Should I get a tattoo?

It is not possible to say that you are in the clear or not. Psoriasis can react to trauma to the body. I had plaque psoriasis all ovber my body including face and scalp while at university, and it largely cleared after about 3 years. With some small patches remaining on my elbows. I was never 100% clear. 18 years later I scraped/grazed my shin on a wooden floorboard while doing DIY, a small injury about the size of two 10p coins. As it healed it developed into a large psoriasis plaque which lasted for a couple of years. I have read since that this is a classic response/reaction to injury from psoriasis. I had had a couple of tattoos done before that smsall graxe, and a couple after - on my bak and shoulders, with no psoriasis reaction. 18 more years later I had a hip replacement last December. I February I had an outbreak of guttate psoriasis all over my trunk, and psoriais in my scalp, with some isolated plaque psoriasis here and there. My GP who is seems well informed and is probably mid-career, advised me that the proriasis this time could be triggered by my body's immune response to the trauma of the hip replacement surgery. Currently after 6 months of using coal tar based treatments and some steroid treatment, the psoriasis is disappearing. My main point is , you might get tattoos and have no ill effect. OR you might get tattoos and have a major reaction either at the tattoo site or elswhere. None of these things likely CAUSE psoriasis, but they can be TRIGGERS, to set off an outbreak. I don't think you can ever classify proriasis as being gone, only no visible outbreak. I suppose you need to weigh up your likely disappointment at not having the new tattoos you want against the disappointment of having an outbreak of psoriasis again, and no way to know what the degree might be. But of course you might get another tattoo and have no ill effects whatsoever.

Does anyone have any experinece with removing a tattoo and having psoriasis?

toolbox642: do you mean that you are concerned about having tattoo removal and then developing psoriasis because of that? Or do you want a tattoo removed and you already have psoriasis?

@OhNo_NotAgain?: I have had psoriasis since i was 14 but managed to have no symptoms for a couple of years until this May. I have two tattoos that didnt cause any outbreaks and now i want to get one of them removed. Im gonna wait until I dont have any outbreaks (if possible) before I get any new tattoos or get one removed. As for your question, I guesa im wondering about both: could it cause an outbreak and how might it affect me if i already have an outbreak?

Nobody will be able to tell you if removing a tattoo will definitely cause an outbreak or definitely not.

In that case, I refer my original question, is there anyone with experience with having psoriasis and removing a tattoo? Im not looking for a yes or no, just their own experience.

Hi, I have just signed up to answer your question toolbox! Me and my partner have been trying to find a reason why my psoriasis has had a flare up after it being really calm for about 7 years. I had a flare up September 2017 and after being prescribed Enstilar, which by the way is brilliant stuff, it helps but you cant use it long term so I have breaks and then it flares right back up! Its now been over a year! :( Anyway i am lying here and reading up on P flare up and saw skin trauma can affect it... And I thought omg i started tattoo laser removal last September but never thought it could possibly be the cause. So I don't know 100% but its possible. I have had 8 sessions of removal so until my treatments come to an end i suppose i wont know until then... I have another 2-4 sessions to go. But i just wanted to let you know incase its linked. I'll have to wait and see but will let you know if anything changes. (It'll be well into next year)

Hi mumoftwo! I might get a tattoo removed later this year and ill try to remember to post any updates!

Thank you Toolbox 642, much appreciated! Let me know if you have a flare up. If not maybe i can look at other things that may have caused it to come back... I used to have it all over, having children kind of 'cured' it for a few years probably to do with the hormones. But now I have medium sized patches and large spots all over my back, shoulders, neck and the whole of my front! Any info welcome or anyone having a similar experience? TIA

I think a complication for you both, is that someone might have a psoriasis flare-up associated with getting a new tattoo or removing a tattoo, and someone else might not. It seems to be the nature of psoriasis that it reacts differently in different people and at different times. I first had psoriasis in 1980 , all over my body and seemingly associated with the stress of my final exams at University. Once they were over and I spent a lot of time in the sun and sea over the next few months it receded greatly, but never went away completely. In the intervening years I had 2 major back tattoos, a broken collarbone (repaired in surgery with a metal rod and screws) - and no flare up. I did once scrape my shin on a piece of wood in my garage in 1998 - a scrape of about 2.5 inches by 0.5 inch. As it healed it turned into a psoriasis patch that hung around for about 2-3 years before going away. In Nov 2016 I broke my ankle and needed surgery and a plate and screws - no psoriasis flare up. In Dec 2017 I had a hip replacement, and 6 weeks later I came out in Guttate psoriasis all over my body, and scalp . GP said it COULD be related to the trauma my body endured during the hip replacement,.MOST of the psoriasis has now faded - 8 months later. I could quite easily see a psoriasis flare up occuring from a tattoo or a removal, but just as readily I would not be surprised if nothing happened.

Oh no not again: thank you for sharing your story, you've been dealing with this for a long time then. You're right there, everybody is different so i suppose we can never be sure about anything. I wish mine would fade away... I have laser treatment every 6-8 weeks so i suppose my body doesn't have time to settle down enough for me to notice. Only time will tell Like you, the sun/heat is so so helpful!! Its absolutely amazing. But unfortunately we definitely don't have enough of that in the UK! Wow, so its a case of trial and error really to find your trigger. I hate having Ps and it does bring me down sometimes but i always have to remind myself that it could be so much worse and other people are probably going through a worse time than i am but you can't help the way you feel. Thanks for your reply