posted
Totally safe to get tats with Lyme. As always, go to a reputable shop. They will destroy the needles and follow strict safety protocols.
The only thing regarding tats and piercings and Lyme would be to avoid ear piercings done with piercing guns. They are not as sterile. Even for just ear piercing, go to a proper piercing shop and have it done with a needle--which will then be destroyed with any other biowaste.
-AnnaL (one tattoo and one piercing post-Lyme, with plans for many more)
Posts: 398 | From By the Salish Sea | Registered: Dec 2008
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Leelee
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quote: The only thing regarding tats and piercings and Lyme would be to avoid ear piercings done with piercing guns. They are not as sterile. Even for just ear piercing, go to a proper piercing shop and have it done with a needle--which will then be destroyed with any other biowaste.
I was just going to ask about ear piercing after I read the original tattoo post. I don't have any tattoos, but I do have my ears pierced.
Is the piercing gun the thing where they put the earrings in the gizmo and sort of staple it to your ear?
I wonder about acupuncture also. A long time ago when my symptoms first showed up I was in so much pain that I tried acupuncture for a few months. (It didn't help, much as I wanted it to.)
-------------------- The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King,Jr Posts: 1573 | From Maryland | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
I was thinking about the immune challenge as well not to mention the metals and other toxins contained in the dye. I don't have lyme but I know I would react to the dyes. I react to red 40 and other colors.
I have heard that the easiest way to get Hepatitis C is to get a tattoo. They may not re-use the needles, but do they use fresh ink on every person??? If not, the ink can be a reservoir for all types of nasties!
Just be careful! Posts: 236 | From Illinois | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
As far as I'm concerned, it is just being stuck by tiny needles...
As a Lyme patient, I've been stuck by needles many, many times anyways (blood draws, IVs, EMGs, B12 shots).
My last 2 tats healed up within a week, the same amount of time the others took. I figure if it compromised my immune system, healing would have been difficult. It wasn't.
Abxnomore
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posted
I think with all the stuff your immune system is dealing with that getting a tattoo is not a good idea. You are introducing foreign substances into
your body, whichever way you look at it. I think it is a bad idea no matter how hygienic the place is. Do you know what is in those inks and dyes. I don't but I doubt they are things that normally occur in the human body and they probably contain
metals, possibly lead (red dyes contain cadmium) and many dyes are suspected carcinogens. These are all substances a sick body does not need.
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kreynolds
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I have to agree with zombie_mummy... all my tatts are in black and grey... I have 8 big ones.
I find getting a tattoo done very relaxing believe it or not.
I also had my ear, eyebrow,lip, and tongue pierced.
This was all before the disease....
I think there are people out there that hate them and say they are bad because they are unsterile, but as you can see from above most places are sterile.
I love tattoos and won't stop getting them... If this disease is gonna kill me, then I'd rather leave happy and tatted up!!!
-------------------- Diagnosed CDC + 6/2007
Quest: + IGG Bands 18,23,39,41,58,66 and 93.
Quest: + IGM Bands 23,39
Quest: + Bartonella (B.Henselea & B. Quintana),+ Babesia, and + Mycoplasma and Lyme-Induced Addisons Disease
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Abxnomore
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There is a big difference doing it pre lyme. Right now your immune system is working 24/7. You are on
a ton of medications and your system is overloaded and your liver is stressed. Why introduce anything
foreign into your system at this time?
NOT SMART AT ALL.
Don't be so sure how sterile all these places are. Most may be but there will always be those who will cut corners.
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posted
To each her own, of course, but I also found getting my tattoo to be a wonderful experience.
It felt like claiming part of my body back--and the endorphin kick made me feel better than anything! And I did not notice any worsening of symptoms post-tattoo.
Also, for Leelee, yes, a piercing gun is that "staple" kind of thing. Like you'd see at the mall or whatever.
If you want your ears pierced, I recommend going to a piercing parlor and having them do it.
It may seem a little intimidating, since most of the employees will have crazy piercings, but a good shop will make you feel comfortable and respected.
And then they'll pierce your ears the "old-fashioned" way, by poking a needle through the ear and fitting the stud in place.
The needles are sterile (usually they open the pack while you are watching) and are disposed of afterwards.
This method of piercing is much preferred to the piercing-gun-at-the-mall. The guns hold germs more, and you're more likely to get an infected piercing.
As always, go to a reputable shop. See who is voted "best of" in your town, or ask people you see with tats or piecings you admire.
And feel free to ask for a tour of the shop and a full explanation of their safety protocols. Any reputable artist will be happy to explain it all in detail.
-AnnaL (who is planning to get a labret piercing in the near future)
Posts: 398 | From By the Salish Sea | Registered: Dec 2008
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I love my tattoo! I am getting vicarious ink joy reading this. *sigh*
I loved my piercings, too, but I'm a bad healer. Have a big keloid on the cartilage of one ear from a piercing there. I had to let them all close over except the ones in my lobes (5 on the left, 2 on the right).
I got my tat before MCS - black outlined snake with purple and green banding looped around a women's symbol. She encircles my calf.
I planned to get more, but then MCS hit, and I'm afraid of introducing anything I might be sensitive to into my body.
Yes, the endorphins are fab. I say, Kreynolds, go get yer tat and come back and tell us all about it. *grin*
-Sharon
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heiwalove
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posted
i have my next three or four tattoos meticulously planned out, but personally i'm too freaked out to get them done now that i know i have lyme. i agree it adds to the total body burden -- it's an injury, a trauma the body needs to heal from. not to mention whatever is in the dyes, heavy metals and god knows what else. it makes me sad because i would love to get more tattoos (i have four from my pre-lyme days).
posted
I have two tattoo's since becoming sick with Lyme. I had no problems with either one. I will say though that since I have adrenal insufficiency it kind of wiped me out afterwards.
I am going to get another one this summer..I will go to the same shop since I know they are clean, use disposable needles and ink.
Posts: 343 | From North Carolina | Registered: Oct 2008
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posted
IMHO, I can't counsel getting any non-medical tattoos. (Certain alternative medicines give small tattoos for specific medical conditions.) Just one tattoo lowers your life expectancy by up to 20 years.
Rather than rework, I copy something I wrote on tats to one of my students in Iraq - lyme survivior/success story, no further problems 20 years after initial short-term treatment - thinking about getting one: (Edited for national security reasons!)
Did you know any tattoo or piercing location should be approved by an energy field specialist? People seriously mess up their fields all the time.
Every time we get a scar what's called field interference may be generated. Certain body modifications are sometimes introduced for health reasons. (Chinese medicinal tattoos, for example.) But this is rare.
Not messing with energy fields, chakras, and meridians is one reason Buddhism proscribes against any, especially unnecessary, body invasive procedure.
An hour in the tattoo parlor can perhaps leave you with lifetime of depression or misdiagnosed illness, for example.
Or it could mess you up just a little bit and you get older and things just don't seem as happy as when you were younger.
And this may be treated inappropriately by a medical community that, along with the patient him/herself, never even comes close to understanding that it may be because a hole was punched and forever messed up or short circuited an important body point.
Tattooing/piercing may through field interference increase a tendency towards violence and anger. Which may be desirable for some. Especially in prison, where in-house tattoos are big.
Is it a coincidence that the most violent known societies have the highest number of....... tattoos and piercings. These indigenous tribes have murder rates of 40% and more. They haven't reached a stage of development where they understand field concept as well as their less rural cousins, in Asia for instance.
That all being said, should you decide to continue remember, of course, to buy your own set of new needles. Most everybody I know does this.
But what a he.. of a lot of people forget is to buy your own ink wells. Crucial. Everybody has clean needles, but many tattoo artists use the wells for multiple people. Be sure about this.
Well, I guess I know a lot about this for a guy with one tattoo. Maybe that's why..... You won't catch me getting another, (if possible) given everything I just pointed out.
I'm one of the................ I don't want to take the chance of jeopardizing.............. I have though body modification.............
I don't know for sure if body mod would change my skills negatively. (Might make them better, but in the holistic concept this could be like permanent steroids with long-term bad effects.) I wouldn't want to chance it.
I certainly would consult a field specialist before getting anything. What I can say is that among my crew, the more tatts, the more the guy and his life seems/ed a mess.
Most came from single parent homes and/or had attention issues. I also don't think I want any more questionably toxic chemicals and certainly heavy metals (the ink) embedded into my body.
Ever notice an abundance of old people with tattoos? There is a strong school of thought that believes tattoos slowly poison you. One of the worst things may be getting tatts re-inked after many years.
I understand Tatts are huge right now. Especially with your age group. Good Luck!
My best advice to anyone here with chronic lyme & co is consider removing all tattoos and especially non-traditional piercings. (However, tattoo removal is scar producing in its own right, so best to consult the aforementioned field specialist. It may be better to leave certain tats.)
Sorry if some reading can't accept what I've said here. Gonna have to take the "Jack" amendment. (You can't handle the ....!) Wonder how many LLMDs are conversant with above?
Abxnomore
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"I also don't think I want any more questionably toxic chemicals and certainly heavy metals (the ink) embedded into my body. "
Most of us already have heavy metal toxicity and don't even know it, we certainly don't need more. It's just plain old common sense that if
your fighting off all these pathogens the last thing your immune system needs is to have foreign substances introduced into it. Sure you may not
notice a difference, but it's wrecking havoc on your system and interfering with your body's ability to fight of Lyme and co's. Does your
body really need an extra toxic burden to handle?
And if they are not using new unopened ink just for you then it doesn't matter if you have a sterile needle as that bottle is already
contaminated from having needles that went into other people's skin and has been dipped back into the ink.
Anyway you look at it NOT A GOOD IDEA. And, that ink from the tattoo thru the years leaches toxins into your system slowly messing with your health.
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lymemomtooo
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I really appreciate this post. My 22 year old lymie has many piercings and tattoos. I am really afraid of each new one wondering if and when it will be the one that might be too much..
We spent over $3000 trying to save two teeth from a piercing in her lower lip. It rubbed and inflamed two bottom middle teeth and they lost almost all of their bone. Surgeries and much grafting later, we have saved them and damn if she didnt' just get it repierced and said that this stud would not cause a problem.
No not to her because she knows we will spend a fotune we don't have to try to save them again.
With each tattoo, I cry and try to explain some of what Lymeric has said. I had read an article on elec conduction thru the layers of the skin and how it can interfere with nerve signals if damaged. I get a shrug. And this is a brain damaged lymie, so why take any more chances?
Everyone deserves to be able to make up their own mind but it is also good to know the pros and cons. lymemomtooo
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kreynolds
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posted
Wow a lot of mixed answers....
-------------------- Diagnosed CDC + 6/2007
Quest: + IGG Bands 18,23,39,41,58,66 and 93.
Quest: + IGM Bands 23,39
Quest: + Bartonella (B.Henselea & B. Quintana),+ Babesia, and + Mycoplasma and Lyme-Induced Addisons Disease
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Abxnomore
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Do you know how many people can't clear Lyme because of heavy metal toxicity? Heavy metal toxicity causes neurological damage
I think people with Lyme have enough neurological challenges.
Read about what's in tattoo ink and wonder why you would want it in your body.
posted
Girl. I did the same thing I was on IV's and got a dove tattoo to help me through the worst of it.
I would say it's totally safe b/c it was for me and I checked with both my doctors AND the tattoo artist beforehand.
ENJOY Posts: 14 | From VA | Registered: Mar 2008
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Abxnomore
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Not sure I believe what most doctors say. Most have limited knowledge in areas of this nature. They give out drugs, just as poisonous. In our case we need them, but in many cases they give them out when the are not warranted.
You have no way of knowing how your immune system reacted to it, how much more of a burden it put on it.
Posts: 5191 | From Lyme Zone | Registered: Jan 2009
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posted
Any Lymie, no matter how strong or functional, has a very serious illness. Most of us who are completely disabled now were once very strong too. In my opinion it's not a good idea to add to the burden. But people will do what they do. When I was strong I did many things that, looking back, were foolish. Sure they were fun as hell, and I'm glad I did them, but I have little doubt they added, in some way, to my decline.
On the other hand, the life of a Lymie sucks completely -- and if something can bring one a bit of joy ... well, then, maybe that's not so bad.
So it comes down to: risk/reward?
Just think about it.
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LisaS
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posted
Look it, with lyme everything changes. But you have to keep living. Ive read a lot of books on karma and chakras and never read anything about tattoos. I even studied Buddhism, but maybe i missed that chapter. Usually spiritualism teaches that your spirit heals your body. Not that your body controls the spirit.
My point is, with lyme you are supposed to change EVERYTHING. You can't eat what you want, be in the sun as long as you want, stand as long as you want, work a normal job, can't even have a darn beer if I want cuz I get so sick. But you HAVE to keep living. You can't just lay in bed afraid of everything. We are exposed to different bacteria, toxins, electromagnetic fields... everyday all the time, whether we like it or not. We can't hide from everything.
Besides didn't you ever hear of the mom who wouldn't let her kids play outside for fear that they'd get germs? When those kids went to school they had no antibodies built up to fight infections and became sick with every bug they were exposed to.
If ya want a tat, get one, if ya don't then don't. Simple.
quote:Originally posted by Kreynolds: Wow a lot of mixed answers....
Kreynolds, ultimately the decision is yours to make.
It sounds like you are a big boy/girl and, if you've already got 8 tattoos, you have a very good idea of what is involved, your healing time, etc.
We have no idea how sick you are, how your immune system is functioning, whether or not you are chemically sensitive, etc.
Talk to your LLMD. Discuss your concerns about safety/sterility with your prospective tattoo artist. Weigh the pros/cons and make an educated decision.
I wish you the best of luck on your healing journey.
I would be concerned as well with putting more toxins in my already burdened body. I just found out I am loaded with heavy metals which will take awhile to get rid of, besides adding a tat.
I would encourage a new mind set with this for those who are thinking of another tat...
Try to do something else that makes you happy, other than an identifying or symbolic mark.
It's all about a mind set and how you feel about yourself and your situation. and I"ve also learned that in order to truely heal, we need to release emotional bonds, either things we know are hurts or burdens or even those that are subc onsious. I think the Tatoos fall into this somehow, and for many the need cannot be articulated, many are drawn to it for various reasons. Whether for individuality, for artistic beauty, or to make a statement...there are all valid reason...but with major consequences to your life if you have lyme.
Tatoos as well as the metals hold onto the lyme and other pathogens in our bodies.This is known to ND's and those that practice ART and energetic muscle testing. In other countries this is known in the medical communities, but in the USA, there is no good education or testing in general related to lyme and metals. This is coming in the future.
We all need a way to be free of things the hold us down pshcyologiclly and physically.
Unfortuanately , we lymies do need to personally challenge ourselves with new behaviors. Healing takes work and modification.
Ask yourself, do you really need this outward symbol to be happy. If this is the only thing that will make you happy at the time, you must evaluate why? "Do it if it feels good at the moment" approach is death to us lymies.
Thinking about this , may open you up to finding out the deep things that may be holding back your healing...no one can tell you this, only being open and honest with yourself will help you. If you want it.
Abxnomore
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posted
LymeParfait, you have the most sensible perspective on this issue. It's not about tattoos, it's about caring for your body and understanding how doing
things to it effects healing. I spent a huge amount of time and money removing my mercury amalgams and chelating out heavy metals. Without doing so, I would never have stood a chance to get better.
Peter Levine writes a lot about healing past traumas. Here is one of his books. Waking the Tiger : Healing Trauma : The Innate Capacity to Transform Overwhelming Experiences.
Recovering from Lyme is not merely about taking ABX and medications. There is a lot of internal work that needs to be done. Discovering your past
emotional fears, scars and issues. Healing your spiritual body as well as the physical. The physical body is not healed only with ABX. ABX kills off pathogens but destroys many other systems in the body and throws the entire system off kilter.
That's why adding more trauma such as a tattoo with toxic dyes is foolish. If anyone is lucky to get rid of this spirochete you will be spending years getting you body back to homeostasis. You will be dealing with adrenal
issues, heavy metal toxicity issues, candida, GI repair, possibly thyroid problems, nerve regeneration, cardiac issues and whatever other damage the spirochete has left you with.
Think about the long term and the big picture. This illness is not to be taken lightly and ABX is not a magic bullet.
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kreynolds
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quote:Originally posted by nomoremuscles:
On the other hand, the life of a Lymie sucks completely -- and if something can bring one a bit of joy ... well, then, maybe that's not so bad.
Exactly....
If you are going through crap everday already
and you want to do something that you used to
do before this illness I think it brings back a
sense your old self. Meaning staying away from
things you once did prior to getting sick is
not the answer. The key is doing it safely. If
I enjoy getting tattoos and am willing to
compromise my immune system even more, so be
it. At least it will put a smile on my face. My
point is don't stray from what you love... If
it puts a smile on your face and gets you
through the day, then do it!
-------------------- Diagnosed CDC + 6/2007
Quest: + IGG Bands 18,23,39,41,58,66 and 93.
Quest: + IGM Bands 23,39
Quest: + Bartonella (B.Henselea & B. Quintana),+ Babesia, and + Mycoplasma and Lyme-Induced Addisons Disease
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Abxnomore
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That's certainly your call but one wonders why when one is so ill why one would take a chance on
prolonging your illness or causing new complications and adding both to your financial and family burdens.
There are a million things I have denied myself since being sick....mainly the joy of life. But I want to do everything I can to get well and have made progress. Wouldn't dare think of jeopardizing it nor do I have the extra $$$ to waste of frivolities.
Seems pig headed to me, especially since you claim to have made little progress so far. Seems like you have a long way to go.
Good luck......
Posts: 5191 | From Lyme Zone | Registered: Jan 2009
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posted
I personally wouldn't risk introducing anything foreign into my body, but that's because I know my immune system has gone haywire. Autoimmunity is the last thing i need.
Posts: 713 | From Los Angeles | Registered: Oct 2007
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posted
Yes, the mental reinforcement and strength you get from the tats may trump other concerns...
The Buddhist proscription against body invasion is why Asian medicine developed a non-surgical methodology, with energy, chakras, etc.
Also, Buddhism and Asian medicine as presented in the west are sometimes different. Much is left out of books and teachings, etc. because of cultural incompatibility.
The same system that gives us chakras and meridians to think about says it's medically necessary for males to have constant sexual gratification to be healthy, thus justifying the world's most extensive and elaborate brothel network.
Those trying to cash in or simply spread some of the Asian way obviously left such concepts in Asia. (Wouldn't sell many books here. Also, maybe they don't believe in this particular piece of Chinese medicine.)
Which leads to advice found in many contexts: Pick and choose. Take what's good for you. Leave the rest.
FYI: There is a term in Chinese for America that translates, "Women's heaven on earth." It's all about perspective, I guess.
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kreynolds
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posted
Abxnomore:
I think everyone in this forum and the Lyme coummunity wants to get well. That's a no-brainer.
Sometimes being spontaneous and frivilous isn't at all that bad. Even when it puts a smile on my face.
Pig headed or not we are all in the same boat stuck in the middle of the ocean... some will stay with the boat, others will wander away...
Yes, I have made little progress so far, by the way I'm glad your keping "tabs" on me.
Yes ,I have a long way to go but I'm ready, with my fists clenched.
-------------------- Diagnosed CDC + 6/2007
Quest: + IGG Bands 18,23,39,41,58,66 and 93.
Quest: + IGM Bands 23,39
Quest: + Bartonella (B.Henselea & B. Quintana),+ Babesia, and + Mycoplasma and Lyme-Induced Addisons Disease
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Abxnomore
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Don't keep your fists clenched. It could bring on muscle spasms........ Posts: 5191 | From Lyme Zone | Registered: Jan 2009
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kreynolds
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posted
LOL... Yeah don't need anymore of them...
-------------------- Diagnosed CDC + 6/2007
Quest: + IGG Bands 18,23,39,41,58,66 and 93.
Quest: + IGM Bands 23,39
Quest: + Bartonella (B.Henselea & B. Quintana),+ Babesia, and + Mycoplasma and Lyme-Induced Addisons Disease
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Keebler
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posted
-
You asked: " . . .safe to get tattoos with Lyme."
I'm so sorry but I simply have to say rather loudly: NO!
Ink is petroleum based. The process itself will put the adrenals in shock from the pain, etc. The risk of infection is huge.
Please. If you want to buy colorful or sharp clothes to look terrific, go that route. Get a new hair style. But it's really best to be very kind to your skin.
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
-
You asked: " . . .safe to get tattoos with Lyme."
I'm so sorry but I simply have to say rather loudly: NO! There is has way more than just the needle sterilization to consider.
Ink is petroleum based. That alone can increase your risk of cancer in the future as petroleum products are endocrine disruptors. Petroleum and whatever else in in that ink does not below in your body. Sometimes, that ink contains lead or other harmful heavy metals.
Would you drink the ink solution? Would you be willing to take a little bit of it under your tongue each day. Having it on your skin forever is about the same thing.
Whatever, you are introducing foreign material into your body. The skin is the prime detox organ we have. We need all that skin to be able to work for us. Inked skin cannot do that.
The process itself will put the adrenals in shock from the pain, etc.
Even under the best of circumstances, the risk of infection is huge, even for "healthy" people.
If you want to perk up or make a fashion statement - to buy colorful or sharp clothes to look terrific. Get a new hair style. There are many other ways to find joy and appreciate art. But it's really best to be very kind to your skin.
kreynolds
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posted
LOL...Thanks for the advice... I new I would get a mixed result.
I completely understand everyone that opposes getting a tattoo.
There is no fashion statement that I'm trying to make, I just enjoy tattoos...
As far as buying sharp clothes or getting a new hairstyle, I'll leave that to someone else...
Thanks for your input!
-------------------- Diagnosed CDC + 6/2007
Quest: + IGG Bands 18,23,39,41,58,66 and 93.
Quest: + IGM Bands 23,39
Quest: + Bartonella (B.Henselea & B. Quintana),+ Babesia, and + Mycoplasma and Lyme-Induced Addisons Disease
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heiwalove
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posted
it's an extraordinarily personal decision and although i wouldn't personally do it at this stage in my illness/recovery, i wish i could; i think tattoos can be a beautiful form of self-expression.
i take huge exception to much of lymeric's first post. as someone with tattoos and someone who has dear friends with half and whole sleeves and more, i find his/her opinion to be enormously offensive and discriminatory. i understand that tattoos interfere with the body's energy field and can impede healing, but so do scars of all types: surgery scars, injuries, bullet wounds, the list goes on. to imply that cultures utilizing ritual tattooing (part of various ancient spiritual traditions that extend back thousands and thousands of years) are somehow more 'barbaric' and 'violent' than other, so-called 'civilized' cultures seems like a dangerous statement brimming with racism and xenophobia.
to bring it back to my own personal experience: i have many friends with multiple tattoos, in fact some of them have more tattooed skin than untouched skin. and they are all beautiful, gentle people, full of love and caring and concern for their families and communities.
posted
...more to say later about Heiwalove's post later, gotta go... but please don't put that hatred and ignorance on me. Better to be a little more responsible. I never, and wouldn't say any of those wicked things you imputed. Especially as someone who studied, worked, and lived with indigenous cultures around the world.
Curiously, I was going to add in my original post that most people I've met in western culture practicing "extreme" body modification seem to have super gentle souls. Guess I should have.
Posts: 76 | From tolland county, ct | Registered: Jul 2008
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kreynolds
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posted
Im not hating or ignoring... just find it very interesting to have such a mix in replies...
All input is great positive or negative, I feel....
-------------------- Diagnosed CDC + 6/2007
Quest: + IGG Bands 18,23,39,41,58,66 and 93.
Quest: + IGM Bands 23,39
Quest: + Bartonella (B.Henselea & B. Quintana),+ Babesia, and + Mycoplasma and Lyme-Induced Addisons Disease
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posted
Kreynolds, I was referring to Heiwalove's post, not yours.
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heiwalove
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posted
um, lymeric, i was just reacting to your words. you wrote, and i quote:
"Tattooing/piercing may through field interference increase a tendency towards violence and anger. Which may be desirable for some. Especially in prison, where in-house tattoos are big.
Is it a coincidence that the most violent known societies have the highest number of....... tattoos and piercings. These indigenous tribes have murder rates of 40% and more. They haven't reached a stage of development where they understand field concept as well as their less rural cousins, in Asia for instance."
that's extremely offensive to me. i stand by my post.
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