Just like I would (and often do) advise no one to get elective surgery right now, I would say also that this is absolutely not the time to be getting tattoos either. And this is spoken from a tattoo loving gal who sports two of them herself. I have talked to a bunch of people over the last year who have acquired MRSA from tattoos, both in parlors and in-home. Here is a bit of what ABC News had to say today in their warning about MRSA and tattoos:
When four teenage girls in Anne Arundel County, Md., contracted a tough-to-treat bacterial skin infection last fall that landed two of them in the hospital, the county health department quickly zeroed in on the cause: their new body art.
“The common factor was … these tattoos,” says Elin Jones, a spokeswoman for the Anne Arundel County Department of Health.
The girls had picked up methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus  or MRSA  from a local tattoo artist working out of his basement. MRSA, which can appear as pimples or boils, grows rapidly, resists common antibiotics, and can infect the blood and bones if left untreated  not exactly a desired after-effect of having your body inked.
No kidding. Trust me on this, it is not worth it.
Awareness, CA MRSA, Maryland, MRSA, tattoos
10 responses so far ↓
sam // Jan 25, 2008 at 7:50 pm
what if u already have it how do the tattoos come out
john // Aug 13, 2008 at 1:34 pm
As a tattoo artist this post makes it seems more alarming than it is. If you get tattooed in a clean professional shop you will be fine. Notice that these girls were tattooed in a basement. Also, the tattoo can heal fine. I have personal experience with a staph infection occuring throughout a new tattoo of mine, and after antibiotics the tattoo healed with VERY LITTLE damage. It is KEY to visit your doctor at the first sign of anything wrong with a new tattoo.
Laura // Dec 20, 2009 at 8:44 am
You don’t get MRSA from a tattoo. MRSA is like every other cold or bacterial infection out there. You get it from coming into contact with someone who is infected with it and it gets introduced into your body. That’s why people should practice good hand washing and when your applying ointment to your tattoo your hands should be clean. The news makes MRSA seem like this huge super bug that kills people left and right. MRSA is treatable to an extent. People who have a greater risk from MRSA are those with veery weak immune systems, old people, and small children, just like every other cold or infection.
Laura // Dec 20, 2009 at 8:57 am
THis website has great information about tattoos and MRSA http://tattoo.about.com/od/disease/a/mrsa_risks.htm
Tattoists Wife // Dec 9, 2010 at 12:54 am
I agree with Laura MRSA doesn’t usually come from the tattoo being “dirty”. Point is my husband is a tattoist and works in a shop and has had people contract MRSA after getting a tattoo. The area is an open area into the body so in turn people automatically fault the tattoist and the tattoo. Staph is on everyones skin and yes sometimes goes haywire and some come in contact with someone who is infected. Heck going to grocery store could land you MRSA if you a small cut on your finger. So please I wish that people would really research things before they instantly blame the tattoo world. Coincidences happen……the girls happen to all get tattoos from the same place and possibly could be from the tattooer, but also could just be they didnt care for the tattoo properly either!
jenn clardy // Jan 7, 2011 at 2:40 pm
to laura and tattooists wife, i recieved 4 tatoos from a friend of a friends in a hotel room. trusting the cleanliness of this person mind you never experienced any skin problems in the 27 years ive been here, bout a or 2 after recieveing my tatoos i gained small pimple like itchy bumps surroundin the first tat, another week passed the same symptons surroundin my 2nd tat then the 3rd 1 and last but not least the 4th. all affected areas had to be cut lanced and treated for 3 weeks. MRSA is a skin desease not a internal bacteria as the common cold is known to be. experiencing this for myself maybe it was maybe it wasnt mt point being i was fine before i recieved my tats now i have MRSA and yes it can be fatal once it hits ur blood so please do ur homework and speak from experience not assumptions
shannon // Jun 14, 2011 at 11:14 pm
ummm let me start by saying that i am a registered nurse and a tattoo artist …so i first will direct my comment to Jenn… MRSA can be found in many different areas of your body including your urine, sputum, wounds, mucous membranes and your blood… and it is not fatal when it hits your bloodstream unless it goes untreated for an extended period of time… now on the other hand people tattooing outta there homes and outta motels and basements may not be as clean as they should ..if a person contracts mrsa after getting tattooed it can mean several things and yes people love to point fingers directly at someone else but remember that a tattoo is an open wound and needs to be cared for appropriately!!
paul // Oct 3, 2011 at 5:15 am
what if the S.O.B put a hole in my arm, it almost looks like he had a brain fart and now i got an infection. never again. dumb ass mofo
paul // Oct 3, 2011 at 5:18 am
i was at the government hospital and they asked “did a pro do this’ yes they did, but the hole was free i think but the lawsuit wont be, i promise
paul // Oct 3, 2011 at 5:21 am
and soon the cocksmootch will be lucky if his shop is still open. i cant mention names or states sorry
Leave a Comment