Timothee clenches his jaw and grips his sweatshirt as the tattooist's needle sinks into his skin. The angel he wants on his shoulder is not going to get there by itself. He is going to have to suffer for his body art.

Like many teenagers, Timothee has not waited till his 18th birthday to get his first tattoos and piercings.

In fact this is the blond 18-year-old's seventh tattoo. He had the names of his parents tattooed on his wrist at 16, and six others elsewhere to go with his nose piercing and the little stud on the inner lobe of his ear.