tattoos

[turtlefreak]

I had an appointment the other day with a new CDE. She noticed that I have a couple tattoos and told me that I can't get anymore. Why?? Anyone have any ideas why diabetics shouldn't get tattoos?

[DeusXM]

This sounds to me very much like a case of someone assuming that if you have diabetes you must have poorly controlled bg or whatever. I can't think of a single physiological reason why you shouldn't get a tattoo if you have diabetes, other than perhaps there's a question over the healing time (which shouldn't be an issue if you're well controlled), or perhaps the physical trauma initially caused by tattooing may cause a variation in bg.

Next time you see your CDE, ask them why you shouldn't get another tattoo. I'm willing to bet you get a bulls**t answer.

[soremom]

My sister in law has had diabetes since she was 3-4 yrs old. She is know in her mid 30's. She has two tatoos. The second being within the last 3 yrs. She never had a problem with either of them. She is also a rn doing diabetes education for the state. I don't think she would do anything that would harm herself or something that would give her patients the wrong idea.

Please, let us know your doctors reasoning.

Kim

[Shalyndria]

It's the standard spiel; I think nurses and doctors have a list hidden in their pockets of things they must warn a diabetic NOT to do lol. Healing time and increased risk of infection is what I've been told by my doctor. And let's face it, they're only doing their job in warning you.
I did get a tattoo when I was 19 (in spite of my dr's objections-I've been diabetic since 11) and had no problem with healing time or infections, or any great variations in BG levels. I wouldn't do it if BG's were out of control but if you're relatively healthy you shouldn't have a problem.

Good luck!
Shy

[turtlefreak]

Thanks everyone- I'm not planning on getting anymore tattoos; I was just curious. Before seeing this practitioner, I had seen a lot of other doctors for my diabetes and nobody mentioned anything about tattoos, so it struck me as odd.
I appreciate the feeedback!

[SunniD]

Think telling diabetics not to get tattoos is the standard spiel due to infections and/or inflammations. However, anyone with a tattoo is not elgible to have a MRI done either and with the
high amount of usage of medical services that diabetics have, this might also have been a consideration. I believe it is due to the lead in the inks used for tattoos causing an interference with the MRI.

SunniD

[Lorna]

It would probabaly depend on how good your control was and whether or not you have neuropathy. Provided you do not have neuropathy the increase risk of infection will only occur if you do not keep your bgs within the normal range.

"This sounds to me very much like a case of someone assuming that if you have diabetes you must have poorly controlled bg or whatever."

Thats the kind of thing I would expect from a GP, but a poor show from someone who supposidly specialises in diabetes!!!

[KLD]

I'm interested in the comment that people with tattoos can't have MRIs, as I've never heard that before. Does that hold true for even a small tattoo? Not that I'm planning to have one at 61 years old, but I'm curious, because a young woman I work with is planning to have one on her ankle and I'm sure she doesn't know about this.

Karen

[lilly]

i,ve got 5 tattoo's,4 of them done after i was dx'ed and having them done never caused me any problems.As for having an MRI scan,this site might explain why some people thinks you can,t have one when you have tats.
http://tattoo.about.com/cs/tatfaq/a/mri_scan.htm

[KLD]

Thanks Lilly/Christine - that explains that!

Karen

[Leath]

I have 4 tattoos. 2 done pre-diagnoses (including one that was done 8 months before my diagnosis, which if my doctor is to be believed I was most likely running high BGs at that point) and 2 done after diagnosis. None of my medical team has ever commented on any of mine, nor warned me against any new ones. In fact the only one who mentioned it was the artist himself, just to ask if my levels were good. (He and my Mom are neighbors, so he had heard the whole story of my diagnosis...and probably most of my medical history as well...lol.)

I haven't had any problems with healing, and actually had some of my best readings that day and the week after. I am told though that it's not uncommon to either go very high during the process from the pain/stress, or even to have a low for the same reason. I have heard that people with diabetes shouldn't be tatooed below the knee because of problems with neuropathy though.