Why I Should be Allowed to Get a Lip Ring
First off, I want you to realize that I am 16, seventeen in 6 months. I am a junior in high school. I know you know all of this, but I just wanted to point it out so that you keep it in the back of your mind, as you read this, that I am not a child.
Second, I want you to know that I have been thinking about this for months now and that this is not a random impulsive decision. Lip rings are a big responsibility, and I am more than ready to take that on.
Third, I want you to know that if you do not let me get a lip ring now, I will respect your decision, although I will disagree with it. I will get a lip ring once I turn 18, because I won’t need your permission, and I am sure that I will still want one. However, I really want you to support me and trust me enough to let me get one now, because I want to express my style in high school, and not wait until college
Also, lip rings are not permanent! When I decide that I don’t want it anymore, I can take it out, and the tiny hole heals over easily without leaving a scar. I have researched this and have seen many personal experiences that tell me that the hole is too small to cause any real tissue damage.
I am not asking you for a tattoo (which I have seen on many kids in my grade at school), or to dye my hair blue (which I have also seen countless times). I am asking you for a simple piece of jewelry. This is just like any earring except that it’s in a less common place. You always told me to be a leader and think for myself, and this is me doing so. I do not want to look like everyone else. I want to stand out and be different. However, lip rings are not so uncommon in teenagers that I would be thought down upon for having one. Also, I have seen many people at Etowah with facial piercings, including nose, eyebrows, tongue, and lip, so I know that the school does not have a rule against these things.
Unlike a tattoo or funky hair color, I can take out my lip ring (after the initial healing process of about two weeks) when I go to formal occasions or any place where it wouldn’t be considered “appropriate.â€Â
I know that you only hesitate on saying yes because either 1) you are afraid of the safety and health issues, 2) you think I will regret doing this when I am older, or 3) you think it looks unattractive.
To reply to those:
1) If you take me to a professional body piercing parlor, there is a VERY low risk of any complications. While lip rings are not as common as other piercings, they are still common enough that the professional has had much experience in doing them. Lip rings are one of the fastest healing piercings. They are much less likely to get infected than most other piercings, including ears. Plus, surprisingly, I have heard from friends and read that lip piercings do not hurt nearly as bad as you think they would. It feels about like biting your lip. There is the initial pinch, but then it is over with.
2) As I said, when I decide that I need to get rid of the lip ring, I can do so easily simply by taking it out and allowing the hole to heal. There are no scars and there really is nothing to regret. I have no regrets in my life so far because I think you should live every day to the fullest. There is no point in trying to please any one else or fit in with other people’s standards because they should not matter to you.
3) I’m sorry if you don’t think lip rings are attractive, but I love them. They are a great way to express my style without doing anything permanent or irremovable. I don’t understand how you could tell me to be a leader and then not let me get a simple piercing just because you don’t like how it looks.
Lastly, lip rings are not very expensive. At tattoo and body piercing parlors, they generally cost between $30 and $50. I am more than willing to do housework or other chores to earn this money and pay for it myself.
Thank you for considering this. I wrote this in a letter because I feel that if I just asked you, you wouldn’t give me time to explain all of this or let you know that this isn’t an impulsive decision on my part. I have thought about this a lot and I know that I would be much happier and more comfortable with myself as a person if I knew that how I looked was a reflection of my character and not just a clone of other teenage girls.
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