Piercings can be a fun way for all people young and old to express themselves and decorate their body. Due to the lower level of permanence, many people choose to be pierced rather than tattooed at younger ages.
All current Australian state guidelines allow for minors to be pierced with parental consent and allow them to sign for themselves after they turn 16. It is up to the practitioner performing the piercing to decide what age requirements they feel comfortable with outside of these state requirements, with many reputable piercers requiring parental consent up until the age of 18. If you are a parent with a child wishing to get pierced or a minor who wishes to get pierced, it’s worth getting in touch with a local professional practitioner/AuPP member to ask them about their policies on piercing those under the age of 18.
For clients under the age of 16, a parent or legal guardian must be present to sign on their behalf. The parent/guardian will need their own government-issued photo ID such as a driver license or passport as well as government issued proof of relationship such as birth certificate or medicare card.
While it is undeniable infant earlobe piercing has a long history in many cultures throughout the world, piercing infants can also lead to some other unexpected risks as the child is unable to understand not to touch their piercings. This can lead to a greater risk of infections. Complications are also enhanced due to the infant not being able to communicate that something doesn’t feel right. Most reputable piercers agree that every client should, at a very minimum, be able to consent to a modification performed on them, so the piercing of infants has become less and less acceptable.
No reputable piercer will ever perform piercings on intimate areas, such as nipples and genitals, on a minor under 18.