tattoo safety?

[GSDgirl]

I have a tattoo of a wizzard on my back that I absolutely hate (one of 5) I want it done over with maybe a dragon.  So far I am clear of the hep and would love any precautions IF I get it redone.  I know the best one is to leave it alone but it bugs me.  I know about the autoclave, clean shop, ect but should I maybe buy my own ink?  I really need suggestions, please

Denise

[GSDgirl]

Yikes, I would rather have the tatts than those sore looking blisters.  Thanks for the info, never thought about cross contamination from pouring the ink.

FL guy, The guy used a 3 needle setup instead of the finer lined single needle (ram correct me if I am wrong) I can see the wizzards head or should I say the fat ugly lines that is supposed to be a wizzards head.  I already have a really nice unicorn, not the cartoon kind, it looks like a horse, below the wizzard. I kinda thought a dragon or some other mythalogical (sp LOL) thing would fit in.

Denise

[ram921]

AHhahahahah!  Now, why didn't I think of that?

[BANDIDA]

I am so scared of needles that I can't even watch them on TV. When I want a tatoo I go to the dollar store and get the ones you buy for kids parties and such. They look pretty real 2 me! And they actually last about 2 weeks if U don't scrub 2 hard.

[ram921]

Go to my profile and look at the pictures of two days post-laser. Painful and expensive.  I still think it's worth it to get them off.   And really, most reputable tattooists keep a clean shop, and sterile procedure IS part of being a good tattooist. It's just not something I would do again.   A tattoo is basically a controlled abrasion.   An assembly-line surgical procedure.   I have  reasons unrelated to HepC for not tattooing anymore.   I'm in a different business.   I think it was different before it got so popular.  With the increase in tattoos given, there is a foreseeable  increase in disease proliferation.  Everything changes, and going mainstream isn't always a good thing.  Just my opinion.  "..very afraid of the tattoo connection to HCV..." I think that's a healthy fear. It's just not worth the risk.

[pKinCA]

Did you know that the Red Cross will refuse a blood donation from someone who has had either a tattoo or permanent makeup applied during the previous 12 months?  That should tell us something!

I think the ink cup refill is a good point to bring up -- but, I think more importantly are the bizillions of microscopic blood splatters that cannot be seen on the outside of the gun, on the vinyl table, on the artist's arms, ink bottles, etc. etc. etc.  I would think that a freshly applied tattoo aka "open wound" would be a nice spot for a virus to enter bloodstream.  Artist wears gloves, scratches his arm, then wipes your wound... yikes!!!

Also, why take any chance with this???  I would never want to re-treat, ever again!!!!  You know, even if a shop "looks clean" you can never be sure how sterile it actually is...  These artists are really gifted -- in tattoos, not in sterile medical procedures... and even if someone is VERY careful, there is still too much risk with so much blood, needles and open wounds... in my opinion anyway...

I say try to learn to live with it... or maybe have it removed with a laser?  If cost is an issue for you, I think there are low-cost or free services available for people who can't afford the laser treatments...

Just my take, but I am very afraid of the tattoo connection to HCV...

pK

[ram921]

It's impractical. The proper way is to use bigger ink cups, and throw away more leftover ink. Tattoo ink is expensive. It's a funny business. It's old and resistant to change. Maybe as it becomes more mainstream. Tattooists DO use a new cup for each color and each tattoo, - that's the deception. It's innocent enough, but the cross-contamination occurs when the communal ink bottle's (used to refill the little cups when they run low during the tattooing) spout touches the ink in the ink cup being used for the current tattoo. Then the next person comes in, a new, sterile cup is taken out, but it is filled from the big bottle used to fill all the previous cups. It's OK if the tip never gets dipped into the actual ink while filling, but it invariably does. And all the other people's...goo...goes with it.

[Marcia2202]

That's some scary stuff! Why doesn't one use a new cup each time then??? Even for the same person....

Marcia

[ram921]

Hi. Take a look at the pictures on my profile page, and then write to me if you have anymore questions. Since were talking about tattoos-I was a tattoo artist in the 1980s and early 90s.One way hepC is transmitted via tattoo is interesting. Even though everything (equipment ,etc.) has been medically sterilized in an autoclave, there's a place some inexperienced tattooists miss. First, I fill a small cup with ink, and then begin the tattoo. I dip the bloody needles into the ink, and back to your skin. No problem there. Now, I run low on ink and refill the cup. It's a tiny cup , and as I fill it from the squeeze bottle of ink, the tip comes in contact with the residual ink in the cup, and in that split second everything that's in your blood gets sucked back into the tip of the ink bottle. If you have the HepC virus in your system, the next person to be tattooed will, too. And the next, and the next...well, you get it. Even the cleanest shop  can be a Typhoid Mary for HepC. Now think of all the tattoo shops in the U.S.- all the unlicensed "scratchers" out there doing cheap tattoos in their garages. And the insane number of young people getting tattooed. Makes getting HepC from IV drug use not the numero uno any more, ya know?

[FlGuy]

Are you sure that you're going to like the dragon any better than the wizard?  If it's on your back, can you even see it?