Tattoo FAQ 21: Tattoos and diabetes. Can I get a tattoo when I'm diabetic?

Original question from our visitor: I am a diabetic and wanted to know is it safe for a diabetic to get tattoos?

Answer:
In general it is not a problem, if you are otherwise 'fit'. Your risks from having a tattoo are the same as for anyone else. However, you for sure should tell the artist that works on you that you have diabetes, and you should make 100% sure that you go with a VERY professional and clean studio.

Here is a quote from S. William Levy, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center:
"There's no harm in getting a tattoo as long as you take the necessary precautions. First of all, make absolutely certain that you go to an accredited tattoo artist. Your State Board of Cosmetology may grant certificates to tattoo artists who fulfil the necessary hygienic measures."

Levy is warning people with diabetes there are certain places you shouldn't have tattoos, including:
places with poor circulation such as ankles
lower legs and buttocks, and
areas where you take your insulin shots such as the abdomen, arms or thighs.

Bookmark article at ...