Are teenagers able to reason?

The only reason that I ask if teenagers are able to reason is that I was chatting with Michelle about dropping out of high school because she wants a lip ring six weeks earlier than she’s allowed to get one. 

She said that it was complicated and I wouldn’t be able to understand why she’s willing to throw away a year of her life because she wants to have a lip ring.  Apparently it isn’t a ‘fashion statement’ it’s an indication of ‘who she is’.

I told her that she needed to pretend to be someone else for six weeks and then she can resume being who she really is.  She didn’t like that suggestion.

Wow.

So, now I’m the unreasonable one because I want her to be able to finish high school and put off the lip ring for six weeks.  She’s the reasonable one for insisting that the lip ring IS who she is and removing it for six weeks would be ripping out her soul.  Ummm.

If there are any teenagers (or recently graduated from teens to early 20's) out there that can bridge the gap and explain why a lip ring six weeks early is worth jeopordizing your high school career over - please, please, please clue me in.