4-month old tattoo is red and swollen, is this an infection or allergy? (pic)

[dale90 4]

The location is right near my wrist. All I got there was minor grey shading, which wasn't dark enough the first time so I got it redone a month later. You can see the barrier between the red swollen area and my natural skin. This is honestly driving me crazy. The swelling fluctuates throughout the day and I can feel it while moving my wrist. When it's inflamed it gets red as well. I don't understand what's going on, I just got very minor grey shading in that area and I've never had a problem with other tattoos healing. There's barely any ink there.. the redness from the swelling totally eclipses whatever shading is there, if any. I'm making an appointment with a dermatologist but I'm worried they won't have any idea what's going on either since it doesn't seem to be a common reaction.

[Gingerninja 2,585]

Hey - have you asked your artist? I'd definitely hit them up. Have you changed any of your soaps? Just thinking out loud.

I'd talk to my artist and go to my PCP (antibiotics)…. 

[SStu 2,214]

So it's been like that for 90 days?

[dale90 4]

5 hours ago, SStu said:

So it's been like that for 90 days?

Actually 4 months.. the initial shading was 5 months ago. I told myself it's simply part of the healing process but month after month it hasn't improved.

I tried putting hydrocortisone on this morning but it made the redness worse. The problem is I have no clue what's causing this, whether it's an infection, tattoo allergy, or just physical irritation from the needle. An ink allergy seems crazy because I've gotten other black/grey tattoos from the same place and never had an issue with healing, also I read it's typically red ink that causes allergies. One strange thing though is that there's barely an ink there, even though I asked for darker shading and got it done twice. It's like my body simply rejected it.

There's definitely something going on though because it swells on a daily basis and I can feel it anytime I move my hand, so annoying.

Edited July 9, 2018 by dale90

[dale90 4]

11 hours ago, Gingerninja said:

Hey - have you asked your artist? I'd definitely hit them up. Have you changed any of your soaps? Just thinking out loud.

I'd talk to my artist and go to my PCP (antibiotics)…. 

I've tried using different soaps and ointments. It seems the problem is not related to my routine at all. I can ice it and the inflammation will go down but then half an hour later it's back.

Edited July 9, 2018 by dale90

[Gingerninja 2,585]

Yeah, you are in doctor territory. I still let the artist know, too. Sorry man. That sucks!

[Hogrider 1,601]

Allergy to ink is extremely rare. Every time someone scratches they think they are having an allergic reaction. Now that I'm off my soapbox, I'd go to the doctor ASAP. That is NOT normal.

[dale90 4]

I went to a dermatologist and it was a major disappointment. It seemed like he was just rushing through the meeting and said it could be an allergy or infection. I got the feeling he was against tattoos because he said it's unnatural pigment in the skin. He simply prescribed me a steroid cream, which didn't help but made the redness worse. I'm going to another dermatologist on Monday and hoping to get an antibiotic.

I also contacted the tattoo shop and they said the grey ink they used for shading is the same type they used for other grey tattoos I've gotten there with no problems, which to me makes it less likely this is an ink allergy. Never been allergic to anything in my life, I even have a red tattoo with no issues. It's driving me crazy because I can feel the swelling and inflammation every time I move my hand, and worst of all it seems doctors can't even identify the problem.

It's actaully redder than it appears in pictures

Edited July 14, 2018 by dale90

[Hogrider 1,601]

On July 13, 2018 at 8:09 PM, dale90 said:

I went to a dermatologist and it was a major disappointment. It seemed like he was just rushing through the meeting and said it could be an allergy or infection. I got the feeling he was against tattoos because he said it's unnatural pigment in the skin. He simply prescribed me a steroid cream, which didn't help but made the redness worse. I'm going to another dermatologist on Monday and hoping to get an antibiotic.

I also contacted the tattoo shop and they said the grey ink they used for shading is the same type they used for other grey tattoos I've gotten there with no problems, which to me makes it less likely this is an ink allergy. Never been allergic to anything in my life, I even have a red tattoo with no issues. It's driving me crazy because I can feel the swelling and inflammation every time I move my hand, and worst of all it seems doctors can't even identify the problem.

It's actaully redder than it appears in pictures

Just my 2 cents, but take a deep breath. First of all, to repeat, INK ALLERGIES ARE VERY RARE. If you don't believe me do the research - in the medical literature where cases would be documented and confirmed, not in online forums where everyone who ever had an itchy tattoo said they were allergic to the ink.

Second, it sounds like ONE doctor, not doctorS, didn't know what it was.

If it's a simple infection, it should be easy to clear up.

Good luck.

[dale90 4]

Yeah despite what the dermatologist said I also believe ink allergy is unlikely because I've gotten other grey tattoos from the same place and same ink with no problems. Infection also seems unlikely because the inflammation is constant and does not spread beyond the area of the shading, there's a very clear line between where I got shading and my normal skin.

My theory is that the tattoo artist was simply too aggressive and went too deep, triggering this response. I asked for more shading in that area while he was talking to another customer who was waiting and he seemed like he was in a rush. The good news is that the past few days it's been looking a bit better and feels less inflamed, I'm going to give it time and see if it settles.

Edited July 17, 2018 by dale90

[dale90 4]

Alright, now it's looking worse than ever. Has anyone here ever dealt with a tattoo allergy before? I'm going to another dermatologist tomorrow and hope to get a stronger steroid cream along with oral steroids.

[dale90 4]

This update probably won't matter to anyone but I'll post it anyway haha. I saw another dermatologist who doesn't believe it's an allergic reaction because I already have grey tattoos and allergies to grey ink are extremely rare, also tattoo allergies typically represent reactions on the surface of the skin, not swelling underneath like mine. Infection is also unlikely because the reaction is localized only to the area where the needle hit the skin. He believes that the tattooing was perhaps too aggressive which created a deep tissue wound which caused excessive inflammation, thereby preventing proper healing and perpetuating more chronic inflammation like a vicious cycle. I started using a powerful steroid ointment today and the swelling has gone down considerably. Hopefully by keeping the inflammation under control the deep layers of the skin will heal properly.

Edited August 3, 2018 by dale90

[Hogrider 1,601]

On 11/19/2020 at 12:47 PM, breakingman said:

blah, blah, blah

If you going to be a shill, don't be so obvious. Maybe find someone who speaks English as a first language to write for you too.

Edited November 20 by Hogrider