Tattoos and piercings: How young is too young?

Editor’s Note: Miss Kansas Theresa Vail, 22, openly displayed tattoos during the swimsuit round of the 2014 Miss America pageant in Atlantic City on Tuesday night, a reported first for the pageant. Vail had vowed in a blog post to show the artwork, explaining that her tattoos have deep meaning and she doesn’t regret them. A 2010 Pew survey found that 40% of millennials have tattoos. Last year, CNN Living asked, “How young is too young for a tattoo?” Read the article below.

Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s 11-year-old daughter, Willow, was recently given a tongue-lashing on social media after posting a picture of herself sporting a tongue piercing on Instagram.

asapniceee: “She is too young for such a provocative piercing. Why would her parents let her pierce her tongue?”

tiffaneybabeyy : “At your age, Willow, I don’t think a piercing should be on you, especially there.”

mariajx91: “Maybe you should stop rushing to grow up Willow. It looks trashy. You’re 11, and that doesn’t look good at any age to be honest. Hope it’s fake.”

While the battle over body modification typically occurs between parents and their children, state legislatures have entered the conversation as well.

A tattoo artist’s take on summertime body art

In June, Jerry Garrison, a Florida grandfather, lost custody of his 10-year-old grandson after allowing him to get a tattoo of his initials on his right leg. A “family tradition,” according to Garrison.

Under Florida law, a person younger than 16 years old cannot be tattooed except “for medical or dental reasons,” and anyone age 16 to 18 can be tattooed only with the consent of a parent or guardian.

That law was changed in January 2012; it had previously allowed tattooing under the age of 16 so long as the minor had parental consent.

Most states allow tattoos and body piercings for children under the age of majority, which is 18 years old in most of the United States, with parental consent. Though, some have tightened restrictions.