• According to her, when schools reopened, the 17-year-old reported to school as was expected and all was well.
• However, all hell broke loose when she visited the school a few days later to collect a bursary form.
Image: COURTESY
A parent is in a dilemma after her form three son was sent back home over a tattoo on his arm.
Rosemary told the Star that she was shocked when the administration of a school in Kakamega county sent her son back on grounds that he will only be admitted when the tattoo is removed.
According to her, when schools reopened, the 17-year-old reported to school as was expected and all was well.
However, all hell broke loose when she visited the school a few days later to collect a bursary form.
"When I arrived, I was told to see the principal. After some time, I was notified that I should go back home with my son because he had a tattoo and the school would not allow him to continue with classes," she said.
"I tried to plead and negotiate on behalf of my boy, but all my plea fell on dead ears. I gave up and since then my son is just in the house," she added.
Rosemary said she did not know the boy had tattooed himself until few days to school opening.
"I realised he was hiding something. But when I insisted, he opened up and told me he had a tattoo on his upper arm. When I checked, it was a foot stamp with my name on it," she said.
She said since the boy drew the tattoo without her knowledge, she has been seeking help but none seems to go through.
"I have even tried the possibility of removing the tattoo but I have been warned that it is expensive with the risk of his arm becoming numb and swelling," Rosemary said.
She said since she had paid part of the school fees, she hoped that her son would be subjected to some form of punishment but allowed to proceed with her studies.
"He is so remorseful and regrets what he did. He has already spent more than 9 months at home and feel bad that he is losing so much," she said.
"I am not sure how the Education ministry can help be but if there is a way they can intervene so that my son can be allowed in school I would be grateful," she added.
The Star reached out to Barry Tusker, a tattoo expert who said police should track and arrest the artist who drew the said tattoo on the boy.
Barry said the law prohibits tattooing anybody who is below 18 years.
"That is inflicting pain on the minor. How did he do it without following the laid down procedures, if not then the parent should take the blame for negligence," Barry said.
He said any minor seeking to have a tattoo on them should come along with their parent in-person to sign a consent form.
Barry said the only available option is to either remove the tattoo or change its design using concealers though that would be a temporary remedy.
"If it were to be removed, it will be done through laser surgery in sessions with each session costing between Sh4,000 and Sh12,000 depending of the price of the person doing it."
Barry said one cannot predict the number of sessions one will undergo because it depends on the size of the tattoo and the depth of the ink.
His sentiments are echoed by Jake Kuria who said another option would be to fully shade the tattoo in that when it heals it looks like a birthmark.
Kuria however regretted the fact that tattoos are associated with criminality yet it is just some form of art expressed on the body.
"Anyone can become a criminal because everyone has their beliefs. You cannot link tattoos with criminality and a child should not be denied the right to education because of a tattoo," Kuria said.
To him, if the school feels aggrieved, they should have just punished the boy as a warning to others and let him be.
"If all schools were to crackdown on tattoos, you will be surprised on the number of students even pupils who will be sent back home, let there be an appropriate way to handle the matter," he said.
According to Mayo clinic, those seeking to be tattooed should not take the risks lightly.
They must fully understand basic safety precautions and aftercare.
How tattoos are done
A tattoo is a permanent mark or design made on your skin with pigments inserted through pricks into the skin's top layer.
Mayo clinic states that typically, the tattoo artist uses a hand-held machine that acts much like a sewing machine, with one or more needles piercing the skin repeatedly.
With every puncture, the needles insert tiny ink droplets in the body.
The process which is done without anesthetics causes a small amount of bleeding and slight to potentially significant pain.
What are the risks?
The risks associated with tattoos range from skin breaching to allergic reactions.
As a result, one risks skin infections among other complications.
When it comes to blood donation, a donor with a tattoo on them cannot be allowed to donate blood unless the said tattoo is more than a year old.
Experts further say tattoo dyes especially red, green, yellow and blue can cause allergic skin reactions, such as an itchy rash at the tattoo site. This can occur even years after you get the tattoo.
Despite the risks of skin infection, sometimes an area of inflammation called a granuloma can form around tattoo ink.
Tattooing also can lead to keloids which are raised areas caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue.
"If the equipment used to create your tattoo is contaminated with infected blood, you can contract various bloodborne diseases including methicillin- a resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), hepatitis B and hepatitis C," Mayo clinic quotes.
Though tattoos or permanent makeup rarely cause swelling or burning in the affected areas during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams but in some cases, tattoo pigments can interfere with the quality of the image.
How to take good care of a tattoo
How one cares for a new tattoo depends on the type and extent of work done.
But basically, one has to use plain soap and water and a gentle touch to keep the tattooed skin clean.
While showering, one should avoid direct streams of water on the newly tattooed skin.
They should then apply a mild moisturiser to the tattooed skin several times a day and avoid sun exposure for at least a few weeks.
One should also avoid swimming by staying out of pools, hot tubs, rivers, lakes and other bodies of water before the tattoo heals.
One must also carefully choose their clothing to avoid wearing anything that might stick on the tattoo.
For at least two weeks of healing, one should not pick at any scabs which increases the risk of infection and can damage the design.
If one thinks their tattoo might be infected or they are concerned that the tattoo isn't healing properly, they should immediately seek help from a dermatologist.