To get a back dermal, you generally need to be at least 18. Many states will let you get one younger if a parent or legal guardian comes with you, shows ID, and signs a consent form at the shop. A few states go the other direction and ban microdermals for anyone under 18 no matter what a parent agrees to. So the honest answer to how old you have to be to get back dermals depends on which state you’re in and how that state classifies the procedure.
Why Dermals Aren’t Treated Like Regular Piercings
A back dermal is a single-point piercing. A small metal anchor sits just below the skin’s surface, and a decorative top screws into it from above. There’s no exit hole the way there is with an earlobe or navel piercing, which is why piercers and regulators sometimes call these microdermal implants or transdermal implants.
That distinction drives the age rules. Some states regulate dermals under the same body piercing statutes that cover earlobes and navels. Others group them with subdermal implants, branding, and scarification, which usually face stricter limits. Minnesota, for instance, bans microdermals on anyone under 18 even with parental consent. New Jersey has taken the opposite view, treating microdermal anchors as surface piercings under its standard body art rules. Before you book anything, you need to know which bucket your state uses, because the age cutoff follows from that.
If You’re 18 or Older
In virtually every jurisdiction that allows the procedure at all, an adult can consent to a back dermal on their own. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. The shop will keep a copy of it on file.
The 18-year line isn’t arbitrary. Dermals are semi-permanent, they carry real complication risks, and removing one leaves a scar. Lawmakers treat the choice the way they treat tattoos: as one that calls for adult judgment.
If You’re Under 18
Where minors can get dermals, the path usually requires all of the following:
- A parent or legal guardian in the shop with you, in person. A phone call or a signed note mailed in isn’t enough in most places.
- Government-issued photo ID for both of you. If your last names don’t match, bring a birth certificate to prove the relationship.
- A written consent form signed by the parent at the shop. Some states require the form to be notarized, which typically costs somewhere between $2 and $25.
If the adult with you is a legal guardian rather than a biological parent, expect the shop to ask for court paperwork proving guardianship. A shop that waves that step off is cutting a legal corner, which is a fair signal about how carefully they’ll handle the piercing itself.
State Minimum Age Floors
Parental consent isn’t a universal override. Several states set an absolute minimum age below which no body piercing is allowed, even with a parent signing. Some draw the line at 14, some at 16. A few ban all body piercings for minors outright, with narrow exceptions for earlobes. In those states you’re waiting until 18 regardless of what your parents want.
States that name microdermals or dermal implants directly in their statutes tend to be the strictest. A state that allows earlobe piercings at any age with parental consent may still put dermals off-limits until 18. The reasoning is that dermals sit under the skin, reject more often, and are harder to reverse.
The Dermal Punch Problem
There’s one more thing to check before booking. Dermal piercings are sometimes inserted with a tool called a dermal punch, which removes a small circle of skin rather than pushing a needle through it. In some states, using a dermal punch is restricted to medical professionals. If a shop in one of those states uses a punch, the piercer is working outside the law no matter how old you are. Ask which method the piercer uses, then confirm it’s legal where you live.
What the Age Rules Are Protecting You From
Back dermals carry more risk than most piercings, and the age laws exist partly because of that. This matters whether you’re the person getting pierced or the parent deciding whether to sign.
Many piercers describe dermals as “long-term temporary” because rejection rates are high. Your body treats the anchor as a foreign object and can slowly push it toward the surface. The back makes this worse. Sitting, lying down, fitted clothing, and normal movement all put friction and pressure on the anchor, which accelerates rejection and raises infection risk.
Healing takes one to three months under good conditions, and six months isn’t unusual. During that window you need to clean the area with saline solution several times a day, keep it out of pools and baths, sleep on your side, and wear loose clothes that won’t snag the jewelry. For a teenager with sports, a school uniform, or an active social life, those restrictions are genuinely hard to keep up.
Removal isn’t like sliding out a stud either. The anchor is embedded, so it usually comes out in an emergency room or dermatologist’s office. Some scarring is likely no matter which removal technique is used.1National Institutes of Health. Step-by-Step Guide to the Punch Removal Technique for Dermal Piercings That permanent mark is a big part of why states either require adult consent or pull minors out of the decision entirely.
How to Confirm the Rule Where You Live
Body art classifications aren’t standardized across the country, so a general answer only gets you so far. Your state health department’s website is the fastest way to find the current rules, including whether dermals are treated as piercings or as implants, what the minimum age is, and whether a dermal punch is allowed outside a medical setting.
Once you know the rule, the shop should match it. Licensed body piercing establishments hold a permit from the local or state health department, and that license should be visible on the wall. A shop that doesn’t ask for ID isn’t following the age law, and a shop that isn’t following the age law probably isn’t the one you want handling hardware that will sit under your skin for months.