# Post Tattoo Shivers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 15, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-tattoo-shivers/321794 "2005-09-15T15:26:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-tattoo-shivers/321794/1 "2005-09-15T15:26:21Z")
I have some tattoos. OK, many tattoos. With the most recent few (during the last 5 years) I have notice chills/shivering an hour or so after a session. I have tattooing done for 3 to 4 hours, go home, then begin _ **intense** _ shivering. Chattering teeth and all. I have never checked my temperature. I go to bed and am fine when I awaken in the morning. Anyone have experience with this phenomenon? Is it some sort of sympathetic nervous system thing? Speculation welcome. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-tattoo-shivers/321794/2 "2005-09-15T15:47:36Z")
A vet with tattoos? I think I’m in love! I’ve never noticed shivering after getting inked - I usually shiver during the process. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-tattoo-shivers/321794/3 "2005-09-15T15:59:41Z")
[kidding]Horror at what you’ve just allowed to be done to your tender skin?[/kidding] If you’re having large areas or high circulation areas done, you may be dropping your core temp enough to require some auto regulation, but I’d expect to see that at the time. or at least within 15 minutes or so… How much blood do you lose? Significant blood lose could cause shivering, but that seems far-fetched. Color me stumped (not literally) 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-tattoo-shivers/321794/4 "2005-09-15T16:05:25Z")
Small amount of blod loss. **Snakescatlady** …don’t all veterinarians have tattoos? Here is my oldest : [http://www.molokosynthemesc.com/search/srch2004.exe?pic=tattoo/970706/high/tat1.jpg&tsect=tattoo/netwl001.html&desc=Sailboat+and+tropical+scene\\](http://www.molokosynthemesc.com/search/srch2004.exe?pic=tattoo/970706/high/tat1.jpg&tsect=tattoo/netwl001.html&desc=Sailboat+and+tropical+scene%3Cbr%3E%3Cfont+size%3D-1%3E) ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-tattoo-shivers/321794/5 "2005-09-15T18:23:55Z")
While I am getting ink done, I get a major rush of endorphines. So much in fact that I feel as good as if I have been doing other things to get the same high. I also get the shivers but I feel great at the same time. One thing my tattooist mentioned is that everyone deals with the process differently. I saw a guy break out into a massive sweat while getting done. He looked as though he had been working in the sun all day when it was over. His skin was flushed and dripping sweat. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-tattoo-shivers/321794/6 "2005-09-15T18:51:29Z")
Nice ink, **vetbridge**. None of the vets I have worked for had tattoos. The last clinic I worked in, the owner/vet didn’t even know I had tattoos until he asked why I never wore shorts during the summer as many of the other girls did. I explained I didn’t want to give any of the little old lady clients heart attacks with my leg piece. Living in the South, a female with tattoos is automatically a tramp to many older women. My leg piece is a waterfall from hip to ankle, with flowers, hummingbirds, and fairies in the spray. My artist did manage to include a few skulls in the water, but you have to know where they are to find them. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-tattoo-shivers/321794/7 "2005-09-15T19:14:08Z")
**JXJohns** , yep, I get the endorphin rush. Pleasure/pain is a weird thing. The shiver thing is not really uncomfortable, just a curious phenom. Thanks, **Snakescatlady**. That is a very old pic and the piece has much more to it now. It was just what I could find on the web. Your leg sounds cool. Any pics? Since my practice is “mine, all mine”, I do not have to hide my work. I have had a few clients register negative thoughts and have just asked that they find somewhere else to take their pets. I can hide most of my tats if I desire, but I have a bunch of piercings (ears) that cannot be hidden. Oh well. Guess I will write of the shivering to some sorta post-endorphin thing. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-tattoo-shivers/321794/8 "2005-09-15T19:54:42Z")
A vet with tattoos AND piercings? _swoon_ 😃 As for the shivers - I get them too, post ink. I always assumed it was something to do with the endorphins or the adreneline leaving the system - like when you get super scared and the adreneline kicks in, and then when the scary thing is over you start to shake. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-tattoo-shivers/321794/9 "2005-09-16T14:17:11Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I always assumed it was something to do with the endorphins or the adreneline leaving the system I like that reasoning, and will officially adopt it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-tattoo-shivers/321794/10 "2005-09-16T14:33:07Z")
One of my tattoos is a half sleeve on my upper left arm a good friend from college gave me. One of the coloring sessions was particularly marathon, 5 or 6 hours. At the end I was completely drained, and he had to spray soap and water and wipe my whole bleeding tattoo down - hard. I was white as a ghost, trembling violently, weak in the knees, nauseous, and inexplicably, I had an erection. My body didn’t know _what_ was going on. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-tattoo-shivers/321794/11 "2005-09-16T14:37:21Z")
There is a plethora of tattoo “old wives tales” that are very interesting (to me). One is the concept of “setting the ink”. See, back in the day, after enduring a session of ink, the artist was obligated to _slap_ the area repeatedly to set the ink. Imagine in place of the wipe down if your artist intentionally and repeatedly slapped the area!