tattoos

[cyndilee]

I'm thinking about getting a tattoo and was woundering if I could? been on treatment 13 weeks of 24.... It wouldnt harm anything will it?

[painterlady13]

While I'm not positive and I know there are others that will chime in here. I believe you might want to wait as the healing time is much longer because of the treatment.  This is why they want you do any surgery before or after treatment.... not during.

[Snookmiester]

Yeah, that is something I would avoid..Healing time would be longer, and chance of infection higher.
I'd wait.

[cuteus]

are you bringing your own ink and tools? I would not risk getting re infected with HCV or any other blood borne virus.  Plus, you could still be harboring virus that will infect the ink bottles if this place reuses them, another person could get infected. Chances are low, but it can happen.

[Mister beagle bailey]

Well, for me tattoos are out.  It was a tattoo that gave me hep C back in 1997, so I'm the wrong person to ask.  The problem is not in the tools used but in the gun.  After every use the gun needs to be taken totally apart and cleaned and many don't do that.

It's your choice but I'm againist it.

Beagle

[Kalio1]

If you are on treatment you are still infectious even if you have an UND PCR there could still be virus in your blood that is one BIG reason not to get one, you could give Hep CC to others so please so tattoos. Everyone mentioned slower healing times which is very true, that is another reason. Also some tattoo parlors are  exposure points for Hep C too so when your treatment is over if you do decide to get one be VERY careful, you could get Hep C AGAIN.

[FlGuy]

When you mentioned the tatoo a while back as the source, I wondered but didn't ask - what is the tatoo design?

[NYgirl]

oh I sure wouldn't do that, sorry.  when i was diagnosed the doctor simply resfused to believe I didn't have any tattooes. Every doc I saw that was the very first thing they said...do you have any tattoes?  IT just doesn't seem worth the risk to me at all.

Considering I have two strains of this disease already...I don't want to chance ever getting another one!

[Morgaina]

My daughters and I just got identocle tatoos in the same spot. It was just before treatment and I knew the artist. We talked about my hepc and he let me know the precautions he was taking as he went. My daughters and I really wanted to do this and he was very good and aware about the hepc thing. I dont know about getting one while ON treatment. I was fainting regularly (yes anemia) and I dont know about getting one from someone you dont know and trust.

[jennkPA]

I wouldn't hesitate to get a tattoo on tx, I see no reason why it would harm the tx itself as long as you know your artist and their shop very well. And of course, as long as you feel physically and mentally up for it--tattoos can be threaputic for me, just like all art and creativity. Personally I feel obligated to inform anyone (medical or otherwise) who is at risk of coming in contact with my blood that I have Hep C. As long as you feel up to it and your artist and shop are reputable, I say go for it and have fun--now that you brought this up, I think it would be great to get something positive that I could look back at to remind me of my experiences (or shall I say battle) with this virus, tx, etc.  Great idea!

[Snookmiester]

If you are going to a major tattoo shop, like a known parlor or something, the chances of you being infected are slim to none.
Most people are infected from homeade tattoos, jailhouse tattoos, etc.. My Dr saw my tattoos, and asked where I had them done. I said Lou's tattoos, and he said "well we can rule that theory out".

I have a large tribal dragon on my leg..Symbolic, who knows? But after beating this dragon down with tx, I'm thinking of having it redone to reseemble a SLAIN dragon carcus!!

[Kalio1]

While on tx you are NOT free of the virus necessarily so if you get a tattoo you are knowingly risking spreading your infectious disease to others. Even an UND PCR does not guarantee you dont have virus in you, the test is not 100% accurate, it is just the best test we have at this point. Some types of tattoo "guns" are known to harbor the virus. It seems very selfish to me not to mention dangerous to risk giving someone else Hep C just because someone happens to want a tattoo. Add to that the health risk for anyone on IFN to undergo ANY unneessary procedure makes no sense to me. No one NEEDS a tattoo and the attending risks seem to trump anyone's desire to get a tattoo.

[tonybuck]

I have been planning to get a tattoo but will hold of till after treatment. I have small sores on my body that are not healing as quick as before tx(looks like a in grown hair).Maybe it is because my anc count(white blood cells that fight infection)dropped at week 8 to .96 and came back up at week 10 to 1.16. So I am trying to be carefull not to hurt myself thats a tough thing to do when people refer to you as the bull in the china closet. So I won,t risk infection now by geeting a tattoo.Best wishes to all.

[Mister beagle bailey]

I had a tattoo from when I was a kid and wanted it covered up, so I had a cross with roses done over the old one.

Beagle

[cuteus]

I wonder what type of tattoo picture would not 'drip' as one ages, what spot in the body stays fairly 'toned'? Breasts are out (I dont mean out of the clothing) and the belly. A rose might droop after the yrs pass by, so what do aging people choose?
not that I would, no way I would chance re infection, even if he cleans the gun in front of me! just wondering

[Kalio1]

LOL Cuteus. I have seen some pretty nasty looking droopy tattoos on older women. The breast is definately out. Maybe ankles?
I don't get it at all, they don't enhance beauty in any way in my eyes but I know they are very popular now. I read they have increased i popularity by 600% in the last decade so they are definately popular. My future daughter in law has one on her back..it is SO BIG and she is so tiny. Luckily you cant see it unless she is in a swim suit. I have a few Tahitian friends who have them but they are done for a specific purpose and mean something. Tahitians created tattooing ( or so they say!) it is an important part of their culture.

[FlGuy]

Now I'm wondering.  If, when I was on tx, I had the image of my slender-faced son tatooed on my skinny, depleted tx-butt and then put all the weight and shape back on to pre-tx condition would he then look like Charlie Brown?

[jennkPA]

That is exactly why, "Personally I feel obligated to inform anyone (medical or otherwise) who is at risk of coming in contact with my blood that I have Hep C" as I said before. This way they can either up their protective measures or make their own personal decision not to deal with me.

At reputable tattoo parlors today, the risk of being infected is probably the same as the risk of being infected at your dentists office (though I have no numbers on this, it is all speculation, I am just familiar with the practices in today's reputable tattoo parlors). I know that there is also risk due to infection from dentist's visits too, but I don't think that tattoos would rate as a HIGHER risk. I suppose no one really NEEDS to have their teeth cleaned either though...just kidding!! I plan on visiting my dentist at my pre-tx scheduled appointments, which is my personal, and therefore safe for me, decision.  Anyway, my point is, just because tattoos have a certain air about them does not make them more dangerous than other more reputable risks.

[Pdilly]

I echo Beagles thoughts.... not worth it.  But I am not a young person and pretty much the younger crowd loves those things.

[Morgaina]

That was the big question when my girls and I decided to get one. "Where can your mother get a tatoo that wont look completely different in 10 yrs (I'm 50 now!)? We decided mid upper back and it's a celtic triad knot so reasonably small. The only other place I could think of was thr inside of the wrist EVERYTHING sags!

[jennkPA]

Somehow I had the foresight at 17 to realize that EVERYTHING does sag--hence one tattoo on my foot, the other on my ribcage under my boob (I speak as if my boobs are big enough to have unders, but it's that area!).

[Kalio1]

I see your point and you are probably right that the risk is similar to the dentist in most cases. The tattoo industry is not regulated like dentistry is though. It is my understanding that the tattoo industry took it upon themselves to upgrade and streamline proper procedures and watchdog their industry  because the health authorities were lagging and doing nothing so kudos to them for taking action and responsibiity. Now if we could get those manicure salons to do the same! There is nothing wrong with tattoos I agree, it is a personal choice, I just think anyone who is treating can still have active virus and even if the risk is slight they should wait until treatment is over so there is no chance they could pass it to someone.

[sfbaygirl]

I had to laugh at your tatoo under your breat. Mine would be hidden totally!

I agree, I don't get tattoo's either. I am an artist, but I will take mine on canvas. My son's both got one in their teens when their father died (without my knowledge). I sure hope they got them in clean places. I have told them to get tested for hep, but they haven't yet.

[desrt]

My concern would be bacterial as well as viral. It's way too easy to contract celitis (skin/tissue infection) when your WBC is depressed or below normal range.

[chellski]

i have a ring around my ankle of small heart with angel wings side by side bye side....i got that when my infant son died in 1993....also on my inner wrist i have two stars, one colored in amethyst (february) for my husband who passed away in 2003, and the other in light blue (march) for our son.....i got all my tatoos before i knew i was infected with hep c.....my doctor does not think thats where i got my hep-c - most undoubtedly the drug use in my late teens and early 20's.....i love tatoos, i think they can be beautiful and consider them art.....if i were younger, i would probably get more