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"Be aware of what might motivate your teen to brave the needle. Undergoing a painful procedure (tattoos are created by injecting ink through needles into the dermis, the second later of skin) just for attention may seem silly, but it's not such a wild notion. Casey Gallagher, a dermatologist and tattoo-removal consultant in Boulder, Colorado believes that starlets and young people often use tattoos as a means of standing out. \"People are short-sighted,\" adds Manhattan dermatologist Heidi Waldorf, MD. \"They look at the short-term gain rather than the long-term cost.\"\n\nWarn your teen against amateur or impulse tattoos. \"Unlicensed tattoos are more common than you think,\" says plastic surgeon Robert A. Guida, M.D., one of New York City's top removal specialists. \"You'd be surprised how many people get them in college dorm rooms or fraternities or sororities.\" Guida adds that DIY tattoos can be the trickiest to remove, as ink of ten permeates deeper than it should into the skin and the quality of ink tends to be inferior, often containing impurities that are harder to erase with lasers.\n\nMake sure your teen knows all the health risks. There's a plethora of safety issues involved: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported cases of methicillin-resistant staph infections among recipients of tattoos from unlicensed or unskilled artists. \"Recipients are potentially susceptible to acquiring blood-borne infections,\" Gallagher says. Hepatitis C, hepatitis B, tetanus, tuberculosis and even HIV can all be transmitted through unsanitary or reused tattoo needles. Some people are allergic to tattoo pigments (especially red ink) and develop itching, redness, or inflammation that can last until the tattoo is removed. Plus, it's been reported that tattoo ink can contain chemicals like lead, copper, chromium, and lithium.\n\nEncourage them to think over their decision thoroughly. It's one thing for your teen to take wardrobe or style inspiration from their idols, but tattoos, Waldorf emphasizes, are permanent. If your teen is considering the procedure, she advises asking them, \"Do you still wear the same makeup or clothing styles you wore a couple of years ago?\"\n\nRemind your teen that changing their mind is costly. \"The [removal] process is time-consuming, since you can need up to ten sessions, and far from perfect,\" warns Waldorf. \"Lasers are not erasers. Even if you get a tattoo removed, you may be stuck with a faint outline of the design or unsightly scarring.\" And less expensive methods of tattoos removal that aren't medically recommended are no less painful\u2014dermabrasion involves scraping and sanding the skin, and surgical removal entails a surgeon cutting the tattoo out of the skin and stitching the edges back together.\n\nSupport them in making the best choice\u2014whatever their mindset. So if your teen is set on a tattoo, make sure they follow a few simple steps. They should ask to see the tattoo parlor's health permit and have a well-thought out design prepared for that first visit. They should also ask the tattoo artist to walk them through the entire procedure and avoid white, yellow and green inks where possible (as those are the toughest to remove.) Aftercare precautions include avoiding sun and not irritating the tattoo."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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