Do's & Don'ts
Age Restrictions
Tattoos
You must be over 18 to have a tattoo in this country. Branding, when designs are created by burning skin, are actually illegal here.
Piercings
There is no legal age limit for people who want a body piercing but individual shops or practitioners have their own rules. However genital piercing (and nipple piercing for girls) will not be done under the age of 16 and proof of age will be required.
National Youth Agency – 0116 242 7350
www.nya.org.uk
More information on tattoos and piercings.
Do’s and Dont's For Getting Pierced or Tattooed
Do’s!
• Check to see if the shop is clean and set up for the purpose
• Make sure that smoking is not allowed
• Check the staff should have clean outer clothing and be wearing surgical gloves
• Ensure that equipment used is sterilised for each customer (in the case
of tattooing, dyes and needles should be sterilised). Sterilisation is critical to avoid possible transmission of Hepatitis or HIV
• Check that the person doing it is using surgical steel or gold. Infection and oxidisation is easier to avoid anywhere hen either surgical steel or gold is used
Dont's!
• Don’t rush into it because it’s a lifelong commitment
• Don’t delay getting help if you get any kind of infection or adverse reaction to a piercing or tattoo, see a doctor as soon as possible
• Don’t forget there is considerable pain involved both at the time and afterwards during the healing processes
• Don’t keep it in if there is a lot of swelling you will need to get the piercing removed because it might become embedded
(Information provided by the NYA Youth Information Data Base)
Always have piercing and tattoos done by professionals If you would like
to know who is a registered professional in your area, contact the:
Professional Piercers Association – T: 0117 960 3923
