Thanks for the replies, I really appreciate it. The tattoo parlour itself is extremely well respected. It was a momentary lapse of judgment that the unprotected cord brushed over my skin. I watched him clean the floors, change the needles and prepare his work station before he began. It's only that one anomaly and I hope I am alright.
Hi LucaFriesz - it is extremely unlikely that you would contract HCV in the manner you have described. the Hep C virus is quite fragile in the environment meaning it breaks down very quickly on surfaces. If a virus somehow remained viable, it would still need to find it's way into your blood circulation. The abrasion caused by the tattooing would be putting up it's own force with bleeding and other fluid exudate so I don't think it is a likely means of transmission in this case. Also, the solid needle used in tattooing turns out not to be an efficient mode of transmission for Hep C. Finally, the prevalence of hepatitis C in the general population is between 1 and 1.5%. In days gone by, the prevalence would be higher among those getting tattoos but with the increasing popularity of tattoos the customers in a tattoo parlour would be starting to resemble the general population more and more with respect to hep C prevalence. Get a test in a few months if you are worried, but I sure wouldn't be losing any sleep over it I were you!
Hi just wanted to let you know that Freekies in Colorado has the highest standard of cleanliness and adherence to regulations when it comes to tattoos. I initially was infected by a horrible place in another state so when I went to get another, I did my homework. All the artist told me Freakies is the safest. Just fyi.
Welcome to the forum. Hepatitis C is blood to blood contact. Even though your risk is low you are in a high risk environment.