Tattoos, Fainting, & Epilepsy
- 11 hours ago
- 7 min read
Getting a Tattoo Can Be Stressful
Getting a tattoo can be an exciting and fun experience, but it can also be overwhelming for someone new to the idea. Trying to find the right artist that will hit that style that you're looking for and working at a studio with a good reputation, is a huge first step. If you haven't been into a tattoo parlor/shop/studio before, then it can be a little intimidating walking through that door for the first time. Doing some research ahead of time can help a lot. Look at reviews, check out their social media and website to see if they look professional and consistently put out quality work.
Although it can be stressful walking in, it's a whole new level of anxiety to sit down in that chair, get blasted with some cold soap that you swear they must keep in the fridge or freezer, then feel those razor blades start slicing away hair from your skin.
Unfortunately, stress is a natural and integral part of the tattoo process for most people. Our bodies go into what's known as a "fight or flight" response to being injured. As far as our body is concerned, we've been injured, regardless of how, and as an incredible biological machine, it immediately starts assessing the situation and adjusting accordingly. Your own personal emergency response system starts producing adrenaline and endorphins, moving blood around, and activating several other responses in an effort to keep you safe and alive. This is all very taxing on your living machina, which is why it's incredibly important to be well rested, as well as eat a solid meal about an hour ahead of your tattoo.
As an artist, a client who has a history of fainting, or someone with epilepsy interested in tattoos, it's important to do your research before you begin.
What is Vasovagal Syncope & How is it Different From an Epileptic Siezure?
As a piercer of many years back in the 90's and early 2000's, I've had and seen quite a few people pass out just from watching the piercing process from across the room. For the piercee, there's a certain amount of shock and release at the moment of a piercing, and this can result in a sudden drop in blood and oxygen to the brain, resulting in fainting.
In Tattooing, the process is not as shocking to view from afar, so does not often result in someone not involved in the process passing out, although it can happen. Normally when people have a hard time getting a tattoo, it's within the first 15 minutes or so of working, and typically the result of not eating ahead of time. It can, of course, happen at any point during the tattoo process, or even after, especially if you aren't properly performance prepared prior to your 'pointment.
Vasovagal syncope, the most common cause of fainting, is the nervous system overreacting to a trigger, such as: pain, emotional stress, excessive heat, dehydration, or skipping meals. This can result in a sudden drop in blood pressure and heart rate that can cause fainting, or loss of consciousness. More commonly known as "passing out". Essentially, it is a psychosomatic response to stress, or your mind shutting your body down.
Epileptic siezures, on the other hand, are caused by excessive or unusual electrical happenings in the brain, upsetting normal brain function. The end result can range from hardly noticeable and brief staring episodes, to violent and sometimes dangerous seizures that can cause physical bodily harm and prolonged disorientation.
Fun Friendly Familiar Fact: Orthostatic hypotension is the medical term for passing out due to standing up too quickly, and is definitely important to be aware of in the tattoo industry. After sitting for any long while in a tattoo chair, take your time getting up.
Triggers
The triggers for vasovagal syncope are many, but can include:
dehydration/food deprivation
excessive heat
excessive straining
intense psychological stimulus or feedback loop
pain (tattoos!)
emotional stress
There are many known triggers for epilepsy, including:
flickering or flashing lights
physical/emotional stress
sleep deprivation
low blood sugar
excessive caffeine
over the counter and recreational drugs
??? - Unfortunately, there is a lot that we still don't know about epileptic seizures and how they are triggered.
Warning Signs
Vasovagal syncope can have good warning signs that are sometimes visible to others, such as:
nausea
dizziness
pallor, or a sudden paleness of the skin
vision changes
abdominal discomfort
sweating
Epileptics seizures often have no warning signs at all. Some of these known signs are not outwardly obvious:
déjà vu
strange smells
hallucinations
Recovery
Your typical fainting spell only lasts 1-3 minutes and is recovered from quickly. Watching someone pass out can be a rather alarming experience, if you don't know what to expect. This can be accompanied by other effects, like mild convulsions and snoring, to more severe, yet rare, occurrences of urination or even fecal evacuation. All this while the eyes are wide open. It can be incredibly disorienting as you regain your wits, much like waking from a deep dream, and very confusing, but this tends to pass rapidly.
When a client does faint, we make sure that you stay seated or laying down and allow it to pass on its own. In older days, some artists and piercers would use an ammonia inhalant to quickly wake someone. This is an outdated practice that is discouraged.
Of course, anyone who faints or passes out can easily hurt themselves by falling or hitting their head. This is why an artist must pay attention to and engage with their client so that they can quickly catch any warning signs or sudden changes in status.
Directing air flow towards the client with a fan, getting them a cold compress for their neck/head, as well as some sugar, such as some food, candy or soda, will quickly help someone recover from passing out. Oftentimes, the rest of the tattoo will go just fine once someone has regained their footing.
Epileptic seizures can take much longer to recover from. Confusion after an epileptic event can last for 15-30 minutes or longer, accompanied by general disorientation, exhaustion, and headache. These seizures can also lead to tongue biting or other physical damage to oneself that can take some serious time to heal.
How Can I Avoid Passing Out During a Tattoo, or Better Prepare Ahead of Time?
Although some longer sessions can seem or be desirable, it's highly encouraged that you seek out small, chewable bites when it comes to your length of tattoo session. Don't aim for a marathon until you know what it's like to run down the road. Remember, being well rested and eating a large meal about an hour ahead of your tattoo appointment will make an incredible difference in your body's ability to deal with the process, making it a much more pleasant experience. A lot of people will complain that they don't normally eat that way, or that early, but you don't normally go and get tattooed, either. Chew on that for a minute.
Don't forget to breathe! When we do things that hurt or make us anxious, it's common for people to hold their breathe. This reduces oxygen to your system at a vital time, so make sure that you're breathing regularly.
One can often recover quickly from fainting, and tattoo work can continue in short order. The recovery can be much longer for an epileptic episode, which can mean that the tattoo session is now suddenly over. This may or may not be a significant problem for your tattoo artist, depending on their experience and the type of design. This is why it is incredibly important to discuss any health issues that you may have with your tattoo artist ahead of time.
Talk to your doctor or neurologist. If you are under the regular care of a medical professional, it's always important to consult with them prior to getting a tattoo.
Fortunately, in today's world, there are a few very successful medications that can effectively help keep epileptic episodes at bay for some people. After speaking with my client and making sure that they have consulted with their physician, I look for a solid year without any seizures as a safe guideline prior to engaging in art surgery.
Summary
When someone passes out, their eyes can roll back while they shake and make noise, which can very much simulate an epileptic seizure. Luckily, most of the time, there are warning signs and easy ways to prevent fainting.
Epileptic seizures can come on suddenly with no warning signs, and this can be a bit of an issue if you just started a portrait tattoo of your loved one. The longer recovery associated with epileptic episodes can hinder or halt a tattoo session, so it's really important to discuss any known health issues or concerns not only with your tattoo artist, but with your doctor as well.
Considering the fact that there are still a great many unknown triggers for epileptic seizures, it's also critical that there has been an established and lengthy amount of time that the seizures have been under control prior to getting a tattoo. Flashing lights can be a common occurrence in tattoo studios, along with who knows how many other wild stimuli, so there is an increased chance of a trigger the longer that you are there.
Talk to your tattoo artist, talk to your doctor, and always do your research before having some permanent artwork applied to your forever. If you are regularly experiencing fainting, it's important to seek out a medical evaluation to rule out any serious causes. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns about your tattoo!
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