Alex Coleman @Its_GalPalAl [Executive Web Editor]

Many teenagers find in high school that they are artistically talented. Whether it be in writing, drawing, or even singing, many students realize their ability to express their thoughts and emotions through an art form. One of the most popularly sot after ways to express oneself is through the inking of skin, tattooing words, symbols, or pictures onto their own skin to symbolize their own struggles and beliefs. Tattoos can be a beautiful form of art when done tastefully, though a good tattoo can cost upwards of a hundred dollars depending on the design and placement. Some high school students rush immediately into getting a tattoo at the turning age of eighteen, but is that really the smartest decision.

Not only are tattoos a big decision, they’re a permanent one. The only ways a tattoo can be removed is through laser removal, dermabrasion or basically sandpapering the skin, removing the skin it’s located on, or other forms of surgery. Each of these are both painful and expensive. There are a few at home ways to remove a tattoo, but they’re more expensive, unsafe, and not guaranteed to work. So what happens when someone decides they didn’t want that best friend tattoo after all? It’s doctors, needles, and anesthetics coming their way.

The benefit of waiting a few years before getting a tattoo is a large one. Yes, that means even the ones people have known they wanted for years. Of course the big flower on someone’s calf was a nice tribute to grandma, but are they really going to want a huge petunia there forever? Forever is a long time if the person is lucky, a long struggle of years to live with that massive tramp stamp they got at eighteen.

Now, there are some very nice tattoos flaunted by fresh adults, very tasteful ones that they will probably never regret. However, what if they do end up regretting it? Or would have in the long run? The tattoo idea will still be available in a few years. Who knows, maybe if they save their money and hunt around, they’ll find something they like even better. Waiting a few extra years isn’t going to hurt anyone, but it could help the individual in the long run.