Mom Arrested After Giving her Daughter a Tattoo

If you're under the age of 18 you can get a tattoo as long as you have a parents consen in the state of Indiana,  but how young is too young?

Odessa Clay is a 30 year old mom from North Carolina.  She is a part time tattoo artist, who also hangs drywall and sells Mary Kay.  Her daughter is 11, and now has a small heart tattoo on her right shoulder.  When asked why she did it, her mom said "she asked me to do it".  One time I asked my mom for a horse, I even tried to convince her it could live in our back yard, but she didn't let me do it... So I don't necessarily think that's a good enough answer.

In Odessa Clay's defense, she did say that she believed that with parental permission a minor could get a tattoo, so she didn't think there would be an issue. But in the state of North Carolina they prohibit tattoos on minors even with parental consent.   they said the most she can be charged with is tattooing a minor, they don't believe any child abuse charges will be filed against her.

Personally though, I don't think the big issue is necessarily tattooing people under the age of 18, I think this has just raised the real issue of, how young is too young to get something permanently placed on your body?    I personally think 11 is too young to get something permanently placed on your body.  I would like to get a tattoo one day, so I don't mean this to seem like I'm against tattoos, but I'm so glad I've held out this long because some of the ideas of tattoos I wanted in high school were kinda ridiculous.   I'm really glad my mom wouldn't let me get one then because now I'd regret the crap out of it haha.

Anyways, this leads me to ask the question, how young is too young for a tattoo?