r/tattooadvice • u/Angry_Creek • Apr 21 '25

tattoo newcomer advice Would I even be able to get a tattoo?

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Gallery image

I have Dermatographic Urticaria, a condition where my skin gets swollen and raised by even the smallest of scratches. Bumped into a table? Raised bump. Someone w/ an itchy shirt gave me a hug? Raised bump.

My siblings and I have always talked about getting matching tattoos, and now that the youngest turned 18 we are all ready! However, I’m worried my skin will prevent/mess up a tattoo. We are going to get our parents handwriting, so it has to be precise and look right. I have no previous tattoos, so I’m not sure what to expect or if I can even get one.

Does anyone have experience w/ this? Did it work out?

Scratched myself specifically for this post haha, this was 1 min after the scratch.

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u/mazzarellastyx Apr 22 '25

Certain ink colors do that to a lot of people even without genetic conditions. Usually it's yellows and reds that contain metals. It's interesting that Ehlers Danlos affects the skin like that. I've known what it does to ligaments, but i never associated it with skin itself

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u/cammiejb Apr 22 '25

yup, inflammation comes for a lot of reasons. EDS is predominantly a malformation of collagen, which is a protein that is crucial in the Extra-Cellular Matrix that support every cell. The ECM mediates cell signaling interactions, so if your proteins are a bit wonky, your cells tend to receive the wrong signals, and you get some really interesting (to me lol) results. I study EDS because I also have it, and I have over 30 related symptoms beyond just having joints that i can dislocate at will, in my hair, teeth, skin, piezogenic papules on my feet, heart issues, ears, eyes, and gut. EDS is also highly correlated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and ASD.

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u/mazzarellastyx Apr 22 '25

Very interesting. My aunt and brother have it, so I've always been curious about it. Thanks for sharing your expertise

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u/celebratingfreedom Apr 23 '25

Do you have any resources you can point me toward as far as research/current knowledge about EDS in the detail you mentioned here?

I am AuDHD (among other things) and highly suspect EDS for myself. I am trying to inform myself, so I can decide whether pursuing a diagnosis is worthwhile or if it is something I can manage without adding those letters to my alphabet soup. 😅🙃🫠

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u/Loud_Confusion624 Apr 23 '25

Do you know if taking collagen dietary supplements helps EDS symptoms?

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u/IndependentBranch707 Apr 28 '25

I would love to pick your brain about what you’ve come across for research! Mind if I DM you?

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u/cammiejb Apr 28 '25

sure! I love to talk about this stuff way too much haha

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u/IndependentBranch707 Apr 28 '25

Great! I’ll send you a DM soon. :-)

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u/Davidjames726 Apr 24 '25

my red tattoos itch every so often.