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Yes, but not straight away. In Canada, Canadian Blood Services asks donors to wait three months after getting a tattoo, a piercing, microblading or permanent makeup before donating blood.
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The rule is different in other countries, so if you’re visiting Halifax from abroad, check the rules at home too. Here’s what the main blood services say, and how to plan your tattoo around donating.
Canadian Blood Services; NHS Blood and Transplant, 2022; DRK-Blutspendedienst, 2020
Canadian Blood Services; CBC News, 2018
Canadian Blood Services, which collects blood everywhere in Canada except Quebec, lets you donate three months after a tattoo, piercing, microblading or permanent makeup. The same waiting period applies to all of these procedures.
The wait used to be longer. In spring 2018, Canadian Blood Services cut it from six months to three months.
If you have questions about your own eligibility, Canadian Blood Services has an online eligibility section and a donor line at 1-888-2-DONATE.
Anything that breaks the skin carries a small risk of a bloodborne infection. NHS Blood and Transplant explains that the waiting period protects the patients who receive donated blood, and the German Red Cross blood service notes that some infections, such as hepatitis, may only show up in blood tests after a while.
The wait doesn’t mean your tattoo studio did anything wrong. Blood services can’t check the hygiene of every studio, so the rule applies to everyone. Choosing a studio that follows public health rules still matters for your own health. See our checklist for choosing a safe tattoo studio.
NHS Blood and Transplant asks donors in England to wait four months after a tattoo, and the same applies to piercings, semi-permanent makeup, microblading and acupuncture.
A German Red Cross blood service article describes a four-month wait after a tattoo or piercing. Check the current rule on the blood service’s website before donating.
Check the rules on Sanquin’s website.
If you get a tattoo in Halifax while on holiday, count the waiting period from your tattoo date and follow the rules of the blood service where you plan to donate.
This guide is general information. Blood donation rules can change, so always check your eligibility with your blood service before donating.
Compiled by Tattoo Lab, a tattoo and piercing studio in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Canadian Blood Services asks you to wait three months after a tattoo before donating. In Quebec, check Héma-Québec’s rules.
Yes. Canadian Blood Services lists the same three-month wait for piercings, microblading and permanent makeup.
Anything that breaks the skin carries a small risk of bloodborne infection, and some infections take time to show up in tests. The wait protects patients who receive donated blood.
If you’re otherwise eligible, donating before your appointment is a good way to plan around the waiting period. Check your eligibility with Canadian Blood Services.
Follow the rules of the blood service where you donate. NHS Blood and Transplant in England asks donors to wait four months after a tattoo.
Send us your idea and preferred dates, and your artist will help you plan the appointment around your schedule.
