My 14 year old DD has become obsessed with piercings and alternative body art. She has her ears pierced (once), but is nagging to be allowed her nose pierced. My DP and I thought she meant her nostril.....but no she means her septum! We have obviously refused to entertain this, but she claims that when she is 16 she will be of age to get piercings without parental consent. Is she right? Now she is talking about getting her clavicle pierced, and also 'snake bites' (her lower lip). I find her desire to mutilate herself like this really upsetting as she is such a pretty girl. I was born with a facial birthmark, and would have done anything NOT to be disfigured. I hope I don't come over all uptight and middle class over this, but I would love some ideas on how to deal with this issue before she tries to do anything silly.
AIBU?
I got a tattoo at 15. I went one about getting one for a year so from 14. My mum took me to have the tattoo done as she preferred to be there then me go to a dodgy place that tattoos underagers knowingly.
She has one tattoo her self and warned me about infections and how I'd feel when I'm older about it.
I hid from my dad for a year! He would have tried sanding it off 
I've got 8 piercings (double earlobes, one stretched to 1cm), rook, inner conch, outer conch and lower navel, AND a tattoo, and I'm planning on getting my nose done. I had all those when I had my Oxford interview (having had them done from 14-18), and still have them now that I'm halfway through my degree here. I have also played for several orchestras, and had a client-facing job. Does this fit with your image of the world, onceamai ? (By the way I also love wearing clothes from Boden, and studied early choral music, and ALSO really love rock/pop/electronic/folk music.)
All other parents - please note that putting a small, and often temporary, piece of metal through their body does not mean that your teenager has 'gone off the rails' or will turn out to be a 'glue-sniffing loser' as someone mentioned earlier in this thread. By all means make sure they're well educated on the risks, but being overly judgemental will probably have the opposite effect to what you're intending. Just my two pence!
I have a disfiguring scar on my face.... I had no choice about that, it was done to me without my consent by a drugged up psychopath with a knife. That was mutilation
My facial piercings were done by me/with my consent and made me feel more confidant about my appearance when they were done. They are body art
See the difference? 
Your OP is downright offensive on many levels and it's no wonder your daughter won't listen to your opinion on the matter if that is how you put your point across to her as well.
Piercings are personal choice, she'll get them done eventually with or without your support. I regret not having the chance to get certain tattoos and piercings when I was young and pretty enough to do them justice, I regret the lose of piercings I've had to remove for various reasons, I regret not being braver and getting my tattoos done in bigger sizes. However I do not regret having any of the ones I have atm, I love all the piercings and both tattoos and still plan more when I can afford it.
I'd let her get the piercings. My mum said no but I got them anyway. Like the others have said they can be taken out and will heal over.
DH is heavily tattooed with a shaven head and Im pierced and tattooed and we share a love of Classical music and various genres of History. He's a classically trained guitarist too. So are those typical pleasures of self mutilating glue sniffing chavs? No. I've been in Managerial positions with pink hair and piercings and no one complained, it was all about my ability to do the job not what I looked like.
I'd hate to bring the boys up in a grey world where everyone looks the same and looking different is frowned upon.
Ooh I need a 
after reading some of these posts.
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I can sort of see the OP's point of view. I didn't want my DD14 to have her belly button done....although I couldn't justify why, apart from I was worried about infection or it being ripped out at school.
Anyway she has just had it done and I'm a bit jealous It looks pretty and no different from having earlobes done.
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