The following pedcast was originally posted August 18, 2013. Listen to pediatrician and dermatologist Sue Primmer M.D. discuss some interesting facets of tattooing in the U.S..

I am grateful and honored to have as my guest today Dr. Susan Primmer, board certified dermatologist and pediatrician and a great friend. She has loads of experience and always brings some great insights on whatever subject we are discussing. Today we are going to talk about tattoos and children from a dermatologists perspective.  Welcome Dr. Primmer.

1.  Question -Why do teens and young adults get tattoos from our experience?

Increase uniqueness

Draw attention

Highlight body parts

Increase sex appeal

 2.  Question- Laws in North Carolina and New Jersey with regards to parental consent.

NC-Illegal under 18 years consent or not.

NJ- Parental consent under 18 years

California- Illegal to "offer" or perform to tattoos under 18 years of age.

3.  Question -What are the different types of tattooing and what goes on in the skin.

Injected into dermis

Different inks

Not really removing- making particles smaller. Changes the way your eye sees it.

4. Question- Are complications common? What kind of problems do you see?

Actually not many problems.

Remorse the big problem

Infected ink outbreak last year with mycoplasma species

Blood borne diseases

Allergic reactions- Henna

Bleeding/trauma

5. Question- Some anecdotes would be good.  I can talk about a child who had an allergic reaction to henna and the "scar" tattoos I used to see kids give themselves in elementary school.

Some funny examples of tattoos gone bad.

Patty to Party story…. Chinese symbol

6. Top seven reasons not to get a tattoo and how parents can talk to their kids about this subject.

Melanoma detection
Many cannot be removed
After removal skin texture never the same
Expensive-removable ink $$
Relationships sometimes don’t work out
Body parts age/ Tattoos age smudge
Feelings change

Standing out may not be what one wants

 

Thanks Dr. Sue Primmer once again for sharing her expertise.  More great talks by Dr. Primmer, check out www.docsmo.com. Or find her on iTunes.