Tattoo Health Risks
Probably the greatest health concern people have about getting a tattoo is being infected in with HIV or hepatitis. There have been a lot of scare stories in the past that getting a tattoo is a significant way of contracting these diseases. In fact you can still find these scare stories lurking on anti-tattoo sites. However statistics have proved otherwise.
There have been no reported cases of HIV transmission through tattooing done by a professional in the USA. There have been a very small number of cases where people have received the virus from tattooing done in jail using "home-made" methods.
The risks of catching hepatitis B or C are greater because they are more resilient than the rather fragile HIV virus. But the risk is still very small and no greater than from attending your dentist.
The reason why the chances of catching diseases are so small is because of improved hygiene over the past few decades. Disposable, one time use needles are the norm as is the installation of medical grade sterilization equipment.
If you are worried ask what procedures are in place. You'll find a reputable tattoo artist won't mind telling you as they have been put in place as much to protect themselves as you.
Really the only time you're likely to be at risk is if you have decided to have a tattoo done in some of the less affluent countries of the world. This can be the case if you're taking a year out to travel round the world. There are some really lovely tattoos out there and it seems to be a good way to have a permanent reminder of your happy times but because top notch sterilization equipment is expensive you need to weigh up the risks to your long term health.
In reality the most likely risks to your health from tattooing come from allergic reactions. The most common is to the latex gloves that most tattoo artists wear. If you have a latex allergy warn them in advance so that they can use another type of glove.
The inks that are used can also cause a reaction. A reputable artist will use high quality inks that are either hypo-allergenic or are organic ones with a very low allergy risk. Unfortunately red is the one colour that is not available in hypo-allergenic form. Less reputable tattoo artist may use cheaper inks that can contain substances that may trigger off skin reactions in some people.
If you have a history of allergic reactions, especially skin ones and in particular to nickel jewellery, have a dot test done on your skin 24 hours before getting your tattoo. This will show up any potential problems in advance.