Lifestyle » Connect with Kids

Teens Can "Undo" a Tattoo
July 8, 2010 Updated Jul 8, 2010 at 4:03 PM EDT

Some kids decide on impulse to get a tattoo and later regret the decision. According to a report from the Food and Drug Administration, 45 million Americans have tattoos, many of them are teens. Dr. Peggy Baggett, a clinical psychologist, says "I don't think that they really understand the permanence. When they are living in today, they think that they always will want that. It will always be cool." Now a related industry is growing: tattoo removal. In fact, according to the report, 17 percent of people who decide to get tattooed later regret their decision. Laser surgery is painful, expensive, and takes months to complete, but it's worth it for people that want to be rid of their "ink."
Experts say that parents need to teach their kids that tattoos are practically preeminent, and the surgery to remove them can also leave a permanent scar.

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