The Pennsylvania State Police have charged a 17 year old for giving a 13 year old a tattoo in a private home in Jonestown, Lebanon County. Angela Burian works at Hallows Eve Tattoo in Palmyra and can understand why someone would decide to get inked at a young age. She got her first tattoo at 14 years old. “My mom was totally against the whole idea of me getting tattoos, but she eventually got over it. She kind of had to” said Burian.
She said she doesn’t regret getting tattooed. She got some of her artwork done at Hallows Eve Tattoo, which is owned by artist Bill Atkinson. He holds his work to a high standard and keeps a copy of New York’s laws in his store. That’s because he said there are no laws or state agencies that regulate tattoos in Pennsylvania. A spokesperson with the Department of Health confirmed that Pennsylvania does not regulate tattoo parlors.
Dermatologist Abby Jacobson said you can get AIDS or Hepatitis C if the needles are dirty and the decision to get a tattoo can be a lifetime choice. “We do have laser tattoo removal but it doesn’t always catch certain colors, it doesn’t go to the depth that’s required, especially for an amateur tattoo” said Jacobson.
As for Burian, she said there’s no harm in holding off. “I know if I had waited to get a lot of my tattoos they would be a lot nicer, they would have been something that meant a little bit more to me” said Burian. The state police did not release the identity or charges of the teens involved in this latest incident. Troopers are asking parents to check their kids for tattoos and get them medically examined if they have them.