Covid-19 vaccine rollouts are in full swing in many places around the world. With millions of people already vaccinated and countless more getting their shots every day. As state and local districts fully reopen and more people receive their COVID-19 vaccines. Tattoo artists are in high demand. Some studios continued working in a finite capacity during the pandemic. But the current availability of vaccines is encouraging the previously hesitant to get inked.
There are lots of questions that people have about vaccines, and one common question that comes up time and time again is ” Is it safe to get Inked after getting vaccinated with Covid-19 Vaccine?” This guide will help you over the current situation regarding tattoos and COVID-19 vaccines to help you find out more.
Tattoo studios have been in an encouraging position during the pandemic, which has allowed them to adapt to enhanced COVID-19 safety precautions. Due to the nature of the job, tattoo artists are already extremely careful about cleaning and sanitizing workspaces between clients to prevent cross-infection.
Many tattoo studios added temperature checks and face masks to their list of requirements, getting a tattoo after a full vaccination should present very minimal risk. Getting inked is just as safe as visiting a salon or the dentist, particularly if people continue to mask up.
Getting Inked After Covid-19 Vaccine
To understand why this subject is being discussed, it’s important to know how tattoos and vaccines work.
Dr. Michael Chang, professor of pediatric infectious diseases at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston, told Allure that “first and foremost, there are no contraindications to receive a COVID-19 vaccine shortly before or after getting a tattoo at this time.” Additionally, there is no recommended wait time between getting vaccinated and tattooed.
When you get inked, the process involves injecting ink into your skin. Your body sees this ink as a foreign body or invader, so it triggers an immune response, which can lead to various post-tattoo side effects like pain, redness, and swelling.
Vaccines work in a very similar way, as they involve the injection of foreign material into the bloodstream, also triggering an immune response that can also generate pain, redness, and swelling.
Both COVID-19 vaccines and getting inked can cause arm soreness, pain, and redness, because, as Mic wrote, “A tattoo is essentially a foreign body or ink that’s injected into the person’s skin.”
However, the science that is available at the moment suggests that there isn’t much to worry about, and many medical experts agree that getting a tattoo after a vaccine shouldn’t interfere with the vaccine’s functionality in any way.
However, it’s advised people should continue masking up for tattoo appointments. It’s equally important that your tattoo artist should take serious health and safety precautions, including providing decent ventilation and limiting the number of people in their tattoo studio. If you develop any Covid-19 symptoms before getting your tattoo, it’s safer to reschedule your appointment until you’ve quarantined and tested negative.
It’s also important to follow your artist’s guidelines on keeping your new tattoo clean to help prevent infection. Observe if any signs of an allergic reaction, including redness, swelling, and pain.
