Can I get a tattoo when I'm sick?

I was quite surprised to discover that this is a question that people google. I rarely heard anyone ask this when I was a tattooist. Is it because they thought it was a dumb question? It isn't a dumb question.

Now, even though people didn't regularly ask if getting a tattoo when they're just plain ol' sick was okay, people who were battling cancer or other life threatening illnesses would always ask (though I'm sure there were many who didn't, and I had no idea they were ill). My policy was this: I wanted a doctor's note telling me that it was medically safe. I may have stuck needles in people, but I was not a doctor. Also, I had to think of my own liability issues. If I didn't have a doctor clearly state in writing that it was medically safe to tattoo a person, I felt I could be susceptible to a lawsuit if the tattoo made that person more ill. This is not a small thing!

So, is it okay to get a tattoo when you have a cold or something like that? Sure, it's okay. It won't kill you. It might make you stay sick a bit longer. Then again, it may not. However, getting a tattoo is a challenge to the immune system. It may not amount to much, especially if you are getting a small tattoo, but don't forget, getting a tattoo does some "damage" to your body. The tattoo machine pokes zillions of tiny holes in your skin and they bleed. Even if you think getting a tattoo is pleasureable (and some people do), your body will respond as it would to any stressor that includes low grade injury.

But think about this: if you are going to get a tattoo, do you want to do it when you're not feeling your best? In my way of thinking, I want to be as fully present to the experience of being tattooed as I possibly can. It is an experience! Of course, some people would rather be numbed out to the experience and they get tattooed while drunk or high. Getting a tattoo while sick is similar, as odd as that may sound.

Lastly, I've noticed that people who are sick tend to experience pain more readily.

So, my advice? If you're sick, stay home and save your tattoo experience for another day. I'll write more about getting tattooed when one is battling a serious illness another time. That is a deep topic and one that deserves a post of its own.

Welcome

I have been getting many hits on my other blog, Everything is Interesting, due to a post entitled "Why you should not get a tattoo." This one post, which was written in jest, has gotten so many hits that I regularly see all sorts of questions about tattooing on my daily blog analysis.

At first, as an ex-tattooist, I was rather irked that my ex was following me around. But then, I worked as a tattooist for almost fifteen years, so I figured it was bound to, and besides, I still like talking about tattoos now and again.

This morning, at 8:30am, a time one should not call any tattooist (not ever), I received a phone call from a woman asking about how she could rid herself of a tattoo she didn't want any more without paying for laser surgery. I wound up talking to her for about twenty minutes. Since I am unemployed at present, I wished I could have charged her for the call (especially since she called before 9:00am).

Well, to make this short story long, I decided that I wasn't going to buck the trend. I have plenty to say about tattoos, and I've always had the patience to answer peoples' questions (okay, not always). I figure I'm a good person to answer questions, for I have no investment in whether you actually do get a tattoo. I'm not selling anything. However, if you do find what I have to say to be of use to you, I wouldn't mind a tip. Please note the Amazon paybox on the right. It accepts payments of as little as one buck (though I only get 61 cents). How many things can you get for a dollar these days?

I am happy to answer your questions. Feel free to leave them in the comments section or on my other blog. I'll get around to them in due time. Cheers!