Knowing your diabetes

Having diabetes absolutely shouldn’t stand in your way if you want to get a body modification like a tattoo or a piercing, but it can affect how fast you’ll heal and make you more likely to get an infection. The key thing is to make sure your blood glucose is well under control before you get your tattoo or piercing. 

• High blood glucose – regularly running over 9mmol/L – can really delay healing and increase the risk of infection. This can mean permanent damage and scarring that will affect the tattoo or piercing – and it can cause complications for your diabetes. 

• It’s likely that your blood glucose will rise when you get a piercing or tattoo, simply because of the stress involved! If you do get any kind of infection, that will also cause your blood glucose to rise. 

• You should revise your sick day guidance and know how to treat high blood glucose levels should anything happen. Make sure you’re prepared and can test for ketones as well as your blood glucose. 

• Bear in mind the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis. Take your insulin, as you normally would, and make sure you take correction doses if your blood glucose is high.