Hello - anyone recognise these symptoms from new tattoo.?

[Seaside Jimmy]

Hello Everyone,
About 9 weeks ago I got my first tattoo, a half-sleeve. It's colour, mainly blues. It healed normally, within the expected 3 weeks. It looks great, no problem there. However, it hasn't settled down completely. I still get an uncomfortable, prickling/burning sensation in certain areas, (maybe 50% of the tattoo), particularly when it's touched by any fabric. I can't wear long sleeves comfortably - it feels like a sunburn. I know this is normal for a brand new tattoo, but after 9 weeks..?
Now, there's no sign of infection. No swelling, no redness, no spots. In the first few weeks I had a mild infection (a few pustules), but that settled down after I got an antibiotic cream from my doctor. He said scar tissue can take 'many weeks' to settle down, that I should wait and the sunburn feeling should eventually go away. It's been over 2 months now and I'm getting quite worried about it. I don't think it's getting worse, but it's not getting any better. My artist says the tat looks perfect, just as he would hope/expect, but as for the persistent sensitive, sunburn feeling he's never heard of this before - anyone here recognise what I'm describing?

Thanks

Edited November 4, 2016 by Seaside Jimmy
Typo ;)

[oboogie]

Can you post photos?

[Transplant]

@Seaside Jimmy you should be healed after 9 weeks!

 

what was your healing protocol?

 

also, upload some pictures, it may help people understand your question better!

[Seaside Jimmy]

Yup, ok, here are a few shots although I'm not sure these will make much difference because the tattoo looks completely normal, there's no swelling, redness etc. What I'm describing is a feeling in parts of it, like sunburn. A prickly, uncomfortable feeling that gets worse when touched. It's fairly mild, but persistent. Anyone recognise this or able to say they've heard of anyone who took 2, 3 or more months before their tattoo settled down to feel completely normal..?

I guess I just have to sit it out and let it settle down in its own good time..?

 

@Transplant I washed it carefully twice a day with just water and used Bepanthen afterwards. Been using Bepanthen most days for some weeks. I know the world is divided about whether or not Bepanthen is the best thing, but that's a separate debate ;)

[bongsau]

I've experienced something similiar...but the discomfort was never anything so bad and unbearable that it prevented me from doing my day to day shit. it was more just intermittent itchiness for several months...just wanted to scratch and scratch like a dog with fleas.

not sure what the cause was, it settled down over time and my leg didn't fall off. so that's good haha! I speculate that it may be the homebrew ink my bud was using...or chemical reaction of mixing inks (when he mixed the green and white, that shit bubbled like a school volcano science project in the cap)...or my body reacting to the pigments? I don't know. but I just sucked it up and scratched ... that green ink is still BRIGHT AS FACK.

then again, i'm in this ongoing cycle of getting and healing tattoo and I'm just used to always feeling like a lizard.

maybe try soaking in an epsom salt bath ??? good luck

ps nice octopus tattoo

Edited November 4, 2016 by bongsau

[bongsau]

will add...2 months the tattoo is only superficially healed. usually takes about 6 months for everything to really settle underneath the skin.

[Rob I]

Ingrown hairs maybe?  I think they could produce similar symptoms 

[Jamie D.]

Some of mine have done this...feels more like a "nervy" sensation under the skin than anything else, for me (not sunburnish - more just really itchy or sensitive to touch). With mine, it normally goes away within 4-5 months or so - which is when any rough spots in the tattoo tend to smooth out as well. 

That's just me, of course, and everyone's different, but my .02, for what it's worth...

[Devious6]

I had a similar sensation with my last tattoo, also. Portions of it were more sensitive than others and did feel like a mild sunburn, especially when touched by my shirt or hand - and I never had that with my first tattoo. Not sure if it was related to the colored inks and might have been a mild reaction or just related to the process or......? It did settle down over time and now feels totally normal. I'm just at 8 weeks now so mine did settle out more quickly - but I've learned here from the experts that each person heals differently, and each tattoo can be a new experience in healing, too.

[Seaside Jimmy]

Thanks everyone for your positive and helpful comments. I think I just need to try not to worry about it and just wait... it's true that all healing goes at different speeds and the recovery time seems to vary a lot from person to person.

People seem to always talk in terms of weeks not months, but that's not the reality from what I can see, (which is encouraging).

I just want it to feel normal again but looks like I'm going to have to give it a bit more time. Just keeping everything crossed for now :)

Thanks!

 

[j_clark_1994]

The weather can actually affect your tattoos as well. There have been days where my tattoos are uncomfortable and itchy and slightly raised. After a bit of research I saw that the weather - for me humidity can do this to the skin and tattoos.

If it is just recovery though it doesn't look infected, some skin is just more sensitive than others.

[Dan]

22 hours ago, bongsau said:

will add...2 months the tattoo is only superficially healed. usually takes about 6 months for everything to really settle underneath the skin.

this/\

[Gazz]

Having the same issue here 3 months after tattoo. It gets a sunburned sensation if I rest my arm on my belly whilst sitting. Also disrupting my sleep but tattoo healed externally with no problems.  Just a matter a time to settle maybe?

[Benzillatats]

I'm having an identical issue, adding muscle pain. See my thread for specifics. How did yours end up? if you ever see this.

[Yolzy]

Be careful guys, I have tattoo related uveitis. Inflammation of the eye. My tattoos are getting zapping sensation. Doctors think I  have sarcoidosis because of the tattoos being a foreign substance. 3 of my Tatts are lumpy..I have 6 in total

Edited December 5, 2019 by Yolzy

[Yarutha]

Hey Seaside Jimmy...show did the tattoo heal? Did the feeling go away? Did it get better? Less stingy?

[oboogie]

On 2/18/2021 at 5:34 PM, Yarutha said:

Hey Seaside Jimmy...show did the tattoo heal? Did the feeling go away? Did it get better? Less stingy?

This post was from five years ago. Unlikely to get a reply at this point.

[Hogrider]

59 minutes ago, oboogie said:

This post was from five years ago. Unlikely to get a reply at this point.

And he last visited November 2019 after a total of 3 posts in 2014.