Why are our age limits set at 16 for piercing and 18 for tattoos?
Under Ontario law, what we do is considered a penetrative act and, unfortunately, falls under the Age of Consent laws. These laws state that a person must be 16 or over to consent to said act provided that the person performing the work is over the age of 18. As well, the legal age to sign medical consent for unnecessary procedures without parental permission is 16. As far as the age for tattoos, that is set at 18 for the simple fact that tattoos are permanent and thus a person needs to be the legal, adult age to properly consent. And although there are places that will overlook these laws, and perform the work on you at whatever age you are and for whatever price you are willing to pay, these places are most likely overlooking other regulations (i.e. sterilization and health standards) and should not be patronized. You have the rest of your life to live, and if you really want a procedure done you should be sure that it is done properly, by people who are concerned for your well being
