Hi everyone. I am considering possibly getting my first tattoo. My surgery is on April 9th. Do you think the tattoo might interfere with my surgery. Also I am anemic too.

Where are you getting your tat (where on your body); What size tat? Why now? Just FYI: I haven't hit the surgery scheduled yet, but I am pretty heavily body modified and my youngest son is my tattoo artist and has been a professional artist for ohhhh...15 years or so. So I can talk to you about ink.

I would think that it depends on where you get the tattoo. I wouldn't put anything on your back or where you can't reach comfortably (after surgery) because the first couple of days, you will probably spend sleeping on your back, which won't be comfortable at all. Also, my anesthiesiologist made comment about me having one on my inside wrist and the fact that I probably didn't think about getting an IV placed when I got the tattoo.

I'd recommend waiting just in case for a few reasons. I wouldn't do anything that would make anyone second guess changing your surgery date.

If you've decided on what you want & where to put it, well.. hopefully it will be there a long time so putting it off a little longer shouldn't hurt. Also, your skin is going to be changing. I've heard about how images get stretched out after people gain weight, but not so much about how it changes with losing it. It might not matter so much in a location like the ankle I guess. I'd still want it to look it's best though & wait a little bit.

Where are you getting your tat (where on your body); What size tat? Why now? Just FYI: I haven't hit the surgery scheduled yet' date=' but I am pretty heavily body modified and my youngest son is my tattoo artist and has been a professional artist for ohhhh...15 years or so. So I can talk to you about ink.[/quote']

We'll I'm getting my first tat in my wrist. Nothing big just my late daughters name and her hand prints. Here's a picture of it.

[ATTACH]10148[/ATTACH]

I'd recommend waiting just in case for a few reasons. I wouldn't do anything that would make anyone second guess changing your surgery date.

If you've decided on what you want & where to put it' date=' well.. hopefully it will be there a long time so putting it off a little longer shouldn't hurt. Also, your skin is going to be changing. I've heard about how images get stretched out after people gain weight, but not so much about how it changes with losing it. It might not matter so much in a location like the ankle I guess. I'd still want it to look it's best though & wait a little bit.[/quote']

Thank you so much Andi. I was going to get it in my wrist, not thinking that it will change much, but my wrist is big lol

I would think that it depends on where you get the tattoo. I wouldn't put anything on your back or where you can't reach comfortably (after surgery) because the first couple of days' date=' you will probably spend sleeping on your back, which won't be comfortable at all. Also, my anesthiesiologist made comment about me having one on my inside wrist and the fact that I probably didn't think about getting an IV placed when I got the tattoo.[/quote']

I didn't even think about that. That is where I wanted my tat in my wrist. Great to know.

I'd recommend waiting just in case for a few reasons. I wouldn't do anything that would make anyone second guess changing your surgery date.

If you've decided on what you want & where to put it' date=' well.. hopefully it will be there a long time so putting it off a little longer shouldn't hurt. Also, your skin is going to be changing. I've heard about how images get stretched out after people gain weight, but not so much about how it changes with losing it. It might not matter so much in a location like the ankle I guess. I'd still want it to look it's best though & wait a little bit.[/quote']

I have a tattoo around my ankle and have had it for 5 years. It always lined up with my Achilles' tendon, until I lost 100lb. It has now rotated and is off centre. I got one on my hip, then had a baby and it is an I recognizable smudge, but that is from stretching. My ankle one hasn't morphed or changed, just relocated. Any future tats for me will be done after I have been at goal for 1 year, to avoid migration.

Tats do migrate/smudge with weight change, but then gravity also impacts them. I have a wrist band on my left wrist of my 3 sons' names. It has not changed in looks or position regardless of age or weight. Nor has it been a problem for IVs as a good vampire (IMO) doesn't need to see to hit a vein - it is done more by feel. I have a unicorn on my right upper breast - it is about 3" tall and 2" wide. I got it prior to my 3rd pregnancy in 1982 and despite weight loss and weight gain and lactation/breast feeding, it has only gotten more muted due to aging. 5 dog paws on my left ankle above the ankle bone - no changes. 2nd degree Reiki distance healing symbol on top of my left foot - no change. However, I have a tribal floral that goes from my shoulders to mid butt cheek and it is inter-twined with english ivy that drapes off my right shoulder, winds through the tribal from right to left then trails down my outer thigh before wrapping 3x around my calf and finishing off running onto the top of my foot. I have seen it change in sharpness and clean, straight lines as I've yo-yo'd over the years AND as I've aged and gravity has pulled at it. Seeing the changes it has experienced, I am expecting to have some loss of neatness and symmetry with a large amount of weight loss simply due to the sag of the stretched out skin on my back and sides. You are looking at a minimum of 3 weeks healing time, if not more. You are currently anemic which means you are not likely to be a quick healer due to lack of white blood cells,,,the design and placement should be no issue at all in so far as design, sharpness and/or - however if it were me, I would wait until after the surgery so as not to have just put your body through one healing then expecting another; plus thee is always the chance of infection even in the cleanest shop due to a number of factors. You don't want to go into surgery with infection or the potential for infection running rampant in your body.. My 2 cents is for you to wait until after you have healed and are past the point of infection. If you want this design on your wrist, then another 6 months is not going to change that and will also give you the best ability to heal.

I very nearly got a tattoo prior to my surgery but held off. Our skin migrates as we lose weight and you just don't know where/how it will end up looking. I think its best to wait.

Holy crap! I got a tattoo a month before surgery on the inside of my wrist with my kid's names. I hope it doesn't migrate

Lol it should be fine! Unless you carry the majority of your weight in your wrist!!

I'm just over 2 weeks post op and got 2 tattoos Wednesday. One on the inside of my right wrist and one on the top of my right foot.

Here's my opinion for IV's. I'm a paramedic and from my 8 years of starting IV's the wrist is the most painful spot to go. There are a ton of nerve endings on the inside of your wrist. I will not stick there unless it is a last resort.

I am covered in tattoos and they have no effect in a good medical professionals ability to place an Iv. I always tell them, if my tattoos are an issue than bring me someone else that knows what they are doing.

I got George for my 30th bday. He's on the back of my shoulder. I hope he stays put!

I just got my most recent one 2 1/2 weeks ago. I had told myself no more tattoos until after surgery, but I changed my mind. My grandpa went into the hospital unexpectedly 3 weeks ago and passed away a few days later. My tattoo is in memory of him, it was the best way I knew how to cope. I did worry for a little while that it would affect the surgery, but now, I'm fine and it's pretty much healed. it's about 3x5" on my chest, a little underneath my collarbone. I'm hoping that if it DOES go anywhere, it just sinks down a little, which i can totally deal with.