Diabetes and Body Art: Getting Tattooed Safely

To get a tattoo, our second layer of skin – the dermis – is pierced from 50 to 3,000 times per minute with a tattoo machine.

This voluntary piercing of our barrier against infection poses extra risk for people with diabetes. High blood sugar dampens the immune system and slows healing time, increasing risk of infection or making it difficult to fight one.

However, diabetics do not have to forgo getting tattoos – just be wise about it.

Getting Tattooed Safely: Six Considerations

Since our human desires for things such as tattoos can often override common sense, these considerations are worth sharing.

1. Talk to your doctor before visiting a tattoo studio. He or she can help you determine your individual risk. Along with skin and blood borne infections, tattoos carry the risk of allergic reactions to equipment or inks, and scarring. Your complete medical history and overall health need to be looked at. The doctor may advise against a tattoo, but the decision is still yours and will be an informed one.
2. The risk of tattoo complications will be minimal if your blood sugar is under control. Your recent A1C readings – average blood glucose level for the previous 12 to 16 weeks – should ideally be less than seven percent. If your A1C tests are under eight percent and you have no neurological, heart, or kidney problems, the tattoo should heal okay if well-taken care of.
3. Make sure the tattoo parlor or studio you choose is reputable and follows the FDA guidelines for hygiene. For instance, tattoo artists are recommended to wear gloves and use needles only once to prevent the spread of infections such as hepatitis. You might ask the parlor for references or see whether any complaints about them have been filed with the Better Business Bureau.
4. When filling out the studio’s liability forms, you will likely be asked whether you have diabetes. It is to your advantage to be honest. Should you pass out during the procedure, the artist will not just assume you are squeamish about needles. Also, consider checking your blood sugar just prior to getting the tattoo, and every hour during the procedure.
5. Whether your tattoo is for aesthetic or medical I.D. purposes, it is best to avoid placing it in areas with poor circulation such as shins, ankles, and feet, or on areas where you usually inject insulin.
6. Be aware that a new tattoo is considered an open wound. Though taking care of it is not difficult, it needs to be done consistently. This usually means washing it regularly with antibacterial soap or sea salt. If you are fastidious about managing your blood sugar this will not be a problem.

Looking Ahead: Nanotech Tattoos

If research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology continues to pan-out, people with diabetes may someday get nano-particle ink “tattoos” that are sensitive to glucose levels.

The nano-particles fluoresce when in contact with glucose. A wrist device worn over the nano-particles reads and measures the fluorescence, giving the wearer a continuous glucose reading—and better glucose control.

Sources: Cleveland Clinic and Diabetes.co.uk
Photo credit: Bruce Warren / flickr