Healthy Guide to Teen Trends

If you’re the parent of a teenager, or you spend a lot of time with them, there’s a good chance you’re no stranger to tattoos, body piercings, or blasting headphones. The good news is that teen trends come and go. The bad news is that each of these trends carries a small health risk. Fortunately, if you educate your teen about potential health risks involved, you can help ensure a safe situation.

Tattoos, for example, appear to be safe over the long term, but where your teen actually gets the tattoo may not be. "Tattoos are usually things that kids get with their friends, and although there's a very low risk factor for contracting Hepatitis C in a tattoo parlor, all teens should ask before getting a tattoo if the artist is using a sterile needle—not just a washed needle," says Jackie Spencer, MSW, senior program manager for the American Liver Foundation (www.liverfoundation.org). Another troubling issue with tattoos? The forever factor. "Piercings can heal, but a tattoo is permanent," says Rebecca Chase, PNP, a pediatric nurse practitioner with more than 15 years of experience. If a tattoo must be removed, it’s quite expensive and can be painful.

What about body piercing? “If your teen is going to get his or her belly button, ear, nose, or other body part pierced, make sure the same rules of safety and cleanliness apply,” says Spencer. What's more, teens should not share belly rings, earrings, or other piercing items with their friends if their pierced area is not healed. "Hepatitis C is spread when blood from an infected person gets into the blood system of another person," she warns.

The other risk associated with body piercing is infection, according to Chase, and this is particularly true if the piercing is performed by a friend—or if the site isn’t taken care of properly. "Any time there's an opening in the skin, you have to make sure it heals completely," she says. Signs of infection include red or swollen skin—or pain around the pierced area. The good news is that most infections can be treated with oral antibiotics.

Another common habit among teens is wearing headphones with the volume set at high. "I have seen a lot of teens use headphones, most with no problem," says Chase. "But the long-term effect is not necessarily known, and, depending on how loud the music is, one’s hearing could definitely be affected." A survey by Australia's National Acoustic Laboratories found that about one-quarter of people using portable stereos had the volume turned up loud enough to cause hearing damage. What’s more, researchers at Boston Children's Hospital found that while listening to a portable stereo with the volume set at 60 percent for up to one hour is relatively safe, higher volumes and longer listening periods may be potentially hazardous.

The bigger problem that Chase sees with earphones, however, is with isolation. "Communication is so important between parents and kids, and often the only time to talk is in the car—when parents are transporting kids to and from activities," she says. "But if the teen gets in the car and automatically turns on the headphones, everything gets blocked out." Experts suggest compromising—letting teens listen to music while relaxing, although not when they’re actively engaged in studying or reading. Parents should also be sensitive to their teens' desire for downtime, as sometimes taking a break from the outside world is just what they need.