I've got a medical condition... can I still get tattooed?
We get a lot of questions from people with existing illness, immune diseases, ailments, skin conditions and so on. Obviously we are not medical professionals and I will always advise you to speak to your GP, Consultant, Oncologist, or medical professional you fall under. Generally we would require you to get the go ahead from a medical professional before getting a tattoo because they will always know you and your medical history best, this is something we cannot reasonably be expected to be able to do. However I have some clickable links that are worth reading and can give general advice for you on some minor things.
Just so you know…
In our studio nearly every item we use (apart from things like machines and cables, and obviously the beds) are single use. If it is not single use it is wrapped, covered, and sterilised with hospital grade cleaners before and after a procedure. We all use single use, individually wrapped and gas sterilised needles and grips (the bit between the machine and needle). We do not have an autoclave (a sterilising unit) as we don’t sterilise anything to reuse. This means we can be absolutely sure that the equipment we use is single use and will NEVER under any circumstances come into contact with any one but you.
We use licensed Biological waste contractors to remove our waste safely and legally, and our certificates of transfer are available to view if requested. We have our current up to date environmental health inspection report available for viewing by clients in our bylaws book in reception so you can be assured that we take every measure to prevent infection and contamination of any kind.
Diabetes -
I would say this is one of the most common conditions we come across in our studio.
https://diabetesstrong.com/diabetes-tattoos-what-you-need-to-know/
this is a quite informative link for information on getting a tattoo with diabetes. Generally people with well maintained diabetes can get tattooed, but it is essential you stay on top of your healing times and contact your GP if you feel your healing is taking longer than normal.
If you have suffered any vascular damage or neuropathy in your legs I highly recommend you do not get tattooed below the waist, I would be very concerned for your healing times and would need you to definitely have a chat with your GP before considering it to see what they think. In general it’s preferable in whatever condition you are in you get a thumbs up from a doctor first.
Certain medications including blood thinners -
A tattoo won’t make you pour with blood, but it does open the skin. Generally we say no to people taking blood thinners, but if you speak to your GP and they have a different answer then please come and chat to us about it.
Any condition needing immunosuppressants - Crohn’s disease, Lupus, Some skin conditions, etc -
Please consult a GP or consultant first, they will be able to advise you much better than us.
Skin conditions like Excema and Psoriasis -
Tattooing can exacerbate these conditions. The trauma of tattooing can sometimes cause a flare up even in a place you haven’t had the condition appear before. I have heard that these things are harder to get advice from a GP from due to it being a bit more ‘random’ - if you have a skin condition like this it is important to be aware it could trigger it and that you may have prolonged healing times or need touch ups in the future. Again, a medical professional is the one to trust though, as tattooists we are not qualified or trained to give proper medical advice.
On antibiotics? -
This is a harder one - Im not sure of the answer. To be honest I would say if you are already fighting an infection is your body well enough to try and heal something else? I can’t find any peer reviewed medical information about this.
When you get diagnosed and given antibiotics for whatever infection you have ask the doctor if you’re OK to get a tattoo, they are the ones that can say yes or no for definite. I found this link that says not to get tattooed but ideally I prefer to share things that are supported by medical knowledge. If I come across anything better I’ll edit the post.
https://authoritytattoo.com/tattoo-on-antibiotics/
HIV/AIDS -
As with every medical condition it is important that you let us know when you fill out the consent form if you have anything, including HIV/AIDS. It is as important for you as it is for us to be able to give you the best treatment and advice regarding the procedures.
As you might know already, tattooing breaks the skin and although we take every measure possible to not introduce infection in the studio by using single use equipment, we cannot control what happens when you leave so we need to be able to give you the best aftercare advice.
If you have HIV/AIDS, you will likely be on ART medication and have regular checks with your doctors/consultants to check your viral load. If your CD4 count is lower than 100 you may be more at risk of developing infections or not being able to fend off infection due to low immunity. This is definitely something to discuss with your specialist and wait for a higher CD4 count to be on the safe side.
The treatments and medications for HIV/AIDS are absolutely incredible now and there is no reason why a person who is taking their medications properly and is fully in control of their condition cannot get tattooed safely, without the risk of prolonged or unsatisfactory healing.
As i’ve said many times before in this post it is 100% best to ask your specialist their advice on getting tattooed (as tattooists our advice tends to be more verbatim and google based) so they can advise you on any possible problems with healing or in general important things you should know about wound healing.
We try to be compassionate and discreet in the studio and understand that having to declare a HIV/AIDS status can be a very traumatic experience, so please feel comfortable to arrange to come in for a private chat before your appointment if you would like to.
*update - Feb 2023 - We are very conscious of the fact that it can be inappropriate and uncomfortable to have to declare a HIV status, and we are taking advice on whether its even appropriate to ask anymore as its such a controllable condition in these times. We are currently legally required to have the question on our consent forms but this may be subject to change and come off completely soon.
If you have any other questions regarding tattoos and existing conditions or medications please comment on this post and we’ll get back to you!