HEALTH + MEDICATIONS
Common health conditions affected by tattooing:
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical professional, and cannot give medical advice nor give an exhaustive list of all conditions that might be affected by tattooing as that is out of the scope of my knowledge. Here is a brief and no doubt incomplete list of conditions that may be affected by tattooing, based on what I was taught during my tattoo training as well as information giving to me by other tattoo shops and artists. While provided in good faith and to the best of my knowledge, any and all information could be outdated, incomplete and/or inaccurate. Always consult with your medical providers about any and all questions and concerns about your fitness to be tattooed and your ultimate decision to get tattooed prior to your tattoo appointment. If in doubt, I am unable to make the choice for you as to whether or not you are in good health to receive a tattoo.
Skin conditions: I cannot tattoo over active skin conditions including acne, open wounds/healing scars, psoriasis, sun burn, rash, or any sort of infection. Please be aware that tattooing can flare up conditions such as psoriasis. I can tattoo over vitiligo, but be aware that it is believed tattooing can cause vitiligo to flare up or get larger.
Heart conditions: The primary way medically controlled heart conditions can affect tattooing is through blood thinner medications. Lighter dosages may not be an issue, but heavier dosages may cause too much bleeding, be unsafe and cause the tattoo to heal poorly. I cannot determine whether your medication will cause this, so please check with your doctor. Certain heart conditions may also put you at risk of infections such as endocarditis; ask your doctor if you are at risk for endocarditis or other infections as it may be unsafe for you to get tattooed or you may need to take precautions such as antibiotics before and after getting tattooed.
Immune Suppression: Whether caused by disease or medications, immune suppression can affect the way a tattoo heals and open you to risk of infection. Tattoos are essentially very shallow open wounds when fresh; all open wounds are at increased risk of infection, which is why the body heals from outside in as quickly as possible in order to close itself off to outside pathogens. When you are immune suppressed, it takes longer for wounds to heal over, thus increasing the chance of the tattoo getting infected due simply to it being open to infection for a longer period of time as well as the body having a harder time fighting off infection. If you are currently successfully managing your condition, you may be able to be tattooed. If your immune suppression is caused by a medication, condition or treatment you may not be able to get tattooed right now but it is possible you’ll be able to be tattooed in the future, so don’t give up hope. If you are immune suppressed, always talk with your medical providers about whether or not it is currently safe for you to get tattooed before booking an appointment.
Diabetes: As above, diabetes affects the immune system and in uncontrolled diabetes high blood sugar levels can slow wound healing and increase chance of infection. Well controlled diabetes usually does not present an issue with tattooing. The tattoo process, particularly feeling pain, can stress the system and raise your blood sugar, so be aware and prepare accordingly. Diabetes can affect circulation, so avoid tattooing areas of the body with poor circulation. Please ask your doctor if it is safe for you to get tattooed at this time.
Pregnancy and breast feeding: Getting tattooed while pregnant or breastfeeding is generally not recommended, and this is mostly for liability purposes on the part of the provider as well as due to an abundance of caution on the part of the parent. The risks are generally about the same as getting tattooed when not pregnant - the most likely being that there is a small risk of contracting an infection, which could affect the health of parent or child. It is suspected that ink particles are too large to pass into breast milk, but not known. It is challenging to find definite information about tattooing during pregnancy or breastfeeding because like many things related to pregnancy and breastfeeding there has been little formal research done. That being said, it is legal in Oregon to get tattooed while pregnant or breastfeeding. While the risks are low, the stakes are high, so many do still choose to delay a tattoo until after pregnancy and breastfeeding due to it being an unnecessary procedure. While tattooing has not been shown to affect breast milk, out of caution it is recommended to wait 24 hours after getting tattooed to breast feed. I cannot be responsible for your choice to get tattooed while pregnant or breastfeeding or any unexpected health outcomes to you or your child that may result from your choice. When in doubt, it is prudent to consult a medical professional and/or delay the procedure.
Hemophilia: Talk to your doctor about if it is safe for you to get tattooed. Avoid the head, neck, mouth and anywhere else where bleeding or swelling could be dangerous.
HIV: If you have well-controlled HIV, you can probably get tattooed, although you should still check with your doctor to be sure. Tattooing is not safe for those with uncontrolled HIV. Please let your artist know if you have controlled HIV. Standard procedures for infection control are followed between every client, regardless of HIV status.
Hepatitis: While it is usually safe for you to get tattooed, it is advised that you take extra precautions to protect others during your tattoo and healing. Make sure to mention it to your artist and keep the tattoo covered during healing to protect others from the open wound. Saniderm (a clear, adhesive medical bandage that is left on for long periods of time) is highly recommended both for safety and ease of healing.
Severe Allergies: Please make sure to mention any severe allergies. If you are allergic to inks or dyes, please check in with your artist to get the ingredients to the inks that will be used well in advance of your appointment so that other inks may be procured or other solutions found if needed. Even when ingredients are provided, it is not possible for your tattoo artist to know whether anything used during the tattoo procedure will cause you to have an allergic reaction.
Epilepsy: Please discuss your seizures with your doctor and artist. You may need to wait until your seizures are less frequent or more predictable before it is safe for you to get tattooed.
Medications: Most medications are not an issue in regards to tattooing, but some can have an effect. Certain antibiotics as well as acne medications can increase skin sensitivity and have been known to cause unusual reactions. Anti organ rejection medications can interfere with tattoo healing, check with your doctor beforehand. And as mentioned above, blood thinning medications may interact with the tattoo; please ask your doctor for recommendations. Additionally, medications that cause mental impairment or altered mental states are not recommended in combination with tattooing. Other medications may also cause interactions, so check first.
Please make sure you are healthy before you get tattooed. Your health is important and tattoos can always wait! This is not an exhaustive list of conditions that can be affected by tattooing, so if in doubt do your research and contact your doctor before booking your appointment.