Tattoos are typically seen as a form of expression, but in a high school setting, they are less popular due to the fact that you cannot get one legally under the age of 18 without parental consent. Some students get consent, while others are counting down the days until they are 18. 

“I have something called parents who don’t really enjoy the idea of me getting a tattoo before I turn 18. But after that, they’re like, […] ‘it’s all up to you,’” said Yamrot Yeshitela (‘24).

For high school students, their parents’ opinions are a vital part of making the permanent decision, but at the end of the day, a tattoo is a personal way to express yourself.

“My parents believe in personal expression, […] no matter what channel you choose, so for me if I choose tattoos, they’ll be supportive as long as it’s not anything too crazy,” said Yeshitela. 

One of the main ideas of a tattoo is that it is a permanent mark on your body. Getting a tattoo is a lifelong commitment in most cases. This either makes people want one even more, or scares them out of getting one.

“I just have a mentality of doing what I want with my life […] and I know when I’m 80 and still have my tattoos it won’t bother me,” said Lily Hines (‘23).

It takes a lot of thought and consideration to make the decision to get a tattoo.

“You have to commit to it. You have to be sure you have to be 100%. There’s no indecisiveness. And so if I ever get a tattoo, it’s something that I know I’ll never get removed and that really means something to me,” said Yeshitela.

People often make this commitment because what they want to get tattooed, or what they have already gotten tattooed, has a significant meaning.

“I just love that it’s a way to express yourself really and the reason I did it for my dad and just [to] honor him and his memory,” said Anna Kegel (‘23).

Megan McCloskey (‘24) also wants to get a tattoo to honor a loved one.

“I want to get my grandma’s name [the way] she writes it. There’s a really specific way she writes it,” said McCloskey.

A more common version of tattoos in high school is stick-and-poke tattoos due to their accessibility.

“I got my first tattoo at 14 as a stick and poke. […] I could just buy stuff for it on Amazon,” said Ava Deljou (‘23).

Tattoos are starting to become more common as students embrace things that are important to them.

 Yeshitela said, “You never know what that person’s been through. A tattoo can cover up scars Or it can mean something that they’ve been through. It could be in memory of someone that they lost in their life, it could mean so much.”