Age Constraints on Piercing and Tattoos

There are inconsistent laws, or no law stated at all, for the age you are allowed to get a body piercing or tattoo, or even they are allowed at all, for every state.
In Georgia the legal age to get a tattoo is 18, but it is illegal to tattoo within an inch of the eye.
In Georgia the legal age to get a body piercing is 18, unless you have a parent's consent.
Body piercings are not as dangerous as tattoos can be, because if you take the piercing out of the hole, it can always close right back up. It does take some responsibility to care for piercings though because it can lead to infections if not cleaned or taken care of regularly. Those who would go get piercings would hopefully do so in licensed places and make sure everything is medically safe and sanitized. It is not worth the risk that comes with getting one illegally. At a certain age, younger people might do what the trend or fad is at the time, which could be a certain piercing or tattoo, so just getting one for this purpose is not a responsible decision and should require parental consent at this age.
Tattooing is a much dangerous and permanent matter. One must make sure the tattoo parlor is licensed and has been inspected for safety precautions. Tattoos should be something that is thought through, since it is permanent and will stay on your body forever. What someone thought was a great idea when they were younger, might not seem as such a great idea later on in life.  It takes responsibility to get a tattoo and should not just be a rash decision.
If done under safe conditions and the person makes a responsible decision, both tattooing and body piercing can have a positive outcome.