There are many skincare products out there to help you with blemishes and acne scarring. There are even healthcare products and medications that are there to help with such problems. They can cause effects on your skin that make it impossible for other skin-related procedures to be done. One such is Accutane and its relationship with tattooing.
So can you get a tattoo on Accutane? Accutane is a powerful acne treatment drug that helps to treat severe acne problems. It is made from retinoic acid, an ingredient that you might be familiar with in skincare products. As Accutane is a powerful drug, it leaves the skin vulnerable to where surgery isn’t possible. That is why it is important for you to know if it’s possible to get a tattoo while being on long-term Accutane medication.
Key Takeaways
- Accutane is a powerful drug that fights against the acne forming on your body by reducing the oil secretion and clogging pores.
- Due to its adverse effect on the body, you should not get a tattoo while being on Accutane.
- You will have to wait a long time after being on Accutane to get a tattoo. The decreased healing makes it impossible for your body to recover from Accutane in a short time.
- Even after you get a tattoo, you should wait before starting Accutane medication as the skin still needs to be fully healed.
Accutane: What it Does to the Body?
As a retinoic acid, Accutane treats acne by reducing and shrinking the oil glands or sebaceous glands. By doing this, your skin will produce less oil and this will prevent acne formation. Accutane also prevents clogged pores, decreases the growth of bacteria, and has anti-inflammatory properties to reduce the chances of acne forming.
When you are starting on Accutane, chances are your body will produce even more acne! This is known as the purging effect on your skin, where your skin will try to get rid of dead skin, oil, and debris from the surface. After this stage, the formation of acne will be considerably reduced.
While on Accutane, your skin will be left very fragile. It leaves the skin very thin and dry because oil production is almost put on hold. With your skin in this state, you will experience dryness, flaking, and even decreased healing! All of these are things that you do not want on your tattoo!
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Accutane and Tattoo Relationship
When it comes to medication, all of which you are on needs to be taken into consideration when you want to get a tattoo. Over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen and Tylenol are strictly advised to not be taken for at least 24 hours. These have blood-thinning properties which would make your skin bleed more when you are getting a tattoo. Immunosuppressants are also something that you can’t be on when you want to get a tattoo. Your body needs to heal and taking these types of drugs would inhibit the healing of the tattoo. Even certain antibiotics have to clear before you get a tattoo.
For an acne medication like Accutane, it is very important to know why you can’t have a tattoo when you are on such a medication. So let’s take a look at the relationship between Accutane and tattoos and why you can’t get a tattoo while on this type of medicine.
Skin flaking and fragile skin
Accutane will make your skin fragile and start to flake. This means that your skin will be left more sensitive and any type of trauma, such as tattooing, will be dangerous.
The flaking of your skin will be worse for the tattoo because constantly shedding skin will be detrimental to your tattoo while it is healing.
It will cause your skin to peel and flake off, making the tattoo blurry and ruining the overall look of the tattoo. This fragility and flaking combined make Accutane a dangerous drug to be on for tattooing.
Dryness and redness
You will notice that when you are on Accutane, your skin will be drier than usual. The oil on your skin keeps it moisturized and prevents moisture loss. When you have a tattoo while on Accutane, you can expect your tattoo to be constantly dry, leading to cracking of the tattoo or even worse!
The redness forms on your skin due to how sensitive it will be when on this drug. When there is redness on your skin, it will be much harder for a tattoo artist to work on the skin. With less visibility, tattoo artists will have a hard time knowing how much ink to pack so that the tattoo ink can settle in properly. Packing the skin with too much ink can cause more leaking and bleeding, which can lead to breakouts and higher chances of infections!
Decreased healing
Another thing that Accutane does to your skin reduces the rate at which it can heal. Like immunosuppressants, your body will not be able to heal properly from even the smallest of cuts, leading to increased infection rates.
The most important part of the tattoo is the healing and aftercare of the tattoo. The healing stage that lasts for up to 4 weeks is crucial to how the tattoo will look for the rest of its time on your skin!
If your body cannot heal the tattoo properly, then your tattoo will be completely ruined! That is why tattoo artists don’t work on clients who are on Accutane.
Sunburn
With increased sensitivity comes the possibility of sunburn. Accutane can lead to sunburns occurring when directly exposed to sunlight. When skin is sunburnt, it is very sensitive and will hurt a lot to even touch it.
Tattooing on sunburnt skin is absolutely forbidden due to how much it hurts. When you are on Accutane, even the slightest patch of skin has the chance to be sunburned.
That is why tattoo artists will reject people on Accutane. They will like for the client to wait a certain period of time after being done with the Accutane to get a tattoo.
Tattooing After Accutane: How Long to Wait?
When you are on Accutane, it is generally advised to be off Accutane from anywhere between 6 months to 1 year! This is because the effect on your body from Accutane has long-term effects that will take a lot of time to go back to normal. This is mainly because of decreased healing rate of your body which makes it take so long.
Accutane is also prescribed to be taken for about 6 months. You won’t notice the effects of Accutane at least until the 3rd month! Over this time period, your body becomes used to the effects of Accutane. If you only take Accutane for 1 month, even then you are required to wait at least 6 to 9 months before getting a tattoo or surgery. If you are on Accutane for longer than that, it is a good idea to get a tattoo only after waiting 1 full year of being off it before a tattoo.
Taking Accutane After Getting a Tattoo
If you get a tattoo and are thinking of starting on Accutane, it is a good idea to wait about 4 to 6 months after getting the tattoo. The upper layers of skin will be healed within the first month after getting the tattoo but the tattoo needle penetrates even further than that! For the deeper layer of skin, it requires a further few months for it to fully heal. It is important that this part of the skin is fully healed before using Accutane. As the drug hinders the healing process, you should be warned about starting on Accutane after getting a tattoo for this reason.
FAQs
What other medication can you not be when you want to get a tattoo?
You can’t be on blood-thinning medications and immunosuppressant when you want to get a tattoo. Even some antibiotics should be avoided before a tattoo. To consult, speak to a tattoo artist and doctor to get a better understanding of this.
Should you tell your tattoo artist if you are on Accutane?
You should definitely tell your tattoo artist about being on Accutane! It is for your own safety that you let them know about it. Otherwise, your tattoo will not heal properly and you risk getting infections.
Do tattoos make acne worse?
As new tattoos cause skin irritation and inflammation, your acne might get worse around the skin where you got the tattoo. This is especially if you have frequent breakouts.
Is it OK to tattoo over acne scars?
It is usually safe to tattoo over acne scars and other types of scars provided that the scar is healed completely. You should talk to your tattoo artist if they will tattoo over acne scars or other types of scarring.
Does Accutane cause your skin to thin?
It is a common misconception that Accutane thins your skin. It makes your skin fragile, meaning that it is more sensitive to touch, but it won’t thin your skin.
Final Thoughts
Just like most other medications, Accutane is something you can’t be on when you want to get a tattoo. It makes your skin too fragile to get a tattoo and will hinder the healing process too much. As the healing is the most important part of the tattoo to make it permanent, Accutane has a chance of ruining the tattoo completely! That is why there is a long wait time of up to 1 whole year that you should be off Accutane before you get a tattoo. And even after getting a tattoo, you should wait about 4 to 6 months to let the deeper skin layers heal properly before starting on Accutane.
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