Indeed, when it comes to body decoration, teens are often from Mars and parents from, well, Earth. Parents generally aren't fond of the idea of marking up their babies with tattoos, piercings, and strange dye jobs. (Even if they have our name in them-flattery gets them nowhere concerning body art)
As you have no doubt noticed though,  body decoration is no longer the domain of sailors, tribesmen, and the "bad kids"-even the "good ones" want them. Why? "They do it to stand out and be different," says Pamela Cantor, Ph.D., a lecturer in psychology, Department of Psychiatry, The Cambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts, who treats adolescents, "just as you might make a statement by wearing all black and being Goth."

 There are all kinds of body art, including piercings (think ear, nose, tongue, eyebrow, belly button) to tattoos (think anywhere!) to extreme haircuts, such as head shaving and permanent hair dying. What should you be concerned about as a parent?
The answer largely will depend on your parenting style, but let's start with health concerns, which are paramount. Your teenage daughter dying her hair purple may seem harmless enough, but permanent dyes can produce allergic reactions to skin.  Doctors recommend a test of the dye on the skin should be done prior to the complete dye technique.  With tattooing and body piercing, the health dangers become more serious.  With tattooing, we should worry about hepatitis B and C being passed from unclean instruments because of blood left from a previous customer. Staph (staphylococcus aureus) skin infections are also possible from both tattooing and piercing procedures.
Even knowing the health concerns, though, might not be enough to stop the stubborn, headstrong, or increasingly image-conscious teen. Therefore, it's time for action. Some options:

#1: Just say no

Putting your foot down stresses how important this decision is to you. How really important. We know from our teenage years that a lot of the weird things we did when we were young. (Ironing my hair comes to mind) The more permanent things however, make it difficult to function in the world. Parents have to step in and say, 'Not until you leave home.'

#2: Know your child

If you refuse them, would they conceivably do the job themselves? Be sure your teens understand that there will be severe consequences if they pierce or tattoo themselves or a friend. (My children were aware they could tattoo or pierce whatever they wanted, but should they choose to do so, college expenses would be their own responsibility.  Warren and I have four tattoo less and non-pierced children)

#3: Negotiate a deal Use a parent's best friend- delay tactics.   Tell your teen that he needs to "earn" his body decoration, perhaps through grades or behavior, or (my suggestion) you can just flat out tell him he has to wait. Since body decoration can be an impulsive act, they might not want one anymore after they've grown up a little.

#4: Talk about all kinds of pain  It's no secret that getting a tattoo hurts-really hurts  (this was another reason my needle phonic children probably never seriously considered tattoos). And although some teens might find enduring the pain of a tattoo sort of a war story of adolescence, they may feel differently when it's time to get one removed-an excruciatingly painful process. (And also expensive. In 2011, the AAD reported that a tattoo that costs $50 to $100 to obtain may cost $1,200 to $1,500 to remove by laser, with the average cost of an individual tattoo laser treatment ranging from $350 to $600 per treatment.)

WHAT IF I GIVE IN TO MY TEEN'S REQUEST? 

Still, if you and your teen decide to go forward with body decoration, (if you must)  how do you pick the safest procedure and best venue? Each state has different regulations with regard to tattoos and piercings. Check to be sure the establishment is properly licensed. Also, like restaurants, the cleanliness of the floor, walls, and bathrooms is a rough index of the sanitary conditions. Look for good sterile technique in terms of use of sterile gloves, disposable needles, and properly sterilized instruments. A piercing gun should not be used since it cannot be properly sterilized, and needles should never be reused. For hair cutting, shaving, and dying, a sterile technique is not necessary, but it is again important to check out an establishment's license and cleanliness. Additionally, make sure your teen is fully immunized against hepatitis B and tetanus before getting a piercing or tattoo, and, with piercing in particular, The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that they use only jewelry made of surgical grade stainless steel, 14 karat or 18 karat gold, niobium, or titanium and that you keep pierced and tattooed areas clean until they are completely healed.

 (see chart). 

Risks	Shaving/Dying	Piercing	Tattooing
Scarring/deformities	NO	YES	YES
Allergic reactions	YES	YES	YES
Hepatitis	NO	YES	YES
Staph skin infections	NO	YES	YES
Bleeding/lacerations	NO	YES	YES
Chipping of teeth/Speech impediments	NO	YES	NO