Hepatitis C: Britons getting tattoos and cosmetic procedures abroad may be at risk – here's how to avoid it

If proper sterilisation procedures are in place, your chances of contracting hepatitis C from a tattoo are extremely low. Hryshchyshen Serhii/ Shutterstock

A growing number of people living in the UK are going abroad to have tattoos, piercings and cosmetic surgeries. Any procedure, no matter where it’s performed, can carry the risk of injury and infection.

But people heading abroad for cosmetic procedures may want to be extra cautious – with recent reports suggesting thousands of UK residents may have unknowingly contracted hepatitis C this way.