If you have tattoos can you still donate blood

We keep hearing tales that people with tattoos can’t donate blood, but we assure you that in Australia at least, this is a myth! You can save lives and still sport that tattoo. In Australia, the only requirement for giving blood after a tattoo is that you wait six months between getting inked and giving your donation.

Below we’ve answered some common questions around giving blood after getting a tattoo, and we hope this helps you with understanding the process around giving blood in the future.

Are any tattoos exempt from the blood donation waiting period?

No types of tattoos are exempt from the six-month waiting period before donating blood within Australia.

This means if you get a cosmetic tattoo, such as your eyebrows tattooed on, you will still need to wait six months.

Why is there a six-month waiting period on donating blood after getting a tattoo?

The reason why you need to wait until six months after you get your tattoo before donating blood is in order to minimise the chance of infection.

The risk of getting an infection such as hepatitis from a tattoo is almost non-existent if you visit a reputable tattoo studio, but it goes without saying that blood banks need to be overly cautious when it comes to a risk of contaminated blood being donated.

Do Australians need blood donations?

The Red Cross says there are more than nine million people in Australia who are eligible to give blood but only 3% of the entire population does so.

When you consider one in three Australians will need a blood transfusion at some point in their lives, the need for more blood donations becomes all the more obvious.

Has a love of tattoos reduced the number of people giving blood?

Unfortunately, some people wrongly believe that once they have received a tattoo, they will no longer be able to donate blood, but this simply isn’t the case. Due to this misinformation, and the rise in love for body art, the Red Cross says it has seen a decrease of about 4,000 people a year in giving blood.

If you’re worried about the waiting period for donating blood after getting a tattoo, why not visit the Red Cross Blood Bank before you get inked and donate first? This way you can feel good about having done a good deed while still going ahead with your tattoo.

But one misconception about tattoos ─ that people with tattoos are ineligible to donate blood ─ has prevented some from getting inked or giving back. It's a common myth that having tattoos makes you ineligible to donate blood. This was true in the past, but it isn't a barrier today. Fact is, even if you're inked, you have the power to build a healthier world and save lives.

She Stands Out

Carolina Holler, a 28-year-old from San Paulo, Brazil, is no stranger to tattoos. She was 18 when she donated blood for the first time and 20 when she got her first tattoo. That tattoo would be the first of many.

Carolina's tattoos aren't a barrier that keep her from donating blood. She made the decision to give back, to show everyone you can have tattoos and be a regular blood donor.

Having a fascination with the human body at a young age, her passion for healthcare, blood donation awareness and body art would become a defining characteristic of her adulthood.

"I have 10 tattoos. And that hasn't stopped me from donating blood. You can plan your tattoos around blood donation," she said.

Tattoo, not taboo

Over the past few decades, tattoos have become less taboo. A Harris Poll found that nearly half of all millennials have tattoos. Among people who have tattoos, seven in 10 don't stop there, ending up with a tattwo and a tatthree.

Now, more than half the nation includes people who are Millennials, Gen Z and younger. That means there’s a likelihood a young donor who steps up to fight against current blood shortages will have a tattoo. Or maybe even a few.

Most people with tattoos can donate blood as long as they don’t have risk factors that prohibit or limit blood donation, and if they got a tattoo at a state regulated facility. In the U.S. you have to wait 3 months to donate if the tattoo was from a state that does not regulate tattoo facilities.

Make Your Mark

Every 2 seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, and your donations have the power to change lives, regardless of your tattoos.

Don't let your ink stop you from donating blood.

You don't have to compromise your individuality, style, sense of adventure or your love of body art to become a regular donor. Tattoos are a permanent statement of who you are, what (or who) you love and what’s important to you.

So is becoming a donor.

You can leave your mark on the world by donating ─ a permanent sign of your selflessness and the difference you've made in changing lives.

Carolina inspires those around her to donate, especially loved ones her age. She's a reminder that it’s on us (ahem, millennials and Gen Z) to step up and give back.

"Even if you're not able to donate, you can go with a friend who's donating and be a support system for them. Make it social," she said.

Why can't I donate blood after getting a tattoo?

Can you give blood if you have a tattoo?