She walks between the stands, a bit like in an orientation lounge. But Louanne, 17 and a half, did not come here to find a job. Accompanied by her little brother and her parents, who surprised her by taking her to the Nantes tattoo convention at the Beaujoire exhibition center this Sunday, the young girl is looking for the phrase she will make. register on the coast in a few months. “She’s been talking about it for a long time, so we decided to give her a gift for her 18th birthday,” say her parents, 39 and 42 years old. We prefer to accompany her, that she still matures her choice, rather than doing it all alone on her side. “
Among the thousands of visitors to this great event, this family is no exception. Lily, 14, for example, will not have to hide her future tattoo, quite the contrary. The teenager, who is holding her mom’s hand, has already obtained parental permission required for any minor who wishes to go under the needle. “We agree, even if we asked her to wait, she will have it on her 16th birthday,” confide her parents Julie and Yann, themselves tattooed several times each. We talked about it together, she wants to register the date of birth of her brother and sister. That’s fine with us, because it’s something symbolic. Not a little drawing that is useless. “
Do not regret later
Presenting a project that makes sense is also how Erwan, 17, managed to convince his mother to sign the paper last year. “She understood that it was really important for me, that I needed it,” said the young man, who had his calf covered in the wake, in tribute to his dad. “I accompanied him to the door and let him do it,” Clarisse, 48, continues. I didn’t want to see him suffer either! I have three tattoos so I know what it is. As long as he did not want one on his head and that it remains discreet … “
Because if these adults, often already tattooed, positively welcome the request, they do not say amen to everything. Reason, location … everything must be well thought out to prevent their children do not regret it later. An opinion shared by professionals, some of whom simply refuse to tattoo those under 18. “I accept from 16 years old, but with the presence of parents, reports Catherine Steuer, tattoo artist in Marseille. On the other hand, I refuse the visible places, like the hands, the back of the ear, the face… I also have a young person who asked me for a cannabis leaf. There is no! “
Parents get started
Lying flat on her stomach, Nora will leave with a lion surrounded by flowers on her calf, a flash motif for which she was “very fond of”. The student, who encountered her parents’ refusal when she was a minor, came to have a tattoo at the salon with her friend Louna, 18 years old… and Karine, her mother. In this pair, this time it is the youngest who, after four tattoos, motivated the other to take the plunge. This Sunday evening, this 54-year-old woman went under the needle for the first time. “We chose something discreet, a flower at the ankle, says the only one in the family who was not yet tattooed. It wasn’t necessarily planned for today, but I think it’s great to do it here with my kids. “