Q: Oh can someone give me some advice please?

I got my first tattoo (on the side of my leg, all black ink) on June 2. Everything was going great until it started to get small red bumps all over it. Now, as of this morning, its got infected bumps, plus blister looking things on it. The tattoo artist said to keep using the ointment. I am putting a warm rag on it for very short periods of time to draw out infection, which is what instinct tells me to do, lol. It's awful and I am very scared. I have taken care of it, I don't know why this is happening. It looks like more than a hair follicle infection. Has this happened to anyone else? If so, could you tell me how yours came out after it finally healed??? I am thinking of going to the doctor. I would greatly appreciate any info.

Thanks, Becca.

A: Dear Becca,

If you are using an antibiotic ointment (bacitracin, polysporin, neosporin or similarly packaged "tattoo" brands) stop now, and switch to a VERY mild lotion such as Dermassage, Curel, or Vaseline Intensive care in the yellow bottle. The logic being that this sounds to me like an antibiotic reaction.

What makes me think this is an antibiotic reaction? The fact that it looks like a follicle infection, a rash made up of tiny pimples.

If symptoms do persist, you may want to try Hibiclens surgical soap 3x a day until symptoms subside, I have seen this stuff kill infections in tattoos and piercings, though be careful, it can irritate the skin. Infections may occur after antibiotic reactions, because the skin is healing slowly. While infections are rarer than antibiotic reactions, one of these two methods or both combined, which is also safe, should get rid of your problem.
The quicker you take care of this, the better your tattoo will look when healed.Antibiotic ointments are not effective for very long, and should not be used longer than a week. I would bet dollars to donuts you have been using an antibiotic for way too long.

Hi,
I was recommended to look at your site because I’m currently having a problem with the reds in my backpiece, I would like to hear your opinion. The tattoo is a reproduction of a painting by Kandinsky, and contains several shades of red.

It had been completed for almost a year and had healed without problems, but before Christmas the red areas started to raise up and became flaky, they are still like this. I’ve shown it to the artist who did it, he took advice from another artist who is very well respected in the UK, and who also supplied him with the pigment.

They think I’ve had some kind of allergic reaction to the red pigment, and they advise that I get it tattooed over lightly with antiseptic, the artist who did the original tattoo would do this for me at no charge. I’m hesitant to do this because I’m not sure it sounds like a good idea, and was wondering if you’d ever heard of that practice before, or could offer me any alternative advice. I’m in the UK, by the way.

Love, Kate.

Dear Kate,

Antiseptic is not a great idea.(note, the antiseptic in question is Dettol, and while many artists are having luck with this, it is not widely used enough for me to endorse it) The causes of red reaction have more to do with the pigment itself being mildly toxic or reactive. My advice is always see a doctor, but I can provide some information to help make the doctor better informed. His choice may be removal, although a good surgeon can do this without destroying your tattoo. The artist will have to rework it, but you probably need to actually remove the red. Here is what you and your doctor need to know:
There are several reds available for art supply, only some used in
tattooing. Cadmium and Barium are used in finer paints, very toxic, not used for tattooing.

After that comes Red Oxide, which is Iron oxide. This is stable in most skin, although it seems to me that the iron may continue to
decompose under the skin, causing flaking and scarring.

Next down the line are reds based on Cinnabar. I do not know as much about this pigment, but I do know reactions are common.

(Thanks to Jim Mowreader, I now know that Cinnabar is made from mercuric oxide)

All of your symptoms point to red reaction, and these reactions are usually due to Cinnabar and Red Oxide. I have heard that some old timers put Mercurochrome in their reds to make them brighter, also causing the reactions you describe, but this practice is VERY rare.

Next down the line is Naptha Red, which is the only red I use at all. I change the shades with addition of other colors. Tell your artist this is the safest red and is usually known as Crimson. Very rich deep red, and safe for all humans, never a problem. What you need to keep in mind is your artists choice of using several commercial reds. He should stick with the crimson and cut it himself. The more different reds one uses, the more of a chance of reaction. I am not by any means blaming your artist. With all the commercial sales of tattoo equipment, most people feel all of the stuff is safe, and MOST of the time it is, but certain reds and yellows will hurt human skin, and it is good for them to take it as a lesson, pick out which red it was and tell everyone to avoid it. The tattooists’ avoidance of these colors will eventually cause them to be discontinued.

This problem happens all over the world every day, but many good tattoo artists don’t know it because they are ashamed to talk about it. If your artist would like to speak with me tell him I will answer any questions he has to the best of my ability.
Please follow up with me, it is important to the health of my clients as well as anyone else’s.

A very atypical case of red reaction. Note the tightness of skin caused by the red NEVER healing after 4 weeks. See how thin and compromised the top layer of skin is in this case? This would leave the wearer open to chronic infections and abscesses. This is a very rare case.

Red reaction usually pops up long after the tattoo heals.

Here goes:
the tattoo was four weeks when the photo was taken, everything was fine with it apart from the red, everything else Black, Greywash, white, healed normal (within days) and where in that post-healing-shiny-state.
the red was put in with a magnum, after it had been used for greywash, all red was affected, the small hearts and diamonds too, even though it doesn’t show readily on the photo, sorry for the bad scan.
the photo was taken under bad light conditions I took the photo, I did not do the tattoo)
I have also used premiums for many years and have never had a problem,
I’ve been suggested the reaction was staphylococcus infection which it does look like, but then, why only the red??

I would say it’s an aggravation caused by impurities in the red pigment. Most likely caused by the pigment having too much of a concentration of trace metals (iron, cadmium, barium, mercury, and so forth) OR a chronic Staph infectio, but an otherwise healthy person would not succumb to such a problem. Hopefully the immune system would fight an infection like this off.

I’d like to note that in the fall/winter of 2003 a batch of red from a very popular pigment company was contaminated by a mold, causing a very high reaction rate on a global scale. This tattoo was shown to me around that time, and he could be a victim of that contamination. Red reaction is very uncommon these days and this incident had nothing to do with the pigment itself, but in contamination during the mixing process.

Well, two of them, anyway. the black ink in my tribal dragons and my wings is currently raised and itching. the black in my welsh dragon ring, however, is fine. my welsh dragons were put on by a different artist at a different studio than the other two, which were the same artist at the same studio. (was that sentence confusing enough?)

By raised, I mean just a hair — I can feel it, and others can barely see it if I tell them to look. by itchy, I mean the usual. both of these tattoos healed fine, and the youngest is from December; that was a touch-up and fill-in of the outline done in April of last year. I know this isn’t a reaction to the artist inking too deeply because the color work he did is completely non-itchy.

So is this an ink reaction? and if so, what should I do about it? I can live with it, I believe; this only happens for a few hours once or twice a month, and I can usually predict when it’s going to happen (today it was a giant itch altogether, because I was sanding wood to build a bookshelf. bleah, hand sanding!).

ok, that’s all.

cassie

A: This is very common with black tattoos and happens to me as well. The fact that you were sanding, thus working your muscles, indicates this has to do with heat. With most black pigments, heat or humidity tend to aggravate the blacks.

In my experience the black will absorb heat and humidity (black absorbs white reflects heat) and swell and itch. In my own tattoos this goes away in a few years. I have discussed this with clients and colleagues, we agree unanimously. The only time you would react from black tattoos is in a non sterile environment or a do it yourself tattoo wanna be. To all artists: The chemicals (isothiazolinone) in Pelikan brand ink disperses in days, this case indicates photochemical (uv) response, not chemical reaction!

Albert

Q: I got a 5+ months old black Chinese kanji-tattoo on my shoulder. When I
take a hot shower and scrub the tattoo with a sponge (and shower
shampoo), it raises from the skin. I can easily feel the tattoo with my
fingers. This lasts about one hour or less. Then it is smooth again.

Questions!

1. Will this effect go away?

1. Yes, though it may take a few years.

2. Is this normal (not due to too deep or too superficial tattooing)?

2.Yes, but if it’s always raised it’s scarred.

3. Does the same thing happen in hot sun, when tanning?

3. Yes, it’s heat that does this, whether it’s UV heat or friction, or hot water.

4. Does a tattooed skin get sun burnt easier than “normal” skin?

4. I’m outdoors a lot and my tattoos don’t feel any more burnt when the surrounding skin does. In fact, it seem less burnt.

5. Is a black tattoo more prone to these things than other colors?

5. Yes, as we all know black absorbs heat and light very well. It is the densest, darkest pigment in tattooist’s palette.

6. As time goes by, the tattoo fades. Does it also become blurry?

6. Yes, so get a big one and it will look cool when yr 70.

7. Does tattooing promote stretch marks in any way?

7. If you’re a woman, yes, because tattoos are so damned attractive you’ll get laid more, therefore have more kids and get taken to dinner a lot, thus fed more so you’ll get fatter quicker.

I have been told that black ink is good. It goes in easily, heals fast and stays good looking for a long time. Am I right?
I am considering getting another tattoo on my arm. The tattoo would probably be a black tribal ornament. But that depends on the answers I get to my questions.

All the best from…

Max

A: You are correct, it is the most stable, and easily tattoo-able pigment. Black also does not fade, because it’s main coloration comes from carbon, which is a stable element.

Infections do not always occur from any unclean practices. Sometimes your body's defenses are let down when using the wrong lotion/ointment for your skin, or chafing and irritation due to contact with clothes, objects you work with, especially in manual labor.

For instance an infection is more likely to manifest in a motorcyclists gloved hand, than if he were to refrain from riding for a few days. Or a SCUBA diver with a back tattoo, a wetsuit, and 50lbs. of equipment strapped to his back.

Bacterial Infections are usually treated successfully with antibiotics. Only in the worst cases of strep and staph are you going to lose some deep tissue. Viral Infections are less apparent, and generally do not appear on the surface of the skin (except in cases like herpes)

The only way to kill a virus is to kill the host, so be sure your tattooist is up to date on all health and safety techniques, and has had some training in such techniques.

How do I treat an infection?

I don't like to give medical advice, but there are some measures you can take if you are uninsured and a doctor is a last resort. The first thing you want to do is let the tattoo dry out. The drying causes scabbing sometimes, but moisture gives an infection a perfect environment to keep breeding. DO NOT under any circumstance use an antibiotic ointment. If you have an infection, it is too late for neosporin. Products like that are for prevention, not as medicine. The next step is to cleanse your infection at least 3x a day with a good antibacterial soap, drying the tattoo with a paper towel after each washing. Surgical soaps work very well, but stay away from any form of Iodine as it may discolor your tattoo, and peroxide will eat the tissue that is trying to heal. My recommendations are Hibiclens Surgical Soap, Basic H (if it still exists) or Bactine.

If your infection worsens, see a doctor immediately. If you feel any signs of weakness, or fever, your condition may worsen very quickly. This advice applies to only superficial, manageable infections.