Donate Now
By April Oppliger, American Red Cross
Drew Thomas began giving blood when he was in college, but when he started getting tattoos, he assumed he could no longer give. That’s a common myth – one that Drew is hoping to help to dispel by hosting blood drives at the tattoo studio he owns.
“I hear it all the time – that people think that they can’t give blood because of their tattoos,” said Drew. “As someone who applies tattoos, I want to do my part to debunk that myth and give people an opportunity to help hospital patients.”
So, what are the facts about tattoos and giving blood?
How long do I have to wait to give blood after getting a tattoo?
In most states, you may be eligible to give blood immediately after getting ink as long as the tattoo was applied by a state-regulated entity using sterile needles and ink that is not reused.
Are there any states where I can’t give blood after getting ink?
Currently, the only states that DO NOT regulate tattoo facilities are Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah and Wyoming, as well as the District of Columbia. This doesn’t mean you can’t give blood, just that you might have a deferral period. Potential donors should discuss their particular situation with the health historian at the time of donation through the Red Cross.
What if I got my tattoo in one of the states that doesn’t regulate tattoo facilities?
While your tattoo may be permanent, the deferral isn’t. If your tattoo was applied in one of the 11 states that do not regulate tattoo facilities, you must wait 3 months before donating blood. This requirement is related to concerns about hepatitis. Learn more about hepatitis and blood donation.
To learn more about eligibility criteria for donating blood, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
So, roll up a sleeve, show us your ink and give the gift of life.
Published October 5, 2022
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Pedestrian.Tv has teamed up with Lifeblood to get the word out for International Plasma Awareness Week.
There once was a time you had to wait around four months until you could donate blood after getting a tattoo. Heck, there’s even a misconception that you can’t donate blood at all if you have tattoos. However, if you’re keen to donate after getting a tattoo, you can actually still donate plasma. In fact, you can donate almost immediately after receiving a tattoo.
But what is plasma? And why does it sound like a fake sci-fi laser? Well to embody Ms Frizzle here for a moment, plasma is the liquid part of blood that contains antibodies and makes up more than half the blood flowing through our veins that help fight infections and diseases. Plasma donations are used to help fight cancer, and kidney disease, prevent critical bleeding in accidents and trauma and help those with immune and blood disorders live their lives.
Giving plasma is a little different as it takes around thirty minutes in the chair and the donor receives their red cells and platelets back during the donation. Giving blood itself takes about ten minutes in the chair.
Given that International Plasma Awareness Week (IPAW) happens in October, Pedestrian.TV is helping Australian Red Cross Lifeblood raise awareness for Plasma donations. Australia is one of the most generous countries when it comes to donating plasma, and we are one of the largest users of plasma medicines. For that reason, it’s still incredibly important to donate as our healthcare system relies on us to generously give blood and plasma so those in need can survive.
To help educate the tattoo community and ensure they feel welcomed and involved in the donation process, Lifeblood has partnered with four amazing tattoo artists to create temporary tattoos for each of the blood types, and also a generic version for those who don’t know their blood type yet.
The opportunity to participate and help educate was really important to James McKenna, one of the four artists participating with Lifeblood. “I was approached to get involved and loved the idea. I remember growing up that my Dad would always give blood (before his heart attack)”.
McKenna designed the tattoos for the O blood type variant and they look absolutely rad. “I tried to incorporate the O into the design by focusing on the spherical shape and placing it somewhere within the design where it would make sense to the eye.” For those that think having an O blood type makes you basic, I think these tat designs care to disagree.
Despite the donation process being simple, there are still misconceptions about donating blood. If you have any questions or concerns about donating, Lifeblood has an eligibility quiz online that will run you through a quick checklist also.
If you donate blood or plasma during October, you can score one of the aforementioned temp tattoos from the four artists based on your blood type. Lifeblood will also have an Instagram competition in October where you can win a signed print of any blood type tattoo of your choice.
To enter, take a photo of your arm with the yellow bandage or with the temporary tattoos given to you after donating. If you wanna participate, make sure to tag @lifebloodau and help spread the word!
If you are feeling nervous about donating blood for the first time, you can help beat the butterflies by being prepared and making sure you drink lots of water beforehand. Lifeblood also has a handy page to walk you through the process. The snacks you get for donating are a huge bonus, with party pies, sausage rolls and milkshakes available if you hit up the right location. There are also gluten-free (GF) and vegan options which is a nice lil gesture.
If you want to know if you’re eligible to donate take their online eligibility quiz.
Image: Dude, Where’s My Car