Tattoos

Not a fan of tattoos but if you are considering getting one then I'd suggest you go to a reputable tattooist but discuss this with your diabetes team first if you have any concerns.

Generally the better the bg control the shorter time it takes for the skin to heal.

Hi All.
Just watched the link provided found it interesting too !!!!
Asked about a tattoo for myself, 2yrs ago and was actually firmly told 'NO' by my GP , DSN, and my own family also....
Reasons given were you are high risk for infection, poor healing, history of septicemea a definete NO -NO, high blood sugared [ any infection or bacteria will have a feast on your high blood sugars was 'told' ]
I was at the time with poor immune system, repetetive infections, poor control with my diabetes, weakened with other
medical conditions. [still have these ]
So instead I had a good friend of mine have the tattoo for me! [its a real cute cheery cheeky bumblebee ]
As I am always 'buzzing around' in my own usual style and ways.
We meet up and I always admire it on their arm instead....
Even now I would 'still' like just ONE little one doing !
Gutting as I can't . . . .
Anna.

It is possible I have just had a full back tattoo finished and I am a type 2.

However as others have said there are definite risks involved.. all I can say is if you do go ahead with it choose a reputable artist most of which actually give you a medical questionnaire and talk though any issues with you before starting. The there is the issue of after-care.

I'm getting one done tomorrow! I visited about 6 places to see who I liked and quotes etc. Then I asked around a bit, I know 3 people who have had work done by this person and have met 2 others who know of him and talk highly of him. The advice I was given years ago by a heavily tattooed band member was if you want a tattoo and still want it 6 months later then go ahead. My own advice is have something personal to you then you can't regret it. I have a small one on my upper arm of a smile with a tooth missing, and tomorrow I'm getting a zip done opening up around a scar on my stomach (I was asked how old the scar is-1 place was going to do a design going over the scar-they never got the business as they weren't listening to what I wanted!). I am generally a well controlled type 2 the last few weeks I have been a bit lax due to personal problems but I'll keep you updated if I experience any problems. The only immediate thing I can see is that I'm playing badminton tomorrow evening where I'll be bending and flexing with a new tattoo, but that isn't diabetes related!

Hi There

I'm a type 2 diabetic and looking to get me third tattoo.

The advice I got from my tattooist is to make sure I have something sugary in case my blood sugars begin to drop. I have never had the greatest control when it comes to my sugar levels and that hasn't stopped me getting tattooed. Never had problems with infections, or healing times etc.

Just go to someone who has been recommended and you shouldn't go far wrong.

I have loads of tattoos and I'm type 1, and have never a had a problem, with any of them, looking at getting another one, it's just when, but I've found the design I want, it's just finding the time. But never had a problem with infection's or healing.

I'm sitting comfortably at home, no problems-advised it may take longer to heal-but i'm generally well controlled so don't anticipate any problems. I'll keep you posted

Hi all.
After keep reading your posts on success with your Tattoo's , am finding myself KEEP
thinking and hankering after a really small dainty feminine one ...
I love the gorgeous script written ones with really 'wise' sayings and words .
Trouble is am 'stuck' with ideas !!!!
Any help or ideas folks?
IF I 'do' find the right script and saying, I will be sooo tempted to possibly having it done.
As it is something I have always wanted to do.
A tattooist who lives near me even suggested having diabetic with the snake n staff ,
being a type2 [insulin dependent] etc...
Personally thought it was a bit lame to get this done as I am with great hypo awareness with
the hypurin porcine I use.
Appreciate your thoughts and ideas on this .
Glad to hear today went well for you gappy, :thumbup: does it really hurt though ????
Worse than the insulin therapy I ' have imagined ' as the needle is in continuously ...
Right / Wrong ?
Anna.

My first post on this site, and it's about my passion! Tattoos! I have full sleeves and most of my legs covered. Before I was diabetic (T2), I used to heal really well. Diagnosed with diabetes about 5 years ago, and since then, when I've had tattoos, when I get red ink done, it seems to get infected. I've spoken to many people, diabetics and non-diabetics, and this seems to occur quite a lot. I think the fact being diabetic my healing is not as good, and infection is more likely.

I had a Spider-Man tattoo on my thigh and the red didn't get infected in the slightest, but when I got my tattoo of a hawaiin girl on my leg, it got badly infected and my leg swelled up. This was when my diabetes wasn't managed well at all. I had only just found out about my diabetes and acted the normal ignorant way some people do when they don't want to admit they have something as life changing as diabetes.

From my experience of getting tattoos, the better managed your diabetes is, the better the tattoo will heal. Also, with the tattoos being on my legs, as with blood flow, the further away the tattoo is from the heart, the less blood pumps to that area, increasing the infection risk. That's only my experience, i could be wrong.

I must say though, the aftercare is the most important thing, especially for diabetics. It's easy to be a little lapse after a few days of your tattoo healing, but I encourage you to see it through, as it's on you for life. If you;re thinking of getting something small, like writing just in black, then it's just going to heal very easily and quicker. If you plan on a huge tattoo, then that's where you take more care and notice of it.

Edit: Can I also just add that after many hours of painful, and some less painful, tattoos, if my diabetes ever escalated into being insulin dependant, the thought of injecting scares me more than any tattoo! I can take that needle any day!

I'm going for tattoo number 48 tomorrow. I've never had a problem with my diabetes and tattooing, but I wont have my feet done in case there's a problem later on.

hi im new to this.i have tattoos and am insulin dependent type 2.ive never had any problems with any of my tattoos.good luck if your just getting one.

anna29 said:

Glad to hear today went well for you gappy, :thumbup: does it really hurt though ????
Worse than the insulin therapy I ' have imagined ' as the needle is in continuously ...
Right / Wrong ?
Anna.

Click to expand...

The needle buzzes in and out, it's hard to come up with a term of reference for the feeling. I don't have a monitor but I guess as the needle doesn't go deep it may feel like a finger prick test? I felt a couple of sharp scratches when the outside line work was being done, but not even as sharp as a paper cut & certainly don't get the lingering pain like a paper cut. And that was only about 6 times in the hours sitting. It is located on my stomach & I played badminton that night with no pain despite the twisting etc that involves. I still have no problems apart from the seat belt rubs it a bit.

Hi all.
Thanks for the reply gappy, is it like you just feel the first scratch then as the needle is continuously in the skin
you dont feel it again??? How do you sit through a long time? Does it affect the blood sugars ?
Am 'STILL' wondering and hankering and ditherring over getting a small pretty dainty script written one done!
Keep thinking about it ...... :roll:
Just the one like !
Am hunting like a mad woman on the internet for a wise saying worded script ....
Any one got any ideas ??? To help me out ... :?:
Anna.

I felt a scratch about 6 times in the hour, but to be honest I could almost of fallen asleep lying down getting it done. I don't have a meter but felt no difference in the way I felt so don't imagine my sugars were affected. Coz mine was on my stomach I was lying down & it's no difference to being in a dentist chair script you can talk back without someone having their fingers in your mouth! One reason I went to the person I did was because he was friendly & chatty when he gave me a quote & talked me through the way he does things. You get short breaks when they change colours or change from doing lines to a needle that does shading, I was surprised as I didn't feel hardly a thing on the design to the left of my belly button, I was amazed st the detail that I just didn't feel.

As for quotes you'll have to tell us more about you so we suggest something apt!

I have 3 tattoos. One before diagnosis, and then it was covered up a couple of years ago and two others. My controls always been fairly good, but I do tell my tattooist that I have diabetes and I always take lucozade along.

I have tattoos and have never had a problem.
I have a top notch artist and extra vigilant aftercare is called for.

Hi all.
Have spent hours looking at phrases , wise sayings and wording types and styles .
Came across this one an american diabetic had - had done.
What nourishes me can also harm me !
Wont be having that one done... :shock:
Some tattooist's are AMAZING artists, with the free handstyled ones .
Have loved some of them and envy the artistic skill they have .
Am STILL hunting for the 'right' one for me.
It's still bugging me and I just want the ONE doing.
Trouble IS I see that many ideas I end up 'confused' brain scrambled !!!!
Anna.

Nearly 2 weeks later and I'm healed perfectly just as they said. In the tattoo place I went they have a catalogue of the arabic words that people often have tattooed, although it's only individual words maybe they'd trigger a thought in your mind.

Hi all...
Well after having a bad hypo on tuesday in the middle of morrisons!
It 'was' my own fault as I hadnt 'eaten' enough to cover the units of insulin I require...
I was ripping bags of jelly babies open and stuffing them in my mouth as fast as I could, folk were staring at me etc...
As I couldnt make sense when I attempted to talk to the girl on a checkout, I ended up dumping my handbag
on conveyor belt in front of her, in the hope she would help me.
Was gobsmacked to see her just smile at me and gave me my handbag back!!!! :shock:
By then I was shaking bad, lolling my head about and people were gawping away at me as I was acting both weirdly
and very strange.
Ended up sitting down 'trying' to do my blood sugars,[couldnt do it due to shaking too much]
just carried on stuffing sweets n dextrose in my mouth, oblivious to all watching me - and " they were! "
All I could do was to stay put on the bench, n wait for my blood sugars to raise up, then when I stopped shaking did my BG reading .
After realising the lack of help I recieved, have decided to have a "Diabetic" tattoo on my inner left wrist.
Am booked in this thurs for it to be done, spent days doodling and drawing it to my liking and small sized it too.
Next time I suffer a bad hypo I can wave it in someones face and hopefully 'will' then get help .
It knocked my confidence in many ways the experience I had on tuesday, but it certainly helped me reach
the ultimate decision with my type of tattoo to have done.
Anna.