Dangers of tattoos

[natshort]

I'm thinking of having a small tattoo done but first I want to find out about possible health risks, such as blood poisoning, etc. Can anyone help?

[vittoria]

I gather from people who have had tattos done, that the main risk is that you will get tired of it and then it is painful and costly to have it removed...

[julia]

the severe health risk with tattoos is that when you either a)get sober or b)come down you are left with a hideous scar that costs a fortune and is painful to get rid of. why dont you try a temporary tat first???

[incitatus]

Sorry to pour on cold water, but recent studies have shown that tattoo parlours in Brittain have lower standards of hygiene than those in the Gambia. To illustrate the risks...if you try to give blood they will ask: Have you had high-risk sex or had a tattoo in the last six months? and if the answer is yes to either they will not take a donation. The main risks are Hepatitis (particularly C) and HIV though a few others are possible. Choose parlour with care. They should use a fresh disposable needle each time and all other equipment should be autoclaved between clients.

[natshort]

Thanks guys. I've been interested for a while but thought it was really painful. I took my mate to one last week which her friend recommended and she said the tattooist gave her an anaesthetic spray and this aftercare cream and it didn't hurt at all. I don't want one that's drastically over the top but I also wanted to make sure it wasn't gonna be really harmful.

[GeordieSteve]

I can't agree with the lower standards opinion that was given. I've sat for and hour waiting for my tattooist to clean up. If you have aids etc. you can't infect yourself so it's only the artist at risk (who beleive me DOESN'T want your diseases!!!). Between every tattoo the neadles are changed, the ink is changed, the machine is autoclaved, the floot is cleaned and new gloves are used.

[moonunit100]

Basically the cleanliness issue is dependant on which tattooist you go to. Choose wisely, the internet is of great use here. As a rule of thumb, holiday destinations do not have the best artists, they try to get through as many customers as they can, have only a few quite basic designs and prey on people who are, obviously, on holiday. These people behaive differently to normal (maybe because of alchohol!) and may make a hasty decision. After a week or so, when the scabbing has gone and you realise your new tattoo isn't great, you are unlikely to return back to the holiday destination to complain and these tatooists are aware of this. Having said this, I wouldn't like to tar all coastal tattooists with the same brush. Also, look for well established tattooists. In the area I live there is a guy who has repeatedly had to close his place down and re open somewhere else under a different shop name as each of his ventures quickly get a bad reputation. The tattooist I use has been operating from the same premises for longer than I can remember. So if you do your homework and go to an established, recommended artist you will have no worries over health issues. As for the pain involved, it all depends on where you have the tattoo, the design of the tattoo, the skill/technique of the artist and of course your pain threshold. In my experience, the pain isn't that big a deal and certainly shouldn't be the thing that puts you off. The main consideration should be whether or not you REALLY want a tattoo and what to have. Remember, it's there for life so don't be a slave to fashion as what is 'in' this year mightn't be 'in' in years to come. Choose the design carefully and this shouldn't be a problem. One way around this is to choose something that is personal to you personally but not including family or others. That way it will always be relevant to you. One last thing, they are addictive!