Jesse Villemaire
Thrive Studios

Let’s talk about sex! Do you remember those talks back in high school? Well, times are now shifting and some proactive schools are seeking more knowledge about the safe practices of tattooing and body piercing to add to their educational speeches for students. In 2010 I was approached by my local Public Health inspectors about teaming up and working together to help develop a short seminar that could be presented to students between grades 7-12. Our mission was to provide a class that the kids would easily enjoy, absorb, and share within their peer groups. I was proud to be a part of this project and happily obliged.

As a piercer of almost 15 years, I’ve seen the number of teens getting body modifications growing each year. I’ve also seen an increase of poorly done self piercing and tattooing, and an influx of younger teens practicing body art on each other. With the substantial growth of social media and YouTube, I believe we’ve all seen similar increases of poorly executed body art in our communities.

Let’s face it; body art isn’t going away anytime soon. If anything, it’s growing at an alarming rate and if you look around the hallways in schools, it’s common to see body piercings and the occasional tattoo. When body art is on the rise, so are the potential risks of bloodborne pathogens such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV and skin infections such as MRSA. Just like “Safe Sex Education” was controversial at one time, now it’s time we start educating our younger generation about the risks involved with body art. Each time I’m invited to a school to guest speak, I’m shocked to see the number of students that will admit to piercing themselves or each other. Many kids do not realize that the same diseases that are spread by unsafe sex can also be spread by unsafe body art practices.

As an owner of a reputable tattoo and piercing studio in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada and also an educator within the body art community, I have had the privilege to partner with the Wellington-Dufferin- Guelph Public Health Inspectors and another local piercer, to put together a 60-90 minute presentation aimed at youth in grades 7-12. This presentation has been presented to hundreds of students throughout the school years since 2010. While we do not promote nor encourage students to get tattoos and piercings, this presentation promotes safety and education to help guide students into making the correct decisions if they choose to get any body art in the future. It’s extremely rewarding to discuss with students after the presentation how we helped them realize that not all tattoo and piercing establishments are the same. It also helps them realize the greater risks of getting tattooed or pierced at a friend’s house, or within a party environment.

With minimal regulations surrounding the body art industry, it’s also an eye opening presentation for the teachers within the room. We’ll discuss how many people believe that every tattoo artist or piercer has to have some sort of formal training and have a “licence” to practice, however this is usually not the case. Many are shocked to find out that, in most places, little or no education is required to start tattooing or piercing on the general public. We discuss key topics such as what to look for, and what to ask, if they decide to visit a tattoo and piercing studio. Other topics include dealing with peer pressure, recognizing and understanding the differences between a reputable, inspected studio as opposed to a non-inspected studio, and understanding the role of the Public Health Inspectors. We’ll discuss the subject of infections, diseases, the possible challenges of future job placement, sterilization standards, and even show some images of poorly done body art in order to spark an open discussion with students. The key focus is to emphasize the importance of doing proper research before making the decision of getting a tattoo or piercing. Through education provided by experts in our field, our goal is to decrease the health risks involved with getting body modifications. Students will leave the presentation with a much clearer view on how to protect themselves and their peers.

I encourage you to present a similar course outline to your local health unit and the surrounding schools. If you’re passionate about the future of our industry, then I suggest teaming up with others that show similar interests, get involved in your community, and start educating our youth. Let’s work together to make the future a little safer for the next generation of body art enthusiasts!