Hello. I’m curious. I’ve had tattoos since I was 18, but as of recent, I started to get more. I’ve met a few diabetics at my tattoo shop & 2 of them said their CGMs work fine on their tattoos. This blew my mind. I was always under the impression that tattoos are the equivalent of scarring, so taking blood or injecting insulin on a tattooed spot is a no-no. Was I told a lie since I was a kid?
I limit where I get tattoos because of being on a CGM & Omnipod 5. If I were to get a tattoo on one of those nice, cushy spots that I use for my pod, would it affect the way the insulin gets absorbed into my skin? I appreciate any helpful feedback.
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My CGMs are on tattoos regularly. For me, no more or less problems there than anywhere else. Hopefully a podder will chime in, and you can start getting ink wherever you want.
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Ooh, I’ve been curious about this too! Growing up I was always told that I shouldn’t get tattoos because of the increased “risk of infection” for diabetics. I never thought about how it might interact with our tech.
It looks like there are lots of Reddit threads of folks with this same question, and the consensus seems to be that there’s no real change in insulin absorption? It sounds like there’s more risk to the tattoo losing its clarity.
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That’s such a great question and honestly, one a lot of people wonder about but rarely ask! Tattoos don’t automatically mean “no-go” zones, but they can slightly change how sensors or infusion sets stick or read depending on the ink density and skin texture. Some people have no issues at all, while others notice mild variations in readings or absorption.
If you ever decide to try a tattooed spot, just monitor closely for a few days to see how your CGM or pod behaves. Also, using Not Just a Patch can help your CGM stay secure and stable especially on areas with ink, where adhesion can be trickier.
Super cool that you’re asking before committing to new ink that’s smart diabetes management and tattoo love combined 
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I have no tattoos, and am not an MD, but have an advanced degree in biology. My understanding is that the ink used can very, and cheaper inks can cause a problem in migrating and reaction of the immune system. So ask about the quality of the ink. I suggest researching the long-term effects of the tattoo on health, i.e. inflammation, migration, and encapsulation by skin cells.
I would think that you would want to be cautious, and avoid putting a pump insert/pod in an area of a tattoo because of the inflammation caused of the insert. The ink is a foreign body.
Mike
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I do have tattoos and have never had an issue with healing.
I have tattoos on spots where I normally wouldn’t put a CGM or pump so I can’t confirm or deny if the tattoo would lose its clarity.
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Thank you for everyone chipping into the conversation. It means a lot. I feel a bit more confident on not limiting myself to only certain spots (I’m not trying to cover myself. I just want to have more options for the few more that I’ll be getting). I know my tattoo artist does use a good ink brand because they’ve talked about what can happen with bad ink & why they won’t buy certain brands.
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