Warfarin Institute of America

DEDICATED TO YOUR HEALTH SINCE 2000

Can I get a Tattoo While Taking Warfarin?

Rebecca Muñiz, Pharm D. Candidate

University of Colorado School of Pharmacy 

To put it simply, warfarin increases the amount of time your blood takes to clot; therefore, if a person gets a tattoo while taking warfarin, it may bleed longer and take longer to heal.   

There are no rules saying that a person can or cannot get a tattoo while on warfarin, but it is important to know what to expect.  Whenever a person gets a tattoo, there is a certain degree of bleeding to be expected, depending on the artist and the size and detail of the tattoo.  When a tattoo takes longer to clot, there is an increased chance of it becoming infected and may require more attention and care to prevent this, such as use of ointment and dressing changes for a prolonged period of time.  It may be a good idea to get an INR test to assure you are not above the therapeutic range before getting the tattoo to avoid any unnecessary bleeding. 

Weighing the risks and benefits of getting a tattoo, it is much more beneficial to continue taking the warfarin while getting the tattoo than to stop the warfarin and risk forming a dangerous clot.  A slightly longer bleeding and healing time for a tattoo is a more favorable outcome than a possible clot formation.   

There have been two patients at the St. Mary-Corwin Coumadin Clinic who have received tattoos while therapeutic on warfarin.  One patient had a tattoo on the back of his neck and the other had eyeliner tattooed on twice.  Neither patient had any complaints.   

Each individual must decide for themselves if the benefits outweigh the risks.  If any uncertainty remains, talk it over with your healthcare provider.

©2006 Rebecca Muñiz

Editor's Note:  If you would like to e-mail your experiences about having a tattoo done while taking warfarin please send them to allodwick@earthlink.net

The following are experiences of some of the readers of this site.

My name is Mike, I've been on Warfarin since March this year when I smashed my knee mountain biking, which developed into a blood clot in my leg (ignored by my doctor) Which then traveled to my lungs.
Anyway I've been getting tattooed for the last 5 years, once a month, every month. Being on Warfarin hasn't changed that. I still get up to 4hrs of work every month. Yes the healing takes a few days longer and 
sometimes the ink bleeds out a bit but nothing major. The biggest thing I've noticed is that it hurts more, my skin has become more sensitive whilst on the tablets. The process is definitely a lot more 
uncomfortable and my skin feels tender up to two weeks afterwards.  Other than that I would say go for it, I have a LOT more work planned and see the tablets as a major issue.

My name is Angela, and I just want to share my experience of being on warfarin and getting tattooed.  I've been on warfarin for the past 12 years for antiphospsolipid antibody syndrome (a blood clotting disorder often associated with lupus) during that time I have gotten 4 tattoos (I have a total of 6, one of which is very sizable covering my entire thigh which has been worked on twice while I was anticoagulated).  Normally, I try to time my tattoos with a time when my warfarin dose is being reduced for other reasons, for example invasive dental work which allows for less bleeding due to a lower INR.  I get all of my work done by a close friend who is a professional tattoo artist, she understands my condition and knows that I'm responsible enough to deal with any issues that might arise as a consequence of being tattooed.  In my experience, bleeding is not much heavier than that of someone not on warfarin.  I would like to make it clear to others that they must be honest with their tattoo artist about the fact that they are taking blood thinners and are aware of the risks associated with the tattooing process.  Also, I feel it is extremely important to let your managing physician know that you're planning on getting a tattoo, that way if you do have any heavy bleeding that requires treatment they will be aware of what's going on.  Often your physician may strongly caution against tattooing, but they do that for everyone, not just warfarin patients.  I normally have a PT/INR performed a few days before the tattoo, and then a couple of days after to make sure I'm in therapeutic range.  I have never had any difficulty healing from any of my tattoos, but I have been told by several tatoo artists that this can be a consequence for some.  Additionally, artists have told me that the increased bleeding my cause the tattoo to not take as well and there may be some faded spots (this seems to be in the case of extremely pronounced bleeding).  
 


 

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Last updated Mar 5, 2009