In recent years, medical tattoos have steadily grown in popularity. These stand-ins for the standard medical bracelet or necklace typically display important medical information--but they’re not a suitable alternative to custom engraved medical IDs. Here’s why:

1. Medical professionals aren’t trained to look for medical tattoos.

Custom engraved medical IDs in the form of necklaces and bracelets became standard because of how easy they are to identify. Medical jewelry displays the Star of Life emblem with the traditional snake and staff, which clearly distinguishes it from regular jewelry.

Medical tattoos, on the other hand, don’t have any type of standardization as far as size, location, or appearance. They can be difficult to tell apart from regular tattoos as well, causing confusion in emergency situations. Worst of all, there’s no guarantee that a medical professional will even look for your medical tattoo because they’re simply not trained to do so.

1. Medical tattoos are much more expensive than custom engraved medical IDs.

If price is your priority when deciding between a medical tattoo and a medical alert bracelet, then your choice is easy! Custom engraved medical IDs from reputable, high-quality brands like Divoti cost an average of about $45. To compare, a medical tattoo will typically cost at least $50, and that’s at the low end of the spectrum. The majority of the time, you can expect to spend at least $100 for a small tattoo or $250 on a large tattoo from a trustworthy shop.

1. Removing medical tattoos is costly and time-consuming.

Considering that three out of four people who get a tattoo come to regret it, there’s a very real chance that you may not like or want your medical tattoo in the future. Unfortunately, tattoo removal is a long and painful process--not to mention it can be incredibly expensive as well.

1. Medical tattoos cannot be updated as easily as custom engraved medical IDs.

Some of the information included on your medical ID or medical tattoo will never change. For example, a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes or a peanut allergy is usually permanent. However, important information such as medications you take or your emergency contact’s name and phone number may change over time.

Permanently crossing out parts of your tattoo and then adding to it with new ink might not create the look you’re going for. Meanwhile, custom engraved medical IDs can easily be updated or replaced to display all the information you want to share with medical professionals.

1. Custom engraved medical IDs allow Americans to embrace the aging process.

Today in the United States, we have a larger group of Americans over the age of 50 than ever before. Oftentimes, chronic medical conditions develop as a result of aging. Divoti’s high-quality custom engraved medical IDs allow older Americans to embrace the aging process.

Rather than labeling themselves with medical tattoos detailing their chronic conditions, older adults can turn to Divoti for plenty of elegant, attractive medical bracelet and necklace options. Divoti allows those with chronic conditions to keep a positive perspective by purchasing an accessory that fits their personality while also serving as a means to communicate important medical information.