Tattoos and syringes

[shaunclo]

I have a sleeve (tattoo) from me left elbow all the way to my wrist. My question is that if I am injecting through my tatt, can this cause any complications. My tattoo is completey healed and has been for over 2 years, but every time I slam through my tatt does this make some ink enter the vein. I would assume not since the ink is no longer wet, but this question entered my mind the other day and it has been worrying me.

Secondly, is this going to fuck up my tatt some time down the road. I mean I have been doing this for quite a while now w/ out any complications, but I wonder if I am going to need to get some touch-ups on it in the near future if I keep it up.

[poppy]

I have a sleeve (tattoo) from me left elbow all the way to my wrist. My question is that if I am injecting through my tatt, can this cause any complications. My tattoo is completey healed and has been for over 2 years, but every time I slam through my tatt does this make some ink enter the vein. I would assume not since the ink is no longer wet, but this question entered my mind the other day and it has been worrying me.

Secondly, is this going to fuck up my tatt some time down the road. I mean I have been doing this for quite a while now w/ out any complications, but I wonder if I am going to need to get some touch-ups on it in the near future if I keep it up.
Shaunclo,I don't rightly know the answer to your question, other than the fact that my partner has never had any ill effects from injecting through his tattoos during many, many years of injecting.

Regarding fucking up your tattoo again it hasn't fucked up my partner's but that's not to say it won't happen in the future. I'm sure someone else who is more qualified in this area will give you the correct advice.
However if you've got a sleeve then you must already know about the longevity of tattoos in general, including the fact that they do fade with time, and can be affected/effected? (never sure which is the right word to use out of those two?) by scarring.
I have a couple of fair sized tattoos which are largely black which need touching up and what I call 're-blacking' (I don't know the correct term but I'm sure u know what I mean!) every five years or so, which, obviously is charged at a drastically reduced cost to the price of the original tattoo. (at least that's the case with the tattooist I use)
Thank-you for bringing up this topic at a time when I'm seriously trying to cut my heroin use and maintain on my meth script because it has whetted my appetite for not only having my existing tattoos 're-blacked' (which they are badly in need of) but also for having a tattoo finished which was started years ago and has been put on the back burner for the duration of my habit due to shall we say different financial priorities!!! As my meth script is free of charge, by not using heroin I should soon be financially back in a position to pay for such non essential items as tattoos again!! which hopefully will inspire me to 'just say no!' to the demon gear. I live in hope! even if not very optimistic sometimes! Take Care Laters Poppyx
PS. I'm sure someone will advise you properly regarding your questions, I just couldn't resist replying to this post. What's your sleeve like by the way, perhaps you could post a photo? (also any one else with interesting artwork on their bodies?)

[GMorris]

...and can be affected/effected? (never sure which is the right word to use out of those two?) by scarring...
Well, I know little about tattoos and how they fare on an injection site, though I had a friend (RIP) who always shot through his until he OD'ed one day without any OTHER complications, but I CAN help you with this:

Affect is used mostly as a verb, such as "alcohol affects one's ability to drive" or "I hope this doesn't affect my insurance premiums", whereas effect is mostly used as a noun. Like "The effect of those pods wasn't what I expected" or "In effect, it was basically useless". That's how I always remember it, though a lot of folks consider them to be (and use them as) interchangeable. All things said, it probably doesn't matter a whole lot unless you are a stickler for grammar and spelling like I am!

[poppy]

Hey G Morris I knew I could rely on you to put me right on that score. Thanks! I'm glad to know someone like you who can help me out with such things!! There are so many people who are not interested in things like spelling and grammar. I'm proud to say I'm not one of them. So, have I got this right, 'affect' causes or may cause something to happen and 'effect' is the result of something happening?
Take care. Laters Poppyx

[pointed]

Affect is used mostly as a verb, such as "alcohol affects one's ability to drive" or "I hope this doesn't affect my insurance premiums", whereas effect is mostly used as a noun. Like "The effect of those pods wasn't what I expected" or "In effect, it was basically useless". That's how I always remember it, though a lot of folks consider them to be (and use them as) interchangeable. All things said, it probably doesn't matter a whole lot unless you are a stickler for grammar and spelling like I am!

"Affect" and "effect" can also be employed as adverbs, "affectedly" and "effectively". They are both passive verbs even when not used in the passive voice. "Affect" is generally more commonly used in the active voice while "effect" is often used in the passive, IF it is employed as a verb at all, which takes some creativity. ;)

I'm always glad to meet a fellow junky language geek!

Best,

Kate

~Ending a sentence with a prepostion is a practice up with which I will not put. - Winston Churchill

[candy]

Shaunclo,
Other than scarring, I don't think you are in any other danger. Have you thought of using the other arm? I might avoid the area you have tattooed only so that one could assess the area for things such as infection. But, I am just thinking like a nurse and if you are unable to hit with the other hand or the other arm doesn't have much in terms of sites to hit, than just rotate your sites on that arm if that is an option to avoid scarring. Also keep in mind that using a new needle with each injection will help minimize scarring as well.

You may also want to apply something such as a Vit. E cream to the sites. This will help as well to keep those awful marks a bit lighter.

Are you able to get ahold of needles. There are exchanges up in L.A., but none in your area that I know of.

Be well

[shaunclo]

Thanks Candy, I actually have a pretty solid supply of needles. I also use (non-scented) Lubriderm almost every day on all of my tattoo's. I like to use my left arm because the tatt covers up any track marks. I was using in my right arm when I noticed that I was starting to leave evidence. It seems to work a-o.k. I just wanted to be sure. I mean it cant be that dangerous because a tattoo in the first place is a bunch of needles puncturing the skin, Im sure some of the ink makes it to a couple of veins.

Anyways, poppy, I have a sleeve of my favorite artist - Picasso - the name of the painting is "Old Guitarist." Its from his blue era. I am going to try and post a pic of it below, Im not sure if its going to show up though. Thanks for all your advice.

O.K., I took a pic of it with my camera phone and sent that pic to my email. When I tried to add the attachment to this post it said is was not a valid attachment. So sorry, no picture.

[poppy]

[quote][ |I have a sleeve of my favorite artist - Picasso -/QUOTE]
Shaunclo, I had never heard of this painting. In fact I'm ashamed to say that the only Picasso painting I'm remotely familiar with is the one called 'Blue Nude' and I didn't know that was what it was called until I googled to look for the painting which inspired your tattoo.
I'm now intrigued by the whole blue era thing which I've just briefly read about. I shall be going back to read up on him.
Anyway presumably the picture below is the basis of your tattoo? I bet its wicked and unusual, try and get a photo so we can all see it. I bet there's other opiophiles with interesting tattoos which would be interesting to see/hear about!
http://content.barewalls.com/quickview/pic073q.jpg (http://www.printfinders.com/product/artwork.exe?ArtworkID=292&thumbs=1&productid=56335)
Take care.
Laters Poppyx

[shaunclo]

Hey Poppy, yes that is exactly it. Picasso is a real piece of work.

I can never seem to download any images to this site for some reason. I will keep on trying.

[blahblahblah]

I wish I could find this picture of this one tattoo I saw this kid had it was a charatcerized, colorful image of a syringe almost cartoonish. It had bubbles and swirls with the tip of the needle right in his inner elbow, coolest drug related tatoo I have ever seen I have trying to track down a picture of something even similiar if anybody has any pictures of that post um up. I have see the bee with its stinger pointing right at the main vein before as thats quite a common tattoo.

Sorry if this is a bit off topic but I have been searching for that image for a long time and maybee somebody has a pic of something similar.

Thanks...

[Tar_Baby]

no it wont hurt you, Im sleeved on both arms~ and quite a bit of it is prison made ink~~but an abscess will eat a hole in you

[red26]

Thats exactly what I was gunna say. Spikin in yer piece wont hurt the tattoo, cause it to leak, or any such thing. I've been doin it for years and been hangin in tattoo shops longer and have learned that the work actually goes alot deeper than most think. The only thing to worry about is getting an abcess in the area, then your potentially fucked. Just avoid the risk like you know how if yer worried about it. I try to most the time but I tend to get alittle irresponsible as far as sanitization of injection site goes:( . Yeah man, ink does come in handy as far as covering your tracks, and soreness and heat are a good indication of the beginning of an abcess if your irresponsible sometimes like me.

[blackdog]

:( need i say more?



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[chemboy7]

Do you have tattoos on your feet as well? Why not hit those foot veins if your worried about going through a tattoo. I mean, even if there is no problem involved with spiking through it, like candy said if you get an infection or something it may be hard to spot through the tattoo.

[blahblahblah]

There are MANY veins to go to before you start hitting your feet. Shooting in your feet is not smart clotting can start to cause problems. Ever have a balloon foot, scary shit man. If you shoot in your feet always shoot upward. I usually would raise my leg into the air over my head the thing I hate about shooting in your feet is the damn delayed rush.