At what age is it OK for a child to have a nose stud and piercings ?

My son started [i]sneaking[/i] at the age of 16, pierced one of his ears, got an earring, and several tattoos. HE decided...by [i]sneaking[/i]. At that time tattoo parlors were illegal in our state, so he went to an illegal tattoo party. When I found out what he had done, I dragged him in to have him tested for AIDS and hepatitis.

THEN I became the bad mother. Apparently making sure he had not contracted a disease was absolutely AWFUL.