Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Does Anyone Know If Tatoo Ink Is Gluten Free ?


rlemmon

Recommended Posts

rlemmon Apprentice

I am thinking abnout getting one. Anyone know if the is gluten in the ink ? I googled it but nothing came up.

thanks


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



penguin Community Regular

Unless you're allergic to wheat on your skin (ie: allergist skin scratch testing), it shouldn't matter.

When you get a tattoo, the metal-based ink goes between the layers of skin and stays there. Even if the ink did have gluten, and somehow made it into your bloodstream, you shouldn't have any ill effects. Gluten actually has to be ingested for a celiac to have a gluten reaction (I know there are people that have other reactions to gluten on their skin or wherever, but to have a celiac reaction, you have to ingest it. It has to get to your intestines)

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

I know a lot about tattoos because when I was 13, I worked in a tattoo shop everyday afterschool, babysitting the owner's son. It was a strange work situation, but I learned A LOT about tatooing and piercing. I got my own tattoo from that same lady when I was 17. Here are things to look for:

-Make sure they use an autoclave to sterilize the tattoo guns and other metal equipment. They should never reuse needles, make sure you see new, sterile ones come out of the package.

-Ask to see photos of the artist's work, and make sure they are licensed and experienced. Often, they will have done tattoos on themselves or others in the shop, ask to see these. If the tattoo was done poorly, (ie: too deep or too shallow) time will show that. Tats that are lighter in color than they should be were too shallow, ones in which the color bleeds (ie: starts looking fuzzy and like a bruise) the color was too deep. Ask for reccomendations, and look them up at the better business bureau.

-Don't make a rash decision, this will be on your body FOREVER! Also, tats require mantinence to stay looking good! Sun will damage the look of a tattoo, so always use sunscreen, at least on your tattoo (though you should everywhere). You will probably need to have the tat touched up, because time and sun tend to fade tattoos, in 5-10 years.

-Tats near bones (like ankle or hip) hurt the most to have done. On the back also hurts a lot, because you have major nerves under the skin. Obviously sensitive places like the inside of your elbow or the inside of your list hurt a lot as well. Outlining in black hurts more than filling in with color, though it's not that bad. Never drink or take asprin or ibuprofin before getting a tat, shops can't legally ink you if you've been drinking, and both alcohol and asprin and ibuprofin will make you bleed more. Not to mention being chemically altered before permanantly altering your body is stupid. Tylenol 30 mins to an hour before getting your tattoo will help it not hurt as much and will not make you bleed more.

-Different shops say different things about aftercare, but in the shop I worked in you bandage it for a few hours and keep it moist with triple antibiotic ointment (none of those expensive aftercare lotions at the shop). It's important to keep your healing tattoo from drying out, because it can make the color uneven and gross looking.

-Finally, women who plan on ever having kids should not get tats on their hip or anywhere on their stomach or lower breast. Cute as the butterfly on your hip may be at 22, once you have kids it's going to turn into a technicolor bruise.

Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions!

Guest nini

hubby that has 47 tats, says that tattoo ink is just pigment usually chemically engineered to be closest to properties of skin pigment, and that there is no reason for gluten to be in it. That it is more chemical than anything.

I have a huge dragon tat on my back that wasn't done that well and is starting to look bad... I've been considering having it redone.

Canadian Karen Community Regular

It's good to know that it's safe. I have toyed with the idea for a few years now of getting a Claddagh ring tatooed around my ankle.... or perhaps on the small of my back. But I keep chickening out.......

I'm such a wuss........ <_<

Hugs.

Karen

jerseyangel Proficient

Ha Karen--me too--I would be petrified to get a tatoo! But then again, I scare easily :ph34r:

Rusla Enthusiast

I have drawn up an ice dragon holding a pent that I want to have done on my leg but that would hurt too much. So I may have it done on my hip when I shrink more.

pinkpei77 Contributor

my fiance is a tattoo artist and said he doesnt see how they could have any gluten in them and the general public wont be able to get ingriedient lists from companies but he can because hes liscensed so hes going to work on finding out.

but like someone else said it wouldnt be digested anyways,

and for those of you thinking about it.. just do it!!!

im completly sleeved and have my feet , calves , chest and back done and they were all completly worth it.

you feel so amazing once youve done it!

and as far as pain goes , i dont think they hurt at all.. just some are more annoying.. sort of like a little sunburn.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



penguin Community Regular

Mine is a tribal swirly design thingy with a blue butterfly over it on the small of my back. It's clearly an "I was 17" tattoo, and I think I would hate it if I didn't need whiplash and a full length mirror to see it :P

Still looks good, never sees sunlight, and the artist was fantastic! :D

kabowman Explorer

I love mine (3) and just had a large tribal with feathers done on my hip (I am done with kids). My next will be on my lower back and I think I have gotten my husband of 5 years finally interested in getting his own.

Lollie Enthusiast

I love mine! I got it over 10 years ago but it still looks great! I have a birth mark on my hip. So I had a sunflower designed, that used the birth mark as it's center! I love it still! I'm considering getting another on the small of my back to represent life and as an honor to my dad that died last Sept.....

Good luck all!

Lollie

lorka150 Collaborator

funny that this came up. i have wanted a tattoo for awhile, and after loving one design for awhile now, i am set on my decision. i was going to look into the gluten-thing, but i'm glad it will be safe.

yay!

Guest nini

the one that I want to get in the small of my back is the symbol of the "healing hand" which is a hand with a swirl in the middle, surrounded by a tribal sun design... now I just have to come up with the money!

gabrielle Contributor

I have a Celtic cross on the small of my back- I like it, but I got it when I was 18 and trying to rebel...ChelsE is right, make sure you really like what you are putting on yourself since it will be there forever!!

ChelsE I wanted to ask you a question... my boyfriend has a tattoo and sometimes it gets raised/ puffy and itchy. He's had it for like 6 years- isn't that kind of odd??? Hmm... I thought maybe because you had so much info about tattoos you might know why this happens. :blink: Thanks!!

lorka150 Collaborator
the one that I want to get in the small of my back is the symbol of the "healing hand" which is a hand with a swirl in the middle, surrounded by a tribal sun design... now I just have to come up with the money!

do you have a picture? i would love to see your idea :)

rlemmon Apprentice

Wow, Thanks so much for the info guys. Now all I have to do is bite the bullit B)

cgilsing Enthusiast

I have one, that I've had for about 7 years. It looks great! But sometimes, especially right after I shower, it gets a little puffed up and itches! Does anybody else have that happen? It seems to go away right away and has never caused any problems (and I have sensitive skin so I always attributed it to that), but it just seems unusal. Especially for a tatoo that I've had for 7 years!!

whitball Explorer
I am thinking abnout getting one. Anyone know if the is gluten in the ink ? I googled it but nothing came up.

thanks

Well, I didn't even consider that the ink would be gluten free or not. But I did get one 2 weeks ago. I'm 45 and my 18 year old son asked if we could get one together. Awesome bonding for us. It hurt a bit, but well worth it. Go for it!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      127,833
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Lucy20
    Newest Member
    Lucy20
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121k
    • Total Posts
      70.4k

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      @Manaan2,  I'm so happy to hear you're going to try thiamine and magnesium!  Do let us know the results!   You may want to add a B 50 Complex with two meals of the day to help boost absorption.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins which are all water soluble.   When supplementing magnesium, make sure to get sufficient calcium.  Calcium and magnesium need to be kept in balance.  If you choose a calcium supplement, take two hours apart from magnesium as they compete for absorption.  Take Calcium with Vitamin D.  Vitamin D helps calm the immune system.   For pain, I use a combination of thiamine, B12 Cobalamine, and Pyridoxine B6.  These three vitamins together have analgesic effects.  My preferred brand is "GSG 12X Takeda ALINAMIN EX Plus Vitamin B1 B6 B12 Health Supplementary from Japan 120 Tablets".  Alinamin is another form of thiamine.  It really is excellent at relieving my back pain from crushed vertebrae without side effects and no grogginess.   Look into the low histamine version of the Autoimmune Protocol Duet (Dr. Sarah Ballentyne, a Celiac herself, developed it.)  It really helps heal the intestines, too.  It's like a vacation for the digestive system.  Add foods back gradually over several weeks after feeling better.   I'm so happy to have pointed the way on your journey!  Let us know how the journey progresses!
    • Manaan2
      @knitty kitty I can't thank you enough!  My husband and I already started looking into those supplements.  We definitely plan to give it a try.  We've been against the Miralax since it was originally advised by PCP, but because of the level of pain she experienced on a daily basis, we decided to try it.  We've made many attempts to gradually decrease but due to her pain and related symptoms, we've kept her on it while trying all sorts of other dietary adjustments pre and post diagnosis specific to food; so far none of those efforts have made a significant difference.  I will definitely share how she's doing along the way!
    • BIg Nodge
      Hi, I have recently embarked on the gluten-free journey. I have what to me seems like a somewhat confusing set of test results and symptoms. I have been impressed by the accumulated knowledge and thoughtfulness as I browse this forum, so I figured I'd make a post to see if anyone can offer any insight. I know there are many posts like this from new users, so I have tried to do my baseline research first and not ask super obvious questions.  I'm 43, overall very healthy. No history of gluten sensitivity or really any of the classic GI symptoms. About three years ago I started to experience intermittent bouts of fatigue, chills/cold intolerance, and shortness of breath/air hunger (sometimes feels like a hollowness in my chest, hard to describe). The symptoms over time have become fairly significant, though not debilitating, I am able to exercise regularly and am fairly physically active, continue to perform well at work. But for example I have gone from someone who consistently ran hot, was always cranking the a/c, to someone who wears a down vest inside at work in winter and get chills if the a/c even blows on me in summer. I get tired and lose energy even when getting decent amounts of sleep, and have to have my wife take over on long drives that I could previously handle with no problems. More generally when I am experiencing these symptoms they seem to crowd out space in my mind for focusing on my family, my hobbies/activities etc, I sort of withdraw into myself.   I happened to be experiencing these symptoms during an annual physical with my PCP a few years ago, he observed post nasal drip and suggested it was allergies and that I treat it with claritin. At first it seemed to respond to claritin (though not zyrtex), but over time I became unsatisfied with that answer. There didn't seem to be any seasonal rhyme or reason to my symptoms, and I felt like I was on an endless loop of taking claritin, then stopping, not being sure if it was even making a difference. I did eventually get allergy tests and found modest allergies to dust and pollen, which didn't feel like a smoking gun.  I then started seeing a natural medicine doctor who was much more willing to explore my symptoms via testing. The first thing that came back abnormal was elevated thyroid peroxidase antibodies/TPOs, 137 IU/mL vs a reference range of <9. At the same time my thyroid panel showed normal thyroid hormone levels. So it appears my immune system is attacking my thyroid even though it is working fine. I got a thyroid ultrasound at the time, it was clear, but with some abnormalities such that they suggested I get is scanned again in a year. These are certainly risk factors for a thyroid autoimmune disease, though my thyroid seems to be working fine for now.  From here my doctor considered celiac due to the murky thyroid/celiac links, so we did a panel. Results were as follows: TT IGA <1 U/ml, TT IGG <1 U/ml, deamidated gliadin IGA 24.6 U/ml, deamidated gliadin IGG <1 U/ml, IGAs 170 mg/dL. Readings greater than 15 considered high by my lab for the first four, my IGAs are within reference range. So basically just the deamidated IGA popped, but my IGAs are normal. I also notice on the tests that my thyroglobulin was high, 86.7 ng/ml vs a range of 2.8 - 40.9.  My doctor suggested that it certainly wasn't conclusive for celiac, but it was possible, and likely that I have some sort of gluten sensitivity. She suggested going gluten free and seeing how I felt as opposed to doing a biopsy. The best theory I can come up with is perhaps I am a silent celiac or just have a gluten sensitivity that doesn't produce immediate GI symptoms, but is still doing damage and over time has caused leaky gut. So now gluten is getting into my blood, and my immune system is attacking it but also mistakingly attacking my thyroid.  So that's what I did, went gluten free in October. It's been about four months, and I am really not feeling any difference. I still get the same symptoms that come and go. My bowel movements may be a bit more regular, but it was never a major issue before so I would consider that a minor improvement. I know that it can take a while to see improvements, and I am going to remain gluten-free and see how I feel. But I am definitely questioning whether I really understand what is going on, and am open to any thoughts or suggestions from the forum. Sometimes I wish I just went ahead with the biopsy before going gluten-free. While I would certainly be down to start drinking IPAs again ahead of a biopsy, you know, for science, I feel like at this point I would be throwing away four months of work and am better off staying the course and seeing what happens. But I'm really not sure.  I know there is a lot of thyroid knowledge on these boards, along with the celiac expertise, so I'm curious if this resonates with anyone's experience. And I'm interested in what sort of timelines people have experienced in terms of feeling improvements for some of these non-GI symptoms like chills, SOB, brain fog etc. Thanks in advance. 
    • cameo674
      Does it taste like black licorice?  It said it was chewable.  I do not like that flavor.     Since the burn at the back of my throat is there everyday, I usually only take something when it is unbearable and keeping me from ADL especially sleep.  
    • Scott Adams
      Your concerns about Nando's cross-contamination practices are valid and important for the celiac community. It's disappointing that Nando's does not have stricter protocols for children's portions, especially given the risk of cross-contact with gluten-containing items like garlic bread. Cooking gluten-free items on shared surfaces, even if cleaned, is not safe for individuals with celiac disease, as even trace amounts of gluten can cause harm. While the adult butterfly chicken may be a safer option, the inconsistency in practices for children's meals is concerning. It's frustrating that Nando's headquarters did not take responsibility, but sharing your experience raises awareness and may encourage them to improve their protocols. Consider reaching out to celiac advocacy organizations to amplify your concerns and push for better standards. Always double-check with staff and emphasize the importance of avoiding cross-contamination when dining out.
×
×
  • Create New...