Tattoo aftercare for diabetics

[gremlin]

Being recently diagnosed as a diabetic, I am becoming more sensitive to and was wondering about any special instuctions needed for aftercare. In all the info being thrown at me by doctors, dieticians, and such. I have learned diabetics can take longer to heal, and or have complications during the process of healing. In my pre-tattoo form i have a customer fill out I ask about a number of conditions, I never thought to add diabetes untill now. I would like to have a seperate set of aftercare instructions for diabetics available to give them.

[Essex Boy]

gremlin my sons diabetic has been since birth so when he came of age he just would not stop pestering me about gettin some ink.
so done all the normal stuff doctors tattooists etc all saying no no no.
so off to the net i went a spent what seemed like a liftime checking it all out still loads of no no but the deeper i delved started to find answers
ok to tattoo anything above the waist but below are a non starter.
hes now got quite a bit of ink but all done in small doses the big issue is keep that sucka ultra ultra ultra ultra clean and he heals just fine maybe takes a couple extra days.
now the problem that exists is this its my son and if i say do it then its done :twisted: but with a paying customer that can be another story because when they walk out that door are they gonna keep it as clean as say my son :?: i would like to think so because at the end of the day a diabetic is a high risk when tattooing and the risk of infection is so much greater,so i can see why so many artists say no
sorry its so long but i think it warrents it.

[gremlin]

thanks :)

[Essex Boy]

One other thing gremlin on a personal point of veiw hes been through soooo much shit when i do let him have some ink man the smile on his face is enough to light up this entire planet kinda makes me proud of the boy :D

[Nekrotek]

One of my oldest friends is a long time diabetic and has gotten tats over the years, but they can take longer time to heal up and he has to stay on top of the after care for a long time.

I have done some work on him and if it is a big piece we do it in steps. Line work, some fill, some more etc.

He's been diabetic for along time "23ish year" and knows how his body is going to react to it, and he now how far he can push it and what it's going to take for it to heal up.

THIS IS NOT INDORSING DOING WORK ON DIABETICS. just my experience with a friend I've known for 14+ years.

[LittleBear]

Hi gremlin JBB has tattooed several people that are diabetics no problems but they must realy keep the area super clean. And i agree do not do anything on or around the feet big problem area. Also in your profession look out for people with bad circulation in this area also. So I feel it is safe to say nothing below the waste. Remember I dont know much about tattooing.
Eat right and take care of your fresh tatts treat them as normal just keep a closer eye on them.


TAke care of yourself

[Pigment Pen]

I've been diabetic since 1982 and have beeg getting tattoos since 1988. I take a little longer to heal but never had any problems. I use a healing salve that my wife makes called "Healing Ink". She's an aromatherapist and uses all natural ingredients and the stuff works great. I heal much faster now than when I used bacetracin or a&d ointments. If anyone's interested check out her site for more information. http://www.faery-wings.com

[gremlin]

Thanks pen, Im going to try some.

[BattleRoyal]

I'd suggest staying OFF the feet and if experiencing any cellulitis in the legs don't tattoo on legs. Again, ultra clean is the key, make sure equip is super clean, and excellent after care is also important. Keep any eye on sugar levels with your Accu Checks and if sugar is very high or low wait until the levels are stabilized. Hope this helps!

[JOCK]

Hi I have been Diabetic for 34 years , I am now 38 , I would say ok for tattoing Diabetis as I have right arm covered ie sleeve , right leg covered , about 90% , the most important thing is sugar levels + 100% aftercare + do the tattoo in stages I do about 2 hours at a time , I use Dettol cream + soap , I have also noticed sometimes that my sugar levels go down when getting a tat done , I am a type 1 Diabetic , ie injections, I am getting my left leg + arm done next year + possibly all the back also , then I will be finished getting inked. If tattoing a Diabetic please make sure they check there sugar levels before + during +after tattoo , + keep a sugar drink handy in case they feel low suga :D r hope this helps , cheers Jock.

[XHAZE]

Ultra clean goes for everybody. I don't have indemnity form so if I have tattooed anyone with diabetes they never told me. Something to think about. Can I recognise this if Im not told or should I ask everytime.

LittleBear, how would I detect poor circulation in feet , diabetes or otherwise. No infection just tell tale signs.

[Pigment Pen]

Ultra clean goes for everybody. I don't have indemnity form so if I have tattooed anyone with diabetes they never told me. Something to think about. Can I recognise this if Im not told or should I ask everytime.

LittleBear, how would I detect poor circulation in feet , diabetes or otherwise. No infection just tell tale signs.

I think some signs of poor circulation would be:
Cold to the touch (colder than the rest of the body)
Discoloration (blueish or purple)
Numbness (not that they might admit to it)

I might not be right on the money here but these would be some things that I would question before tattooing feet.