Yes, you can donate blood if you have tattoos If you got a tattoo in the last three months, it is completely healed, and was applied by a state-regulated facility, which uses sterile needles and fresh ink—and you meet all blood donor eligibility requirements—you can donate blood!
Most people with tattoos can donate blood as long as they don't have risk factors that prohibit or limit blood donation, and if they got a tattoo at a state regulated facility. In the U.S. you have to wait 3 months to donate if the tattoo was from a state that does not regulate tattoo facilities.
Health conditions: People with certain diseases or health conditions (e.g., sickle cell disease, HIV, cancer, malaria) may need to consult with their donation center to discuss eligibility. Additionally, you are not eligible to donate if you received a blood transfusion in the last 3 months.
Tatoos do not affect blood tests. However, blood tests might show some inflammation or signs of infections.
Most blood banks accept donations from people who have tattoos that are one year old or older. Fresh tattoos are almost always a reason for deferral.
A skin infection is possible after getting a tattoo. An infection might be due to contaminated ink or equipment that isn't sterilized correctly. Getting a tattoo at a studio that doesn't follow good safety steps also can raise your risk of a skin infection.
The ink that isn't taken away by the white blood cells (macrophages), then remains in the dermis within trapped white blood cells and becomes absorbed by skin cells known as fibroblasts.
Wait 3 months after a tattoo if the tattoo was applied in a state that does not regulate tattoo facilities. Currently, the only states that DO NOT regulate tattoo facilities are: District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah and Wyoming.
It's generally recommended to wait at least 24 hours before jumping into the shower. This initial waiting period gives your skin time to begin healing. When you do shower, try to minimize direct contact with the tattooed area and limit its exposure to water.
Activities include: Nonprescription injection drug use. Engagement in sex for money or drugs. New sexual partner or more than one sexual partner in the last 3 months and engaged in anal sex in the last 3 months.
AB negative is the rarest of the eight main blood types - just 1% of our donors have it. Despite being rare, demand for AB negative blood is low and we don't struggle to find donors with AB negative blood. However, some blood types are both rare and in demand.
Yes. Menstruating doesn't affect your ability to donate. Enjoy your relaxing time on the donation couch and a tasty snack afterwards. As someone who menstruates, it's a good idea to check out our information about iron.
Most medications do not disqualify people from donating blood. Any heart disease must be medically evaluated and treated, and the person should have no heart-related symptoms within the last 6 months. People who have ever had hepatitis due to a virus or tested positive for hepatitis B or C cannot donate blood.
38% of the population has O positive blood, making it the most common blood type. O positive red blood cells are not universally compatible to all types, but they are compatible to any red blood cells that are positive (A+, B+, O+, AB+).
Although smoking cigarettes, vaping, and using cannabis will not disqualify a person from donating blood, they should refrain from smoking for at least 2 hours before and after donating blood. A person may feel lightheaded or weak after giving blood, and smoking can exacerbate these symptoms.
Three-Month Waiting Period
These wait-time requirements for both tattoos and piercings are related to concerns about hepatitis which can easily be transmitted from donors to patients through transfusion. All blood donations are tested for hepatitis B and hepatitis C with several different tests.
HLA antibodies can develop after being pregnant; they aren't normally harmful to the person who acquires them, but they can be harmful for a patient who receives a platelet or plasma transfusion. Female donors found to be negative for HLA will be eligible to donate platelets.
So is Getting a Tattoo a Sin? It depends. Revisiting 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 is a great reminder when considering a tattoo: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
In animal studies, tattoo pigments have been found in the kidney, the liver, and the spleen. Therefore, although this has never been studied in humans, exposure to hazardous ingredients of tattoo inks and even subsequent cancer development should not be ruled out.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), a group of chemicals which are known carcinogens, was found in a fifth of the samples tested and in 83% of the black inks tested by NICNAS. Other hazardous components included barium, copper, mercury, amines and various colourants.
Tattoos reduce stress
Cortisol is a stress hormone. It was tested in the study because cortisol is an immune response suppressant. Multiple tattoos were found to reduce cortisol levels, improving the immune system benefits of tattoos, but also helping with stress reduction.