Tattoos and Psoriasis

What is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that affects both the joints and the skin of an affected person. Psoriasis is not a skin infection, as many people mistakenly think; instead it is a result of the body's own immune system backfiring and attacking certain cells within the body. In these cases, the immune system thinks that skin cells (and certain cells within the joints) are foreign invaders, and tries to fight them off, even though they are an integral part of the human body. This causes all sorts of problems for the person who is stricken by this disorder - from painful skin eruptions to a type of arthritis known as psoriatic arthritis.

When we are talking about the conflict between tattoos and psoriasis, the part of the illness that matters most is the occurrence of psoriatic plaques, large patches of skin affected by the psoriasis that are seen as red scaly patches on the skin. Above the red patches are accumulations of skin that create a silvery-white appearance. These patches can cover just small areas of the body, or involve the entire skin system. They may also spread to the fingernails and toenails.

Psoriasis Treatment

If a person is affected by this disorder, they may be disheartened to learn that there are no known cures. The important thing to note is that most people who have psoriasis (65%) have a mild case, and only 15% of those who have psoriasis plaques will also have joint involvement.

Treatments for this condition start off with topical ointments and lotions, such as steroids and even coal tar shampoos and body washes. If these treatments do not work, the next step is phototherapy, which involves inundating the plaque areas with ultraviolet radiation (either PUVA or UVB). The final step, if no other treatments work, is to dose the patient with medications that can be quite toxic. These include chemotherapy drugs like methotrexate and high dose antibiotics.

Tattoos and Psoriasis: the Bottom Line

Just because you have been diagnosed with this skin condition, however, does not mean that you can't get some ink done! There has been a lot of research done into the areas of tattoos and psoriasis, and both doctors and tattoo artists have been conducting studies on how psoriatic skin reacts to the tattoo gun.

If you have psoriasis, getting a tattoo can be a challenge. Tattoo artists cannot ink over plaques, because this skin is constantly changing and is not your true skin. If your body is covered in plaques and the silver-white skin known as scales, a tattoo shop will probably turn your business away. You will not get the best tattoo results by tattooing over any skin that is abnormal.

The Koebner Effect

Along with the fact that getting tattooed over psoriasis plaques is a no-no, another issue with tattoos and psoriasis is the Koebner effect. This states that any injury to your skin can cause additional psoriasis plaques to show up where your skin was injured. This can happen from something as simple as nicking yourself with a razor, and since tattoos are much larger and more invasive than this - the chance is great that you may end up with a huge plaque in place of your tattoo. Not all psoriasis sufferers have this effect, however, so it is very difficult to predict.

Medical Advice

If you have any medical condition that might be affected by a tattoo, be sure to consult your doctor or other medical professional before getting inked. Tattoo artists are not medically trained, and while they do have some intimate knowledge of the skin, cannot predict how your body will react. Psoriasis can be serious, so it is important to get medical clearance before getting that tattoo.