Is It Safe To Get A Tattoo During The COVID-19 Pandemic?

If you're wondering whether or not it's safe to get a tattoo during the pandemic, look no further. While there have always been risks associated with getting a tattoo, the COVID-19 pandemic has added an extra layer of risk and hesitation for many people (via Refinery29). However, many tattoo parlors have implemented safety measures to help minimize the risk of COVID-19 by requiring customers to wear a face mask and take their temperatures at the door before they come inside. Many shops have also staggered appointments, so there are only a handful of people in the store at a time.

Cleanliness and hygiene are also crucial, but this should always be the case in a good tattoo parlor. "You should already treat any tattoo and client with care and cleanliness," Tessa Benson-Xu, a tattoo artist at Magic Cobra Studio in New York City, told Refinery29. This includes using sterile needles and changing gloves in between breaks.

"It's critical to ensure the safety of yourself and your clients," Benson adds.

If you've recently gotten vaccinated against COVID-19, you may wondering if you should wait a few weeks before you get a new tattoo. While there is little information on this topic, there is no reason to believe that getting a tattoo would somehow affect the vaccine (via Allure). There is also no recommended wait time in between getting a tattoo and a COVID-19 vaccine.

"Based on how the various vaccines work, whether mRNA or adenoviral vector-based, there isn't any reason to think getting a tattoo would influence how well the vaccines work," Michael Chang, a professor of pediatric infectious diseases at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston, Texas, told Allure. "Also, there isn't any reason you can't get the vaccine through the site of a previous tattoo that I am aware of."

However, if you're planning on getting a tattoo on the arm where you got the shot, you might want to a wait few days. If you experience any side effects from the vaccine, like arm soreness and swelling, getting a tattoo in the same area will only add to that pain and discomfort.