to do to my body without anybody else's influence.

Conclusion

Raising teens today and guiding teenagers that are sincere about wanting body piercings is something we must seriously consider when they come to us about it. If they are 18, they have a legal right, so we must respect it. Remember, unlike tattoos, body piercings are a better option for young adults since they can heal if one day they no longer desire them - much like me. Around age 20-21, I finally removed all of my body piercings, primarily because of the industry I was working in, the beginning of my career as a cable technician.

Regardless, my beliefs regarding body piercings have always been that I approve of them as long as they are well thought out and not done out of spite or peer pressure. Body piercings, like tattoos, are a distinctive form of self-expression and art and should be recognized and honored as such.

Still to come

In the next installment of "Guiding Teenagers Who Want Body Piercings: Part II, Handling the Situation," I will review essential parenting dos and don'ts regarding body piercings. Furthermore, I will show how to connect with young adults who are hellbent on wanting the shrapnel in their skin, raising teens today in a society with all its complexities, including their desires, peer pressure, and maturity.

Stay tuned!

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