Junior Allie Williams is in the process of getting her second tattoo, a flower with a quote attached to it. Her tattoos are dedicated to her family and remembering them for their true personalities.

     For adolescents under the age of 18, wanting to get a tattoo requires parental consent, as is the case with all body modifications like piercings. According to Williams, her parents are very supportive of her tattoo journey, and she said “they are okay with whatever I want to do to my body.”

     The inspiration for her tattoos come from her family and relate to events in the past. She hopes to have enough tattoos one day to remember all of her family members and to always have them be a part of her and be physically reminded of them on a daily basis.

     Although she has plans for a large number of tattoos, she believes its placement is very important.  She  feels that she should “get a tattoo in a spot that isn’t too noticeable because it’s important for future careers.” According to the workplace website 42% of people believe visible tattoos are inappropriate in the workplace and 55% of people believe body modifications are inappropriate as well.

     There is a common notion among people that when someone gets a tattoo young, they are going to regret it in the future. Williams disagrees with this notion. “If they are properly thought out then in the future you should have no regrets.” She adds, “be happy with how you spend your time, money and pain.”

     When deciding to get inked, she added that it’s important to do proper research on the tattoo shop, the tattoo artist, and proper pricing. William shares her guidance with people aspiring to get tattooed. “Definitely look into it first and get something that is meaningful because it’s something that’s permanent and not easily taken off of your body,” said Williams. According to the Adv Dermatology website, 35% of people get impulsive tattoos and end up regretting them immediately after receiving them.

   The StillWater Medical Spa describes the procedure of laser removal for tattoos typically costs around $200-500 per treatment, they often are incredibly painful. Williams agrees, “laser removal for tattoos should not be someone’s backup plan for a bad tattoo, I’ve heard that it’s insanely painful and definitely something I never want to do.”

     The price of tattoos fluctuates greatly, from as little as 10 dollars to thousands.  In Williams’ experience, they have been very pricey but Williams said she works a lot at her part-time job making it possible for her to get the tattoos.