That message is being spread across Canada and the USA as nearly 40 per cent of people between the ages of 18 and 25 have at least one tattoo, according to a Pew Research Centre poll.
And no doubt the percentage rate is very similar if not higher in New Zealand.
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people are being told across North America, few things in life are more permanent than a tattoo.
Yet those most likely to change their life course - in careers, relationships or fashion styles - are also the most likely to get inked.
As primary care physicians state, if you change your look or hairstyle often, you probably are not a good candidate for a tattoo because of the limited flexibility to change that decision.
The age group which is getting inked in record numbers is also the same age group that wants ink removal. More than half the tattoos removed by medical professionals in 2013 across North America were for people in the "Millennial" age group.
And removal often costs many times more than being tattooed as it sometimes requires a dozen or more sessions over several months.
In addition to the likelihood of changing one's mind about a tattoo, employment, discrimination and health concerns are having doctors urging teens to decline getting inked or pierced.
Employers in the USA especially have the legal right to reject a job candidate because of a tattoo - a difficult fact for young people to understand or accept.
Some employers have demanded the covering and even the removal of a tattoo if employment is to be offered. Piercings are more reversible than tattoos but are also more prone to certain health risks - tongue and cheek piercings can accelerate tooth decay and the risk of infection can be high especially if it impacts cartilage.
But the good news is there are more natural, less permanent alternatives for young people to adorn and express themselves including custom-made temporary tattoos plus magnetic and clip-on jewellery and most are indistinguishable from a permanent piercing. Henna tattoos are an alternative though allergic reactions can occur so it is always advisable to test on a small spot first.
Though organic inks fade over time they do "come off" a lot easier during the removal process.
The tattoos most likely to be removed later in life are name tattoos - the love of one's life at the time of the tattoo can change (and regularly) while the names of family and friends can also become a source of irritation at a later time in life.
So, to tattoo or not to tattoo, that will be a question for many.
Will the tattoo expand or shrink as the body changes?
Could "Swan" become "Saskatchewan"?
Can Johnny be changed to Tommy?
Can Anastasia become just Ana?
DOWNTON MOVIE
And for those "Abbey" fans! It seems possible that a movie based on the hit period drama may be in the works. An off-hand comment by Downton's executive producer, Gareth Neame at a Los Angeles news conference has Abbey fans all a buzz since he mentioned that a movie follow-up might be in the cards. The final season of Downton Abbey premieres across North America on January 3, next year.
OUT OF THE TAXPAYERS' POCKET!
New York State taxpayers will be shelling out $12,500 to a twice-convicted crook who, due to a simple paperwork snafu, spent an extra two weeks in jail - or $700 for each extra day he was locked up. Said Raymond Connors who had pleaded guilty to larceny and graffiti raps in Brooklyn, "Dis pay more, man, than my work on the street!"
THE YOKE'S ON HIM!
Canadian "I wanna be a star" singer, Justin Bieber, is working on the roads - doing clean-up, graffiti removal and other manual labour - as he tries to comply with the terms of his probation for egging a neighbour's home. Working in the heat of Los Angeles has him quite "scrambled", according to reports.
INSTRUCTION MANUAL #1
A Florida father, teaching his 12-year-old daughter about gun safety, accidentally shot her in the arm, according to official reports. The girl walked out of the house bloodied and in great pain according to a witness.
When she returns from the hospital the father may move to "Instruction Manual #2" - How to sue a Dumb Daddy!
Back view of sexy nude tattooed Caucasian woman by tidal pool in Maui, Hawaii, USA.
That message is being spread across Canada and the USA as nearly 40 per cent of people between the ages of 18 and 25 have at least one tattoo, according to a Pew Research Centre poll.
And no doubt the percentage rate is very similar if not higher in New Zealand.
As
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