piercings and tatoos.

jennifericous · May 8th, 2005, 04:20

I want to get my lip pierced this week. ive wanted to get it done for years! my mother told me not to do it because it would get infected in india. Is there any reason to believe my mother? i dont see how it would get infected more than here. and i intend on cleaning it like i would at home.
Also, is it safe to get a tatoo in india. my dr. said not too because it may not be as sanitary as it is here, and there is risk of infection.
Jenn xx

Karma Queen · May 8th, 2005, 04:27

well i'm not going to pretend to know what i'm talking about, because i've never had a piercing or a tattoo done in india, but i probably wouldn't chance it. its not just the actual place where it was done that i'd worry about, but the dust outside too. any IMers got any experience.

however, it would be quite cool to get a tattoo done to remind yourself of the trip. i'm not saying i think you should have it done... i'm just rather into tattoos at the moment, as i'm currently trying to pluck up the courage of going to get one done (in england). wish i wasn't such a big baby about it!

jennifericous · May 8th, 2005, 04:35

oh i know!im such a big baby about it! my mum doesnt want me to do it, like im 20 and im too afraid to rebel! lol how sad!
i wanted to get a lotus flower tatooed on my hip. thought that would be cute. but its so expensive here. so was wondering if it was safe to do it in india, where i assume it would be much cheaper.

Kanbe · May 8th, 2005, 04:39

my friend got her nose pierced in Bangalore
even though there was no evident problem, I wouldn't recommend it just for the risk of infection (HIV, tetanus, Hep C, etc.). Can you wait to get your piercings after your India trip?

jennifericous · May 8th, 2005, 04:43

ya i can, i dont really want to though. i would be getting the piercing in ireland before i go. but my mother believes it will get infected while there. i dont see why if i keep it cleaned. i wud love to have my piercing for the summer, u know cus i have to get a job when i get home, puke. my dreadlocks are bad enough lol.

Kanbe · May 8th, 2005, 04:46

if thats the case, read this . So you can know what to expect and how to clean your piercing. There is also a helpful tattoo section.

machadinha · May 8th, 2005, 04:48

I wonder with some of the questions here sometimes...

Anyway different piercings take different times to heal, your local shop can tell you all about it. Navel and tongue piercings for instance take a notoriously long time (the navel about half a year), I don't know about the lip ones. Why not handle it at home though. As for tattoos I assume you could think of the risks yourself.

wandering_kat · May 8th, 2005, 04:49

I got a really bad skin infection when i got home from my last trip. Various docs tried various treatments before one of them called the hospital for tropical diseases and figured out what it was (apparently happens to a number of travellers to tropical places) : Basically we all colonise staphylococcus on our bodies, which is fine coz our bodies know that strain of staph and can deal with it. In the tropics, the strain of staph is different, our bodies don't know it so can't deal with it. That strain colonises on our skin, and as soon as we get a break in the skin (bites, cuts, shaving, etc), the staph gets in and (in some of us) a huge infection arises.
I think the infection part also depends on how compromised our immune system is at the time, but generally if you're travelling in a hot place, eating different food, dealing with new bacteria, etc etc - your immunity may not be at its highest.
So all i'm trying to say with all that waffle is that if you go to india with a wound that's in the process of healing, that staph could get in there and cause big infections.
Also bear in mind that immunity generally drops after a long plane flight.
Don't wanna make you paranoid - i was fine all thru india and only got the infection after getting back to UK - but just thought you might want to gather some facts so you know the risk. The only way to keep anything bacteria free in india is to cover it completely, and i dunno how feasible that would be on your lip!

tadka · May 8th, 2005, 05:06

Quote:

i'm just rather into tattoos at the moment, as i'm currently trying to pluck up the courage of going to get one done (in england). wish i wasn't such a big baby about it!

You can do it! For me, it's much easier than a trip to the dentist. Just have a reasonable meal beforehand.

vinayverma · May 8th, 2005, 05:19

If I were you, I would wait to get back from India and get it.
maybe..you get a new design idea after you get back

jennifericous · May 8th, 2005, 05:22

ya that makes sense kat. prob wont get it done. it just pissed me off when my mum said it would get infected when i got to india. it might get infected here anyway. the guy in the piercing studio blew me off! he pierced my bf's tongue. so i was asking him all about india and lip piercing, and he was like 'have you thought about genital piercing...' so didnt really get any conclusive answer from him, so thought id throw it to the boards. thats all machadinha.
what a bummer.

Sama · May 8th, 2005, 05:22

honey, I'm a soon-to-be 51 year old woman, yoga instructor, with 4 tattoos, so I know whereof I speak. In fact, I just had one 20 year old tattoo re-done to (almost) cover my left shoulder blade, and before I go to India in September, I plan on getting another one across my lower back. It will be SO COOL, I should post a pic when I get it! it will be very ha-tha....

anyway, my advice to you is to wait with both the piercing and the tattoo. IF it gets infected, you don't want to deal with it when you're in another country. I mean, WHY? wandering kat has good advice about staph and all, listen to it.

torryquine · May 8th, 2005, 05:24

A friend of mine had a tattoo done in Goa, she had been partying and got it on the spur of the moment. Afterwards, she was in no way sure that the equipment used had been sterile and had several worried months wondering if she'd been infected by HIV or Hep. The tattoo itself I have to say, was pretty ropey. This was in the 80s so things may have improved but overall I don't recommend having your skin engraved by someone unless you are very sure of their hygeine standards and the quality of their craftsmanship.

I love tattoos by the way and would love to have one, but can't decide what image I'd like to have on my skin for the rest of my life.

On the subject of healing, I needed stitches to my foot in Bali and was suprised how long to wound took to heal in that climate. Bear that in mind along with the advise from Kat about infection.

jennifericous · May 8th, 2005, 05:27

ur probably right. il save up so and wait till after india then i will pierce and tatoo every inch of my body! take that for rebellion mother! lol.
would love to see pics of your tatoos yogagal.
i too have the same issue torry. not sure whether i will ever love any image enough to have it on my body forever. so im just going to choose something i really like. i mean im never gonna hate it am i? thats what im hoping!

readmymind · May 8th, 2005, 07:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by jennifericous

i too have the same issue torry. not sure whether i will ever love any image enough to have it on my body forever. so im just going to choose something i really like. i mean im never gonna hate it am i? thats what im hoping!

advise i received before my first tattoo:

1. start with something small. you can always add on to make it larger.

2. get it where you can cover it up. you may not always want it showing.

3. never have someone else's name tattooed on you. things change ! (i have my son's name on my upper arm, but i know i will love him forever)

just thought i'd share

May 8th, 2005, 04:20	#1
jennifericous Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: IRELAND Posts: 190	piercings and tatoos. I want to get my lip pierced this week. ive wanted to get it done for years! my mother told me not to do it because it would get infected in india. Is there any reason to believe my mother? i dont see how it would get infected more than here. and i intend on cleaning it like i would at home. Also, is it safe to get a tatoo in india. my dr. said not too because it may not be as sanitary as it is here, and there is risk of infection. Jenn xx

May 8th, 2005, 04:48	#7
machadinha Not Your Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 10,917	I wonder with some of the questions here sometimes... Anyway different piercings take different times to heal, your local shop can tell you all about it. Navel and tongue piercings for instance take a notoriously long time (the navel about half a year), I don't know about the lip ones. Why not handle it at home though. As for tattoos I assume you could think of the risks yourself. __________________ Reading tips, all picked up at IndiaMike : INDAX's A Comprehensive Guide To India / Dinoj Surendran's Desi Humor / ITHVC on Culture Shock & Travel Health / JetLag Travel Guides For the Undiscerning Traveller / India Travel Links

May 8th, 2005, 04:49	#8
wandering_kat All India Permit Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Cape Town Posts: 342	I got a really bad skin infection when i got home from my last trip. Various docs tried various treatments before one of them called the hospital for tropical diseases and figured out what it was (apparently happens to a number of travellers to tropical places) : Basically we all colonise staphylococcus on our bodies, which is fine coz our bodies know that strain of staph and can deal with it. In the tropics, the strain of staph is different, our bodies don't know it so can't deal with it. That strain colonises on our skin, and as soon as we get a break in the skin (bites, cuts, shaving, etc), the staph gets in and (in some of us) a huge infection arises. I think the infection part also depends on how compromised our immune system is at the time, but generally if you're travelling in a hot place, eating different food, dealing with new bacteria, etc etc - your immunity may not be at its highest. So all i'm trying to say with all that waffle is that if you go to india with a wound that's in the process of healing, that staph could get in there and cause big infections. Also bear in mind that immunity generally drops after a long plane flight. Don't wanna make you paranoid - i was fine all thru india and only got the infection after getting back to UK - but just thought you might want to gather some facts so you know the risk. The only way to keep anything bacteria free in india is to cover it completely, and i dunno how feasible that would be on your lip! __________________ *Sorry, but my karma just ran over your dogma*

May 8th, 2005, 05:19	#10
vinayverma Maha Infrequent Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 1,294	If I were you, I would wait to get back from India and get it. maybe..you get a new design idea after you get back __________________ If Life is a journey....travel on...and on..on..on.....

May 8th, 2005, 05:22	#12
Sama a pain in the asana Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: the India inside my heart Posts: 5,434	honey, I'm a soon-to-be 51 year old woman, yoga instructor, with 4 tattoos, so I know whereof I speak. In fact, I just had one 20 year old tattoo re-done to (almost) cover my left shoulder blade, and before I go to India in September, I plan on getting another one across my lower back. It will be SO COOL, I should post a pic when I get it! it will be very ha-tha.... anyway, my advice to you is to wait with both the piercing and the tattoo. IF it gets infected, you don't want to deal with it when you're in another country. I mean, WHY? wandering kat has good advice about staph and all, listen to it. __________________ *My India, 2005-2008* BE THE REVOLUTION

May 8th, 2005, 04:27	#2
Karma Queen Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: England Posts: 365	well i'm not going to pretend to know what i'm talking about, because i've never had a piercing or a tattoo done in india, but i probably wouldn't chance it. its not just the actual place where it was done that i'd worry about, but the dust outside too. any IMers got any experience. however, it would be quite cool to get a tattoo done to remind yourself of the trip. i'm not saying i think you should have it done... i'm just rather into tattoos at the moment, as i'm currently trying to pluck up the courage of going to get one done (in england). wish i wasn't such a big baby about it!

May 8th, 2005, 04:35	#3
jennifericous Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: IRELAND Posts: 190	oh i know!im such a big baby about it! my mum doesnt want me to do it, like im 20 and im too afraid to rebel! lol how sad! i wanted to get a lotus flower tatooed on my hip. thought that would be cute. but its so expensive here. so was wondering if it was safe to do it in india, where i assume it would be much cheaper.

May 8th, 2005, 04:39	#4
Kanbe la la laa Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: lala land Posts: 350	my friend got her nose pierced in Bangalore even though there was no evident problem, I wouldn't recommend it just for the risk of infection (HIV, tetanus, Hep C, etc.). Can you wait to get your piercings after your India trip?

May 8th, 2005, 04:43	#5
jennifericous Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: IRELAND Posts: 190	ya i can, i dont really want to though. i would be getting the piercing in ireland before i go. but my mother believes it will get infected while there. i dont see why if i keep it cleaned. i wud love to have my piercing for the summer, u know cus i have to get a job when i get home, puke. my dreadlocks are bad enough lol.

May 8th, 2005, 04:46	#6
Kanbe la la laa Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: lala land Posts: 350	if thats the case, read this . So you can know what to expect and how to clean your piercing. There is also a helpful tattoo section.

May 8th, 2005, 05:24	#13
torryquine Oilfield Trash! Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Aberdeen Posts: 700	A friend of mine had a tattoo done in Goa, she had been partying and got it on the spur of the moment. Afterwards, she was in no way sure that the equipment used had been sterile and had several worried months wondering if she'd been infected by HIV or Hep. The tattoo itself I have to say, was pretty ropey. This was in the 80s so things may have improved but overall I don't recommend having your skin engraved by someone unless you are very sure of their hygeine standards and the quality of their craftsmanship. I love tattoos by the way and would love to have one, but can't decide what image I'd like to have on my skin for the rest of my life. On the subject of healing, I needed stitches to my foot in Bali and was suprised how long to wound took to heal in that climate. Bear that in mind along with the advise from Kat about infection. __________________ http://werenotafraid.com/

May 8th, 2005, 05:27	#14
jennifericous Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: IRELAND Posts: 190	ur probably right. il save up so and wait till after india then i will pierce and tatoo every inch of my body! take that for rebellion mother! lol. would love to see pics of your tatoos yogagal. i too have the same issue torry. not sure whether i will ever love any image enough to have it on my body forever. so im just going to choose something i really like. i mean im never gonna hate it am i? thats what im hoping!

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