I use a donation center, and they ask if I have had one in the last 12 months. If you live in a state that regulates Tattoo facilities, and you got yours at one of those places, then it's ok. There are only a few states that regulate Tattoo facilities though, so you probably need to check on that. But, if you don't use a blood bank and they toss your blood anyway, then maybe it doesn't matter, because it's about Hepatitis. So I think you need to do a little research..
Good Luck!
I want another one too!
Patty

I have two tatt's and my mumma has one. Just as WildKat suggested...do your research and wait 12 months before donation. There won't be a problem.

What are you thinking of getting?!

I was thinking it would be so funny to get an iron relation one haha

I was thinking about getting something Iron Man related :P

I wanna get the album cover of the Iron Butterfly (the iron woman/butterfly) album on my back:-) Workin' on it actually.

I wanna get a sparrow on top of my right foot. In Luke 12:6 it says: Are five sparrows sold for two pence? and not one of them is forgotten in the sight of the Lord"
My take on that verse is that even through all the hard times i go through (having HH) God has a plan for me, and he hasn't forgotten about me. :) something similar to this:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2678/93/79/590734241/n590734241_1439072_5102525.jpg

can you clarify something emmakate?

are you donating blood as in a blood bank or are you just getting regular phlebotomies to get rid of excess iron?

if you are actually donating blood then the tatt might be an issue. if you are getting phlebotomies for hemochromatosis, I don't think it would matter as they don't reuse the blood.

aww emmakate! My mumma and I have the word "hope" because no matter what situation there is always hope.

I was thinking of Fe+ would be so cheeky! haha

Crae.... that's good!

i've only donated one time, to LIfe south.So yes, it was a blood bank and nota phlebotomy. It made me anemic too :/ My Hematologist says i'm not loading bad enough to need to start doing phlebotomies. I hopefully will start them next February so i can start feeling better.

the only thing I can say is that if you don't need regular phelbotomies, then if you want the tatt, then just don't donate blood until you are past the period of time the blood bank disallows.

Check out the place very carefully. HepC is a huge issue.

be careful, you dont want to be on the deferred list at a blood bank

I got one on my ankle a few months before I was diagnosed...

I got it across the river. I live in the Quad Cities, which is two Iowa states and two Illinois states (Bettendorf, Davenport, Rock Island, and Moline). Because I got the tattoo over in Illinois, they made me wait a hear to be able to donate. Had I have gotten it in Iowa, it wouldn't have mattered. Which made me so angry, because the place I went to in Illinois was way cleaner and more sterile than the Iowa places I looked at. =/

Ah well. It's just frustrating that they've wasted like a gallon and a half of my blood since March.

I get to donate in October..so my next phleb. As long as my hemoglobin cooperates!