Can You Get a Tattoo With Eczema, Psoriasis, on Blood Thinners, or While Pregnant?

This is general information, not medical advice. Every case is individual — talk to your doctor about your specific condition and medication before booking, and be straightforward with your tattoo artist. Both would far rather have the conversation upfront.

Tattoo studios ask about your health for good reason: a tattoo is a controlled wound, and some conditions change how your skin bleeds, heals, or reacts. Most of the time the answer isn’t a flat no — it’s “yes, with planning” or “yes, once this is settled.” Here’s the honest picture for the situations people ask about most.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Reputable studios will decline, and you should wait. The reasoning is risk transfer: any tattoo carries a small chance of infection or a reaction, and during pregnancy or breastfeeding that risk extends to your baby as well as you. There’s also limited data on how ink components behave in these circumstances, and artists have no appetite for being the ones to find out.

This isn’t a judgement or a legal technicality — it’s a straightforward “not now.” Wait until you’ve finished breastfeeding, then book. Any artist who’s willing to tattoo you while pregnant is showing you something about their standards.

Blood thinners and anticoagulants

Most artists will not tattoo someone on blood thinners, and it’s a practical problem as much as a safety one. Anticoagulants cause significantly more bleeding during the session, and that bleeding literally washes pigment out of the skin before it can settle — the result is patchy, faded work and a longer, harder heal. It also makes the session messier and more difficult for the artist.

Never stop prescribed blood-thinning medication to get a tattoo. That’s a genuinely dangerous thing to do. If you’re on them long-term, speak to your doctor about whether a tattoo is advisable at all, and be upfront with your artist. Discretionary over-the-counter blood thinners like aspirin are different — simply avoid them in the day or two before, as covered in our preparation guide.

Eczema and psoriasis

Usually possible, with conditions. Neither rules out being tattooed outright, but both need care:

• Don’t tattoo an area that flares. Artists will avoid skin that’s currently affected or that regularly breaks out, and you shouldn’t push for it. Choose a placement that stays clear.
• Don’t get tattooed during a flare-up, anywhere. Wait until your skin is calm and settled.
• Understand the Koebner phenomenon. In some people with psoriasis (and certain other skin conditions), trauma to the skin — including a tattoo — can trigger a new flare at that exact site, even somewhere that’s never flared before. This is the specific reason to talk to your doctor or dermatologist first: they can tell you whether you’re prone to it.
• People whose eczema is mild and infrequent are generally better candidates than those with frequent, widespread flares.

Other situations worth flagging to your artist

Why honesty with your artist matters

It’s tempting to leave something off the consent form to avoid being turned away, but that works against you. Your artist adjusts technique, session length, and aftercare advice based on what they know — and if something goes wrong mid-session or during healing, they need the full picture. Studios ask these questions to protect you, not to gatekeep. Being told “let’s wait until X is settled” is a good outcome, not a rejection: it means you’ll get a better tattoo that heals properly, rather than a compromised one you’ll want fixed.

The general rule for anything on this page: ask your doctor first, tell your artist honestly, and be willing to wait. A few months’ delay is nothing against a tattoo you’ll wear for life.

Can you get a tattoo while pregnant?

Reputable studios will decline to tattoo anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, and waiting is the sensible course. Any tattoo carries a small risk of infection or reaction, and during pregnancy or breastfeeding that risk extends to your baby, with limited data on how ink components behave. It isn’t a legal technicality but a genuine precaution — and an artist willing to tattoo you anyway is revealing something about their standards.

Can I get a tattoo if I’m on blood thinners?

Most artists won’t tattoo someone taking anticoagulants, because the excess bleeding washes pigment out of the skin before it settles, producing patchy, faded work and a difficult heal. Crucially, never stop prescribed blood-thinning medication in order to get a tattoo — that can be dangerous. Speak to your doctor about whether a tattoo is advisable for you at all, and be upfront with your artist rather than concealing it.

Can you get a tattoo if you have eczema or psoriasis?

Usually yes, provided your skin isn’t currently flaring and you choose an area that doesn’t regularly break out. Artists will avoid affected skin, and you shouldn’t push for a placement that flares. The important thing to discuss with your doctor first is the Koebner phenomenon, where trauma to the skin — including a tattoo — can trigger a new flare at that site. People with mild, infrequent flares are generally better candidates.

Should I tell my tattoo artist about my medical conditions?

Yes, always. Your artist adjusts technique, session length, and aftercare guidance based on what they know, and if anything goes wrong during the session or healing, they need the full picture. Studios ask about health to protect you, not to gatekeep. Being told to wait until a condition is settled is a good outcome — it means getting a tattoo that heals properly rather than a compromised one you’ll want fixed later.

What health conditions stop you getting a tattoo?

Few conditions are an absolute permanent no, but several mean waiting or getting medical clearance: pregnancy and breastfeeding, being on prescribed blood thinners, an active skin flare-up in the area, a recent surgery or unhealed wound, and a compromised immune system. Conditions like diabetes or heart valve issues often just need a doctor’s input and precautions. The consistent advice is to ask your doctor about your specific situation and be honest with your artist.