Specific concerns

In all circumstances it is very important to find out about all the possible risks and complications involved in getting the tattoo or piercing you want. If you also have to factor in having diabetes, however, there are a few added complications that you should think about:

• Mouth and tongue piercings can be quite painful for the first few weeks, and this might put you off eating. It’s important that you still take your insulin and drink sugary drinks if you can’t eat.
  • You should always rinse your mouth out after drinking, as the sugar is a good source of energy for bacteria too. Check your blood glucose regularly, and inspect the site of your piercing for any signs of infection.
  • Be aware that mouth and tongue piercings can damage your teeth and gums. Make a dental appointment so that your dentist can give you detailed aftercare instructions.
• Genital piercings can be further complicated by high blood glucose, as this will leave your body through the urine, which these piercings could be exposed to. If you have to urinate more often it can make this type of piercing take longer to heal and to have a higher risk of infection.
• When deciding where on your body to get a tattoo, keep your diabetes in mind. It’s not a good idea to inject on a tattoo site, as there might be scar tissue beneath the skin that will interfere with the absorption of your insulin.
  • You might also want to avoid areas with poor circulation, such as your feet, ankles and shins. These can take longer to heal, which means they’re more likely to get infected.

This table provides a quick summary of the most frequent piercing sites, along with their normal healing time and any possible issues they might cause. Bear in mind that the healing time is for people without diabetes, so it might take a bit longer for you to heal.