How do you feel about medical tattoos?

the one i have is on my right forearm

My son's is on the right, inner forearm about 3 inches above the wrist. We consulted nearly a dozen paramedics to make sure this was kosher. What we were told is a quick search of both wrists, nearly to the elbow, is always done. Granted, they are looking for bracelets but this cannot be missed. Because of his job and sports, wearing bracelets and/or necklaces becomes a snag hazard (or the ump decides it is a distraction to the batter).

I did some more thinking after making my original post and I've come to the conclusion it was very short sighted and not well thought through. I bounced the idea off of some of my coworkers and they all agree it's a great concept that should be expanded. We do conduct a quick search from wrist to elbow. Looking for a tattoo shouldn't be any harder than looking for a bracelet. My apologies if my original statements came off crass and unsympathetic.

This isn't about tattoos or emergency bracelets, but it is important too. I work in a jail now, usually in the intake area, and we get a lot of people who take life saving meds and yet they don't carry their prescriptions with them. I now carry a copy of all of my current prescriptions in my wallet right behind my driver's license. If anything happens to me and I can't tell first responders what types of medications that I'm taking, they will find the prescriptions right behind my license. I encourage all of my family and friends to do the same.

SFC George Smith Thank you for the reminder of how much I love Web MD. As a nurse, there are several sites I go to for accurate info. As to the subject of tattoos over scars, I don't have the patience for that much ink. Tattoos to alert of medical conditions? Sometimes that body part comes off.

I opted for a medical dog tag with name, contact info for POA, major illnesses, blood type, allergies, ssn, organ donor and comment to bring me to VA if found in need of medical attention. There is a bit more info on it. At night I take it off and hang it on the lamp at the head of my bed so EMS can easily find it if there is an emergency. I get care through the VA so most of my health info is available there and saves a lot of time. Also by the head of my bed is a battery operated clock with hands and numbers in bold black; it ticks. Recently, the EMS that responded had no watch but times were easily obtained by a quick glance.

Finally: tattoos. Many beautiful pieces of art. If you chose to get a tattoo of a medical condition, make sure it is not surrounded by other tattoo art and hard to find. My personal preference is no tattoos. The scars that I have speak my experience as a warrior and survivor. They show. I once toyed with the idea of covering them up but decided I was fine with they way they look. It is acceptance. Hard to find with the media image and expectations for the female body.

This one might help with a diagnosis.