Tattoos get irritated by allergies to ink, especially red, yellow, and blue; infections from poor hygiene; sun exposure, which causes photosensitivity; dryness; and reactions to harsh soaps or lotions, leading to itching, redness, swelling, or bumps, sometimes years later, requiring gentle care like fragrance-free moisturizers and SPF to soothe.
Those who experience chronic skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis or who have a family history of irregular scarring may be more likely to experience adverse skin reactions after receiving a tattoo. Eczema & Psoriasis Flares: Some individuals with eczema or psoriasis may experience flare-ups in tattooed areas.
How to Soothe Tattoo Itching: Effective Relief Techniques
Apply unapproved products: bleach, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, Neosporin (some are OK short-term but many artists advise against it), scented lotions, exfoliants, or harsh antiseptics -- these can damage tissue and color. Ignore signs of infection: redness spreading, swelling, severe pain, pus, fever, red streaks.
Skin rejecting tattoo ink often shows as persistent itching, redness, swelling, and bumpy or scaly patches, sometimes with blisters or oozing, which can appear days, months, or even years later, often linked to certain colors like red ink. This reaction, known as allergic contact dermatitis or a photosensitivity reaction, signals your immune system is overreacting to the pigment, requiring a dermatologist's evaluation if it's severe or prolonged.
Can you take antihistamine for a tattoo? Antihistamines can be used to manage minor skin reactions after getting a tattoo, such as itching or swelling. However, they should not be used as a preventive measure before getting a tattoo, as they can potentially increase bleeding.
7 Fatal Mistakes: Sabotaging Your New Tattoo Without Even Knowing...
A $2000 tattoo can range from a detailed half-sleeve to a large, intricate thigh or chest piece, or even the beginning of a full back or sleeve, often taking multiple sessions and significant artist hours (8+ hours) for complex designs, but it depends heavily on the artist's skill, location, and the design's intricacy.
Here's a handful of bad habits that are top of the list of things tattoo artists hate.
If you notice a rash or lumpy, bumpy skin around your new tattoo, this could be something to worry about. Any itching that seems extreme, or rashes and cracked skin, could indicate infection.
Itching is a normal part of the healing process of your tattoo and should not worry you. However, it is important to avoid scratching the tattoo as this can affect the healing process.
Most of the time, tattoo redness or rash is not severe and will resorb within two or three weeks. An acute inflammatory reaction causes it. Redness on a tattoo happens because the needle and the ink cause irritation, which is an entirely normal body reaction after getting a new ink.
What does an infected tattoo look like?
Proper Hygiene and Moisturizing
Avoid vigorous scrubbing, as it can irritate the skin. Moisturize regularly: Apply a thin layer of a recommended tattoo-specific moisturizer to keep the skin hydrated and prevent too much dryness. Moisturizing helps soothe itchiness.
Over-moisturizing your tattoo can cause the ink color to fade. It can also cause the ink to spread, making the tattoo appear more blurred. These changes can make your tattoo look less vibrant and more sloppy. After you get a tattoo, your tattoo artist will likely provide you with clear aftercare instructions.
Yes, a $50 tip on a $300 tattoo is a good tip, falling slightly below the standard 20% ($60) but representing a solid 16.7%, showing appreciation, especially if you had a good experience; however, tipping $60-$75 (20-25%) is generally considered excellent for great service, so $50 is a respectable amount.
A 3-hour tattoo is typically a medium-sized piece, roughly 2 to 4 inches across, covering areas like the forearm, bicep, or shoulder cap, but size depends heavily on complexity, detail, color, and artist; expect a design with significant shading or color to take longer than a sparse linework piece of the same dimensions.
Most tattoo artists are more than happy to touch up a tattoo that's too small or too big for your liking. They may even offer to do it for free.
Among the rest of the Stories & Ink team, the most painful places to get a tattoo include:
Lasers heat up the ink particles in your skin to break them down into smaller particles, which are easier for your immune system to remove. It can take multiple laser therapy sessions to remove a tattoo.
The most commonly used neutralizing color is a deep orange to cancel out the blue and blue-green shades of common tattoo inks. For tattoos with dark black ink, you should use a deep red neutralizer.
If you're experiencing tattoo itchiness to a severe degree or are worried you might have an infection or allergic reaction to ink, contact a dermatologist right away, because they might have a solution for you.
Avoid the following medications and foods, as their consumption causes an increased likelihood of bleeding problems: Steroids, anti-inflammatories, aspirin, ibuprofen, or any medicines containing aspirin or ibuprofen (i.e. Motrin, Advil, Aleve, Excedrin, Midol).
Many of these pigments contain metals or other additives that may trigger skin reactions. Red ink, which frequently contains mercury sulfide, is one of the most common culprits behind tattoo-related allergic reactions.