When an Illinois teen went to the hospital with a staph infection from an illegally received tattoo, his parents - who were previously unaware of and had never consented to the tattoo - filed charges against the tattooer, 18 year-old Michael Whitlock. The age of consent for a tattoo in Illinois is 18, lowered from 21 a few years ago.

Unfortunately, a lot of teens who get tattoos and piercings without their parent’s knowledge or consent will also keep quiet even when they see it becoming infected. That can be a fatal error, so if you’re one of those teens keeping an infected tattoo or piercing hidden, please tell someone! If you really don’t think your parents will understand, talk to your school nurse or another trusted adult. But believe it or not, most parents are a lot more concerned with their kids being healthy and safe than about how they got themselves in trouble. You might get grounded, but that’s better than being hospitalized or dying - and an untreated infection will lead you in that direction.