There hasn’t been much in the way of innovation in the realm of the art of the tattoo in recent years, but the facial tattoo seems to be on the rise. Possibly the most famous will be Mike Tyson’s neo-tribal tattoo, followed by the Lizard Man, whose tattoos actually cover his whole body, but was the only other media-covered instance of facial tattoos that I could think of … until now.
Chad Johnson, wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals posted to his Twitter account that he suddenly sported no less than three facial tattoos on different parts of his face. It’s since been Twittered that it was his idea of a prank.
You may or may not have a teenager who’s just itching to get a tattoo herself. History shows that forbidding her to get one probably won’t stop her for long. She’ll either go to a parlor that won’t ask too many questions, or try to do it herself the old-fashioned way.
People see tattoos as ways to express their individuality, which is ironic, given that all tattoos begin to look kind of alike after a while. How many bicep tribal bands seem truly original? You might try to influence your teen’s decision by explaining that aspect of it, how following a trend is the exact opposite of true originality, or by saying that “tattoos are forever” (even though there are techniques that can remove most tattoos, they can be painful and expensive). But it’s likely that these arguments will just intensify your teen’s desire to get one. So what should you do?
This won’t be the most popular viewpoint, but I’ll say it anyway: Honestly, depending on the social circle in which you move, a tattoo isn’t that big a deal … if it’s in a place not easily accessible without disrobing. Facial tattoos aside, this is turning into an old generation vs. young generation debate. Really try to consider what your objection to the tattoo might be. The same argument was once applied to piercings. And farther back, to makeup. This really is one of those things that is hard to argue against without just sounding old. Asking your teen to confine the location of the tattoo to an easily-covered part of the body is a good compromise. You can also agree to a tattoo with the caveat that you come along to watch her get it. It will demystify the experience for you, and you’ll both bond over the process.
Personally, I think facial tattoos are a bad idea, and I don’t have any tattoos myself (or piercings!), but this is one of those times when bending is better than breaking.
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