I have been thinking about getting a tattoo for awhile and before I really considered it, I wanted to be sure. Well, it’s been about one or two years and I’ve decided that I really would like to get one. I know that there are always risks involved for anyone getting a tattoo even more so for a person with diabetes. Would the risk be so great that I would be stupid to get one or would it be okay?

First, I can’t say enough about making sure you find someone who uses good surgical practices. If the state has to have licenses for these establishments, make sure they have one. You want to make sure that the needles they use are not being shared or inadequately sterilized after they have been used in someone with a bloodborne disease, such as AIDS, hepatitis, etc. Secondly, anything that can get infected may get infected, especially in someone with poorly controlled diabetes. Make sure your glucose control is up to snuff. Third, you will really have to like this. It will be with you forever. It is not so easy to have them removed. Personally, I am not a big fan of having my patients get tattoos. However, I recognize that is my bias. At the same time, the potential for communication of serious disease is there.

JTL