Your dad is pretty smart man, you don't need convincing him, but you NEED to understand and KNOW the risks:
If you don't think you'll get an allergic reactions to the ink, the FDA have gotten reports from people who have, and I have read it several times on YA TATTOOS.
Some tattoo colors are harder to remove than others. Laser treatments can turn some tattoos darker instead of lighter, or change them to a different color. The same goes for "permanent makeup," which is a kind of tattoo. It depends on what ingredients went into the tattoo ink to produce the color.
But it can be hard to find out what's in tattoo inks because they usually don't have ingredients listed on the label. Very often, even the tattooist doesn't know what's in the tattoo ink because the company that made it considers the formula "proprietary" (pro-pry-uh-tar-ee). That means it's a trade secret.
Here are some more facts about tattoos:
• FDA has not approved any color additives for injection into your skin.
• People who get a tattoo should not give blood for a year afterward because of the chance of infection.
• Although it happens only very rarely, some people may have an allergic reaction to the dyes used for tattooing. Imagine being allergic to something that's been injected into your skin.
• Or, the tattooist may make a mistake. Who wants to wear someone else's mistake forever?
Speaking of forever, how often do you change your mind about your hair, your earrings, or the clothes you like to wear? It's not so easy when you change your mind about a tattoo.
Although many "temporary tattoos" are legal, some -- especially some of those imported from other countries -- are illegal in the United States because they use color additives that are not approved for use on the skin. FDA has had reports of people having allergic reactions to temporary tattoos.
What about henna temporary tattoos? Henna is a brown to reddish brown dye made from a plant. It is approved only for use on the hair, not the skin. If it is black, or any other color besides brown or reddish brown, it contains other ingredients. It also may contain other ingredients to make the stain darker, make the skin absorb the color more easily, or make the stain last longer.
Could these ingredients hurt you? It depends. Individuals are different and may be sensitive to different things. If you don't know what the ingredients are, it's impossible to tell what they might do if you put them on your skin.
http://www.webmd.com/fda/think-before-you-ink-are-tattoos-safe
According to a poll conducted in January 2012 by pollster Harris Interactive, 1 in 8 (14%) of the 21% of American adults who have tattoos regret getting one. And the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) reports that in 2011, its doctors performed nearly 100,000 tattoo removal procedures, up from the 86,000 performed in 2010.
Unfortunately, removing a tattoo is not as simple as changing your mind.
Artists create tattoos by using an electrically powered machine that moves a needle up and down to inject ink into the skin, penetrating the epidermis, or outer layer, and depositing a drop of ink into the dermis, the second layer. The cells of the dermis are more stable compared with those of the epidermis, so the ink will mostly stay in place for a person’s lifetime. Tattoos are meant to be permanent.
An effective and safe way to remove tattoos is through laser surgery, performed by a dermatologist who specializes in tattoo removal, says FDA's Mehmet Kosoglu, who reviews applications for marketing clearances of laser-devices.
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm336842.htm?source=govdelivery
Kelly Osbourne removing keyboard tattoo from arm: ""Its going to burn like the snap of 1000 rubber bands!""
10 SIDE EFFECTS OF TATTOOS:
http://positivemed.com/2013/08/29/10-side-effects-tattoos/
2. Allergic retains to temporary and permanent tattoo inks: Reaction to tattoo inks, whether it is a temporary or permanent, is common. Studies indicate that red and yellow inks are most likely to cause allergic reactions to the skin, whereas black, purple, and green pigments have been found to be less allergic. These reactions are generally triggered by exposure to sunlight.
3. Scarring. Tattoos may lead to scar tissue. As the body attempts to remove the foreign substance (ink), bumps or small knots may form around the tattoos. Some skin conditions can also worsen due to tattoos.
4. Symptoms of an infection are: red rashes, swelling and pain. Skin Infection can take 2-3 weeks for an infection to appear.