You have heard the phrase “Age is just a number” right? Well let’s just keep that phrase on theory and not try to apply it when it comes to piercing, shall we? What I mean is, it is necessary to wait to be of a certain age to get a piercing, especially a nose piercing. Any minor can’t just walk into a piercing shop and get their nose pierced. Doing so could get them and the piercer in legal trouble. So, at what age can you get a nose piercing?
Imagine this, you found a shady piercing shop and they agreed to pierce your nose. And you have successfully pierced your nose too, but doing so can put you and your piercer in danger. Nobody wants to get tangled in legal trouble, my friend. That is why it is crucial to know what age is legally appropriate to get a nose piercing.
Key Takeaways
- The legal age to get a nose piercing in most states is 14 years.
- Even if you are of minimum legal age to get a nose piercing, you may need your parent’s written notarized consent and their physical presence during the piercing procedure.
- Reasons, why there is an age restriction regarding getting a nose piercing in most states, are health & healing, responsibility & aftercare, physical maturity, consent & informal decision-making, avoiding trauma, avoiding regret, and cultural & social consideration.
- Things to consider before getting a nose piercing are state law and city law, piercing studio reputation, allergies and sensitivity, piercing type, healing time, pain tolerance, lifestyle & work.
Legal Age to Get A Nose Piercing
In the United States of America, the law regarding the legal age to get a nose piercing may vary from state to state. In general, you have to be at least 14 years old to get a nose piercing. Even if you are 14 years old, as a minor you will need your parent’s written consent or their physical presence when you go to the piercing shop to get your nose pierced.
You have to understand why there are such laws or restrictions regarding age when it comes to getting a nose piercing. As a minor you do not know better, you may get a piercing out of whim and later you may regret it. It may affect your social life, and your student life, and later on, it may affect your work life. As a minor, your body is still growing, and getting a piercing may complicate things for you. Personal readiness matters. Your body may not be ready to handle a piercing as a minor. That is why you should be at least 14 years old in most states to get a piercing and that too with parental written permission.
Nose Piercing Restrictions
In this portion, I have listed a few popular states and their laws regarding the proper age and formalities to get a nose piercing. Take a look:
| State | Required age | Consent form | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | none specified | Parental written consent in the presence of the piercer. | 90 days of imprisonment or/and a 100$ fine. |
| Alaska | none specified | Written consent from parents and the presence of the parents during the piercing procedure | none specified |
| Arizona | none specified | The physical presence of the parents during the procedure. | Class 6 felony |
| Arkansas | 18 | Unlawful to provide piercings to anybody under 18 years of age even if they have parental consent. | none specified |
| California | none specified | Parental consent. | none specified |
| Colorado | 18 | Parents must be present during the procedure. | none specified |
| Connecticut | none specified | Minors may get their noses pierced without parental consent. | Not restricted |
| District of Columbia | 14 | Requires written consent from parents. | none specified |
| Delaware | 18 | Notarized written consent of parents is required to get any piercing. | none specified |
| Florida | 16 | Need ID card, parents’ presence, and proof of them being the parents. | none specified |
| Georgia | none specified | Prior written consent of the parents. | none specified |
| Hawaii | none specified | Written consent of the guardian is required. | none specified |
| Idaho | 14 | May get piercing without parents’ consent. | none specified |
| Illinois | 18 | Written consent of actual parents | none specified |
| Indiana | none specified | No need. | none specified |
| Iowa | 18 | No state law here, only city laws for piercing | This may vary from city to city |
| Kansas | 16 | Must have written consent from parents the consent paper must be notarized and the presence of the parents during the procedure is a must. | none specified |
| Kentucky | none specified | Notarized consent of parents. | none specified |
| Louisiana | 16 | Not required. | none specified |
7 Reasons Why There Is Age Restriction on Getting A Nose Piercing
Want to know why there are age restrictions regarding getting a nose piercing? I have gathered all the crucial reasons and made a list for you below:
1. Health & healing
Younger individuals may have immune systems that are still developing, which makes them prone to getting infections from nose piercings. Developing body and immune system may react negatively to piercings. This is why it is better to wait until you reach a certain age before you can get a nose piercing.
2. Responsibility & aftercare
Responsibility is a huge factor here. A young individual may not understand the depth of the responsibility of getting a nose piercing. And these delicate piercings require special aftercare. Not taking proper care during the healing phase could infect the piercing and complicate the matter. If you do not take proper care even after the healing phase is over, it can create issues like releasing a bad odor.
3. Physical maturity
Physical maturity is another crucial factor here. A nose or cartilage of the nose might not be fully developed in a minor individual. Piercing an underdeveloped cartilage could cause increased pain and complicate the situation. That is why it is mandatory to wait for some years till your nose cartilage is developed to get a nose piercing.
4. Consent & informal decision-making
A minor cannot give consent to such a crucial thing. They need parental consent or permission. Because they do not have the maturity to make such a crucial decision by themselves. Informed decision-making is difficult and should only be done by adults.
5. Avoiding trauma
Any sort of piercing requires some level of pain and discomfort. A minor may fail to assess the process and later on, get trauma because of it. Only their parents can understand if their child is mentally and physically ready to go through the piercing procedure or not.
6. Avoiding regret
A minor may get a nose piercing on their own and later regret their decision. I am not saying adults never regret their piercings, but the percentage of regret would be less if an adult gets a piercing. To minimize the chance of regret, the law limits or puts a restriction on the age limit to get a piercing.
7. Cultural & social consideration
A minor may not understand cultural and social boundaries properly. That is why it is crucial their parents make the decision or provide consent if they require a nose piercing. Because their parents would understand better whether a nose piercing will cause any social issues or not.
7 Things to Consider Before Getting A Nose Piercing
Want to know what things to consider before getting a piercing? I got you covered, in this portion I have listed the things you should be considering before getting a nose piercing:
1. State law and city law
First, double-check if you are old enough to get a piercing in your state. Sometimes state does not have any specific law regarding piercing, in that case, you have to check what your city law says. Even if the law gives permission, you may need written notarized consent from your parents and their physical presence during the procedure.
2. Piercing studio reputation
Before you go for your first piercing make sure to do some research and find out if the piercing studio you want to go to has a good reputation or not. Even if it costs a few more bucks, make sure to get your piercing from a reputable piercing studio. Piercing is no joke, a unauthorized, newbie piercer may end up creating a permanent scar instead of a clean piercing hole. Not to mention there is always a risk of getting an infection if you get a piercing from shady piercing studios.
3. Allergies and sensitivity
After getting pierced you are supposed to wear jewelry. Now, if you have skin sensitivity or allergies to certain materials then you have to do your research and find jewelry that is made of a skin-safe material. I highly recommend choosing jewelry that is made of titanium, surgical steel, or niobium, as these are skin-safe and generally do not cause any allergic reaction.
4. Piercing type
What type of nose piercing do you want? Instead of deciding on such a crucial thing at the last minute, you should take your time and decide which type of nose piercing would suit you the best. A few popular types of nose piercings are:
- Nostril piercing
- Septum piercing
- Nose bridge piercing
5. Healing time
You have to take the healing time into consideration as well. If you have a school event, exam, crucial sports match, or meeting, then how would you be able to attend them with that healing nose piercing? Nose piercing may stay swelling for a few days and you have to take special care till it heals. Taking off the jewelry for a day or two is another big no during the healing phase.
6. Pain tolerance
Piercing can cause some level of discomfort or pain. Are you ready to go through that pain to get your piercing? If so then you may proceed, but if not then you may go for jewelry that does not require piercing to be worn on the nose.
7. Lifestyle & work
Your lifestyle, think really hard about this, will your regular life be affected if you get a nose piercing? Your school or workplace, will it allow you to have a nose piercing? Make sure to read the policy or ask the authority of your school or office to know clearly if they would allow nose piercing or not, then you can make the decision.
FAQs
How long does it take to heal a nose piercing?
The healing of a nose piercing can vary from person to person because there are a lot of factors that can affect the amount of time it takes to heal a nose piercing. But usually, it takes around 7 to 14 days for a nose piercing to heal.
Does it hurt a lot to get a nose piercing?
Pain levels may vary but usually piercing is not extremely painful. And nose piercing is definitely not that painful. You could compare the pain of getting a nose piercing to a hard and sharp spinach, not to mention this pain won’t last long.
Can I change my nose piercing jewelry during the healing phase?
No, you should not change the jewelry during the healing phase. It is highly recommended to keep the jewelry on during the healing time and you may take it off after it heals completely. Taking off the jewelry during the healing time could cause irritation and swelling.
Can I swim after getting my nose pierced?
No, it is highly recommended not to swim with a healing nose piercing. The water source of a pool, river, pond, or sea may contain chemicals, germs, and debris that could cause irritation and infection in the pierced area. Infection can be very painful on the nose area, so make sure to avoid swimming until the piercing is healed.
What type of material to choose for my nose piercing jewelry?
You should go for a high-quality material that has less chance of causing any allergic reaction to your skin. Such as:
- Gold
- Surgical steel
- Titanium
Whatever you do, do not choose any cheap material that could cause irritation to your nose piercing.
Final Thoughts
So, at what age can you get a nose piercing at? It is generally around 14 in most states. But some stats age requirements may differ. Not to mention in most states even if you are 14 years old, you will need the notarized written consent of your parents and in some cases the physical presence of your parent during the piercing procedure.
There are many reasons behind this age requirement to get a piercing. A minor may have a developing immune system, develop nose cartilage, not be able to make informed decisions, not be able to understand the impact on social life, etc. If you decide to go for a nose piercing make sure to know what the law of your state and city says, consider the type of piercing and jewelry material, healing time, your pain tolerance level, etc.
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