Don’t get me wrong, tattoo (or piercing) procedures are not totally forbidden, just that they require extra diligence on your part. Such diligence starts with ensuring you use a reputable tattoo artist, preferably licensed.
When the artist carries out the procedure, he or she should be furnished with protective gear like gloves. This would go a long way in reducing the possibility of blood being spread.
The salon (or environment) where the tattoo operation is being executed should maintain the highest levels of hygiene, leveraging new and sterile equipment only.
If you are keener on your health than being courteous, specially request that the artist removes the needle from the sterilized packet while you watch.
You can go as far as asking for unused containers and pigments too. No, it is not that disrespectful. It is your precious health we are talking about here, isn’t it?
2. Injecting drugs make you terribly vulnerable to reinfection
Just like needles, syringes used in injecting drugs tend to retain tiny amounts of blood. Such blood can transmit the virus. Isn’t it frightening that the Hep C virus can stay alive on syringes for as long as 63 days?
Aside from syringes, tourniquets, and needles, other channels of taking drugs like straws and pipes also come with their risk of Hep C reinfection. There have been several instances of people getting infected with Hep C from the blood on straws and pipes used in snorting drugs due to nosebleeds and cracked lips.
Never share such equipment with people. But more importantly, you need to get help to recover from drug abuse. While you may be scared of being judged and scolded, there are remarkable facilities out there eager to launch you on your recovery journey without condemning you.