I was diagnoised with hepatitis c over 6 yrs ago. I know that you can't get tats if you have hep c. I know that the disease is spread thru blood. This disease is no longer detected in my blood. It hasn't been for the past 4 years. Could I safely get a tattoo now? It's been over 20 years since I had one. I think I'm due....lol. But I do not want to put the artist or anyone else in harms way. Thanks for any input on this subject.

Unless anyone here is a doctor, do not listen to what they have to say.

A question like this, when it has to do with your health and other people's health, should be answered by a doctor ONLY.

Don't take chances with this.

And no matter what the doctor says, you have a responsibility to explain ALL of this to the person doing your tattoo.

Go talk to a doctor.

End of story

Follow very good advice above....

Does a person need to show that they are HCV- in order to get a tattoo? There are millions of people who go undiagnosed for 20-30 years after exposure, so there's every likelihood that MANY pass through the shops (yes, even Miami Ink) who have it and don't know.
It is my understanding that current practices prevent the spread of the virus (new needles, individual ink pots, gloves, etc.). If this is so, and considering that so many don't even know they have it, why couldn't a person who is HCV+ get a tattoo?

Twinky Makes a great point.. you should see a doc first to make sure you will heal right and your body is working as best as it can...

But, in the tattoo world, we treat everyone like they have diseases, be it Hep., AIDS, or even just a cold... Disease control is of the utmost importance to any established shop. It would be a wonderful responsible thing for you to tell the artist you work with before you start. Their response should be something like "That's cool you are telling me this, but we treat everyone the same...."

I know this is a VERY late post, but I just found it. By the way Twinky, I will graduate from med school in three weeks, so I guess you could say I am a doctor. Hep. C is an incurable disease. There are many treatments and a few near-cures in testing, but nothing absolutely conclusive yet.
Just because you test negative does not mean you are not a carrier. The virus is still lingering around in there somewhere.
As for healing and such, Hep. C should have no effect unless you are showing signs of jaundice or have underlying disorders such as hemophilia. Be aware, however, that your body is still actively fighting off the hep virus, so your immune system IS weakened. You would be more likely to get an infection of some sort after the tattoo. Remember, a tattoo is nothing more than a controlled abrasion; and although shops are usually very clean, they are not actually STERILE.
As for spreading Hep C to others because YOU got tattooed; this should not pose a problem in a reputable shop. Everything is clean, new sterile needles are used (I know this is a contradictory statement, the needles ARE sterile before they are touched by unsterile hands to be loaded into the gun), and the barrels are sterilized (again...) between all clients. You should also ask to see the artist wash his/her hands before he/she starts-a reputable artist will not be offended.
I hope all of this helps, and good luck in the future.
That will be $125 for the consult...LOL
This is probably the only free medical advice you will ever get, we tend to charge a lot of money for our knowlege to help pay our $200,000 debt to medical school...LOL again

gunrunner, while your studies give your post alot more weight, I do not consider you a doctor...yet. hehe.

I dunno, I guess social responsibility is not part of some people's thought process.

gunrunner, what a wise individual you are! I have been telling my clients for a few years now that tattoos' are controlled abrasions, and you advice is most certainly a step in the right direction. True, you may still not be an MD (yet) but excellent advice. I would like to add that a person should ALWAYS consult their own doctor, and always USE COMMON SENSE, when it comes to taking care of a new tattoo. Once you have been told by your doctor it IS ok to get a tattoo, once you get it and walk out that studio door, IT"S UP TO YOU on the success/failure of the new art. Artists way too often are blamed for a bad tattoo, when it's the persons own fault for not taking the proper aftercare steps.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bigtwinky:
gunrunner, while your studies give your post alot more weight, I do not consider you a doctor...yet. hehe.QUOTE]


One week and counting...then I will spend the next five years of my life as a severly underpaid Orthopedic Surgery resident. I wll be glad when this cr@p is overwith...I am TIRED of school!!!

Clifonna--

There is no cure for Hepatitis C, as you may fully know. I assume you've completed a course of medication, which has only reduced your HCV levels to very low levels detected in the blood. Again, this doesn't mean that you're cured.

You can be tattooed and are at very low risk of "re-infection", unless jabbed with a heavily blood encrusted needle, which happens to be HCV contaminated. Of course, this would be an extremely rare and unlikely scenario.

Your artist would be at low risk of contracting the HCV as well, so long he/she makes sure to follow universal precautions (i.e. washing/sanitizing hands, wearing gloves) while handling your tattoo.

This is a start. Although, I highly recommend you communicate with your primary care physician before going ahead with the tattoo. He/she knows your medical history thoroughly and is the best judge in the matter.

Good luck!