Discussion: Why Does My (Healed) Tattoo Sometimes Swell and Itch?
Sunday January 21, 2007
Tech73 writes: "I have 2 large tattoos, one on each arm and occasionally they get itchy and I get welts where the ink is. Like the tattoos become raised. I have had both of these tattoos for years and they have always done this. Does anyone else experience this? Does anyone know what causes this? I couldn't imagine having a full sleeve or back piece and have this happen. It would be very uncomfortable."
Comments
I have a full back piece and mine occasionally raises. It usually happens when I’m getting sick or when Im really tired. It also happens when the weather changes. Usually its only the outline though that does it…and after a while you dont notice this happening.
I am so glad to hear this happens to other people. Mine swells up (on my ankle), well, just the left half mostly when I get stressed out. I thought I was just a freak! I too would love to know why this happens! I have 2 more I plan to get and don’t want them itching. Odd thing is, the one on my wrist doesn’t bother me at all.
Phew im glad to hear that this happens to other ppl too. When it first happened I freaked out. It usually occurs when the weather changes. Its rather strange and a tad freaky.
I have a large tatt acroos my lower back that is about 12 months old, and recently this happened to me when I’d been in a very hot sweaty kitchen all day. After i had a cool shower it was fine. I’ve never had it with the tatt on my shoulder or butt.
I have some spots that will raise with stress too. Mostly the red ink. I think the ink has something to do with it also.
I have a tat on each forearm, one shoulder that occasionally gets raised and itchy. the anklet that I have is green and purple and I haven’t had this happen to it. Nice to hear of others .
I have 3 tat’s. One doesn’t raise or itch. Ever. One is almost always raised, but rarely itches. The one I got more recently, itches and is raised so constantly. It’s so annoying. So anyway, I have been searching the web all night and found this on another site:
Why does my tattoo raise up from time to time?
Some scarring occurs with every tattoo. Most of the time it’s not really noticable. When the tattoo becomes irritated the scar will raise up for a bit. This can be caused by sun exposure or sunburn, slapping, scratching, rough clothing or even stress. Given time to calm down, the tattoo will lay flat again.
The same reaction commonly occurs with stretchmarks. If you have them, I’m sure you’ve noticed.
My tattoo is raised all the time. Why?
If the tattoo is raised constantly, chances are it’s permanantly scarred. This can happen with sensitive skin or skin that’s prone to keloiding. It can also happen if the artist goes too deep or overworks the area. There isn’t really anything that can lessen the scar tissue.
I hope it helped you! I put some very good lotion on my tattoo and it at least stops the itching, then I don’t notice the raised part of it.
I have 13 tattoos and the only ones that raise and itch are on my arms. I freaked out too!!it happens when im stressed or from misquito bites. its wierd and annoying someone once told me its from nerve endings being damaged during the tattooing process.
I have one tattoo on my right shoulder blade, just a sketching of an eagle head and inside the beak gets dry and itchy, and around where the beak and face meets, but does not itch ON the ink… I got it in early october and I healed in like a week. I’ve noticed it will tingle sometimes too? and just recently it’s partly gone dry and very itchy… I’m hoping its because I’m allergic to fabric softener… but I dont know! I read it’s from nerve damage… ahh!
Pinpointing the reason for this is difficult, there can be several different causes..Allergic Reactions from certain pigments, red, yellow most common, Changes in the weather, Body Chemistry, Skin Conditions.
I’m blad other people have this problem, too. My tattoo, which is small and on my lower back, has been raised and itchy for a week now. I hope the itching goes away soon!
My tattoo was never raised, there were just bumps around it? but never actually on it. Turns out, I’m either allergic to fabric softener and/or my vanilla Body Shop spray… I’ve been spraying it on my clothes rather than my body, and now AROUND my tattoo has settled down. Weeeeird.
I have been searching for the answer to the same question all night long. This is driving me crazy and i notice it happends mostly when the weather makes a sudden change. But i am glad to see that im not alone in this.
I have 9 tattoos.ankle, wrists, lower back, upper arms, my chest, you name it.i got my 1st one over 10 yrs ago an the swelling and itchng has just now started.mostly on my bands up by my shoulders.also my ink is all dark ink… No color xcept on my back an that one never swells…its pretty strange tho i must admit.
good. thought it was aids or something.
I have a small dragon right between my shoulder blades, and just these past few days it’s turned into little itchy, raised bumpes. like tons of mosquito bites only inside the tattoo, not on un-inked skin. At first I thought it just happened to be itchy but now it’s driving me crazy.
I knew it had nothing to do with healing, but that’s interesting that it happens to others. it must be the fluctuating weather, as I’m sensitive to it, I even get headaches before rain.
I’ve found lotion soothes the bumps and itch some.
My tattoos tend 2 rise on occasion tho i have not found the reason I found that Gold Bond Skin Lotion Helps wen it starts or when it is already Risen or Itchy
i have ten tattoos 7 of them swell not just on the out side it realy bugs i have had some of them over ten years & i still cant get used to haveing 3 d tattoos … i have one round my rist as well that one dose not swell why??????????????who knowes ….is there some thing that can stop them swelling ????????
HI RE TATTOOS THAT RAISE UP..IVE BEEN A TATTOO ARTIST FOR 45 YEARS..IN THE EARLY DAYS WE THATS ME AND A FEW ARTISTS EXPLORED THE TATTOO PIGMENTS USED..
PROBLEMS ARE BARIUM SULPHIDE,ALL.OXIDE..SELINIUM..ZINC..CHROME..
THE MAIN FACTOR ARE PIGMENTS USE AND SOLD BY PEOPLE WITH LITTLE KNOWLEDGE HENCE THE USE OF CADMIUM BASE PIGMENTS, THESE WILL RAISE UNDER SUN..HEAT..ETC..ITCH..RE SCAB…AND MANY MORE FACTORS…MAYBE YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE MORE..THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THESE PROBLEMS…TONY.
I am glad to know that there are others who are wondering the same thing. I have two tattoos…one arm and one chest…the chest never swells but the arms does and I have always been curious.
My Husband and i both have tattoos in diffrent places and sometime they itch so bad it causes a hard bumpy rash its happened in all diffrent types of weather but still curios of the cause
It’s the red ink that raises & itches on my arm. Driving me crayzee lately. Neat 2 kno i not the only one. wood luv to know the reason & cure also…
i just got a full sleeve in black/gray and after 2 weeks it healed up…then started to raise and itch. I’d like to know the actual reason why this happens so i can prevent it in the future.
I have 4 tattoos. Recently, one I’ve had for 2 years has started itching like crazy and not stopping. Also, it has bumps that are slowly spreading to the rest of the tattoo. It almost feels like raised rubber its getting so bad. I thought maybe hair was trying to grow through at first, like when it grows through the tattoo the first time.
i have a tattoo on my lower back… and just like other people i have noticed it starting to raise and itch.! I have had it for 2 years now! does it ruin your tattoo or fade the colouring?
thanks for posting. I’ve been having problems with my tattooe itching and certain spots raising, normally the outline. Its so funny how your mind works because I could swear I had AIDS, thats the first thought that came to my mind. esspecially because i’ve been feeling weak months after I got my tattooe. I dont think im getting no more.
LoL I was curious right now. rubbed my arm and noticed my tattoo was raised- since i was on the PC decided to search about it to see why it does that. I’m glad to kno its obvious a normal occurance! lol i have one on my arm that raises all the time. mostly in the hot weather or after scratching it. But the one on my chest doesnt swell at all. Weird stuff! but we’re all normal. lol
I have a tat on my leg and have had it for 8 years. 3 years ago i added a few things to and had the old one re-done – i have just come up with two bumps on the black area of the tat and they are scabing up – really worried its just gonna spread to the rest – i asked the doc and they both said its nothing to worry about, but didn,t explain
I got a rather large tat (halfsleeve) that started to swell and itch after a year.
Thing is that only the white ink started to swell, and i think it is because of the sun.
Anyone know how long this can be going on?
Will it stop happening when/if the white ink fades??
i got my tatto done about 2 weeks ago. it is on my inner wrist. the entire tattoo healed very quickly but now the top part of a piece of the flower on it itches like crazy. it will swell as well and not go down hardly at all. i’m glad others have problems like mine though. i was getting worried. i am starting to wonder if maybe i have an allergic reaction to the ink color used. its like a light pink color. its very odd b/c i have a flower in my tattoo.. where the center of the flower is dark pink it isnt raised or itchy but the entire outer flower where its light pink is raised and itchy. hmmmm.
I got my first tattoo almost 3 weeks ago and it was healing nicely but now it has like a red glow all the way around it, like a sunburn. Its all the way around my ankle. It was really itchy, warm and swollen for a couple days but now its just red. Some say use polysporin some say let the air at it and let it heal itself……
I have the same situation happen to me all the time.. i have two half sleeves that do it, in certain spots where black shading gets detailed,, really weird but glad to see lots of other people experience this as well
So glad I found this! I am also searching the raised bumps that itch like crazy on the outline of my tattoo. Its mostly on the dark purple ink, and some on the red and yellow. Its on my arm, and my arm was in the hot sun for about 10 minutes before this started. I have been using benadryl anti itch cram, and it seems to be helping. But its still spreading just a tad…
I have several large tattoos and none of them ever got itchy after healing. Surprisingly my newest tattoo, on the inside of my forearm was itchy as %&*# after about one week. It stayed like that for about 2 weeks and then stopped. When I got more work done the same thing happened on that part of my arm but not on the outside of the forearm or upper arm. my tattoo artist said that happens sometimes and it goes away eventually. Kinda made me rethink getting a whole sleeve….
Thank God this is happening to others. I was ready to go to a dermatologist. The ones of mine that are raised and itching are 6 and 17 years old. I was starting to wonder if I had a horrible disease!
The first thing i thought was i had aids n i was freakin out lol im so glad its not just me.. i just put first aid Webber vitamin e ointment on it it takes the itch away n makes the bumps go away, also my tat is only black ink n its on my hand
Hey, Just got my second tat. Which has only started being raised and itchy today, 3-4 months after i got it. The one on my wrist has never been a problem, ive had it for about 2 years. Seems like ones closer to the torso, and on sensitive parts of the skin get more irritated which would make sense if it is related to the scar tissue as scaring is often more of an issue if it is in these sensitive areas . Also the lighter colours are more toxic and ive heard from most that it happens to more often to the red colours.
Also if it is an alergy thing, which i think it proberbly is, as people get it when they re sick or stressed which lowers the immune system then it would make more sense closer to the lymph nodes.
I tried taking anti-hystamines which has reduces the itchyness and the swelling within about half an hour, which also support the idea that it is the immune system overreacting when you are stressed or sick, im sick at the moment.
So solution; combo of skin creames to reduce the irritation, also anti-scar bepanthenen when healing to reduce scaring and anti-hytamines when it does over react. I would be interested to see if this works in others.
Sorry for the long post.
i have seven tattoos that i have gotten over the last year and a half. i got 2 at one tattoo parlor, 3 at another and 2 at another. the one of my lower back, the biggest of all my tattoos, will swell sometimes. it will just start out kinda itchy then start to swell up. mostly just the black outline. its only just started doing it recently. i’ve had it since febuary i think. someone told me it could be i am allergic to the ink. i don’t know though.
I’m soooo freakin glad I’m not the only one with this problem…lol…I just thought I was a wierdo…For months I didnt know what was wrong with me….it raises up from time to time and drives me nuts…out of my 9 tats its the small one on my wrist that does it…GRRRRRRRR. Oh well…At least we all have this prob in one way or another
Whew… good to know I’m not the only one with this reaction. I recently had an ambigram of my name inked into my forearm. All was fine, proper care and smoothed out fine. Suddenly, it itches like crazy and has raised bumps (on the inked spots only)I went bananas!! Found out “too” much ointment or lotion clogs the open pores and settles under the skin. That excess needs to be dried out. Now it looks as if it’s leveling out, yet I still get an attack of the itches. DO NOT SCRATCH!!
I have had my tattoo done for almost 2 months, i got 4 flowers on my inside wrist/arm ony one flower (closest to the wrist) does this it gets very itchy and has raised welts/bubbles..where the one flower looks raised like you said, I’m glad I’m not the only one out there with this
problem, I go for a touch up in 2 weeks but I want to know what it is first of all!
If you get bit by a bug near your tattoo, it will raise as your body tries to get rid of the venom from the bug because it sees the ink as a foreign substance.. which it is.
I have a tattoo I’ve had on my upper arm since about 1996. I never had any problems at all until I got pregnant in 2003.
For the entire time I was pregger with my daughter, the entire outline of my tattoo was raised and extremel itchy. It drove me CRAZY. I was really concerned and kept putting off seeing somebody about it. The one day, when she was a few months old, I looked down and voila! The itchiness was gone and it was back to normal.
It itches and raises up only once in a blue moon. I have an orange/yellow beta fish and the black outline is the ONLY thing that ever itches and raises up. It’s raised and itchy now, but lo and behold, it is indeed humid and damp here.
i just got my first tattoo
haha cross on the back of my calf…its still healing haha
I am now on my 4th tattoo, the one on my hip and lower back are fine, but the 2 in the middle of my back are driving me nuts ! They have been done about a month and they are still raised and itchy and I mean when they start to tingle they burn ! Im glad I found this site makes me feel much better ! I found that the Bepanthen cream (for nappy rash) they told me to use makes it a hell of alot worse, I went into the chemist and asked for Lanosil but they have now stopped this BUT another company has started to make the same cream and its back on the market, it has really taken the swelling down but it still itches but not as bad.
I have three. the ones on my hand and back never bother me but the one on my foot has started to bother me lately. i have had it for about 10 months now and it started to itch today it was like a mosquito bite! im sooo glad this happens to someone besides me. this is the first time though. idk maybe its just stress
i have large 2part backpiece that healed wonderfully about 2yrs ago. no problems. but last spring the swelling and itching started on the outlines and on the heavier inner lines. maddening! i tried everything i could think of short of having it removed, which i was assured wouldn’t help and would only incur MORE scar tissue. so i started using hypoallergenic bathsoap and shampoos in the shower, changed from taking hot showers to warm or cool showers, started using oatmeal based calming lotions on my skin, and if you color your hair like i do use the kind for senstive skin and DO NOT let it get on the tattoo.
i still occassionally get the itching, but never the swelling, and the itching is NOTHING like it was before, just a passing thing. like any other normal itch. hope these ideas help someone.
I am so glad someone else has noticed, I have a good frend who is a tatoo artist and I asked him. He said it tends to only happen on thicker skin such as the back,not sure why it is just the thicker skin. The reason is you are probably fighting of infection somewhere else in the body and white blood cells are more abundant,and the cells still see it as a threat or intruder. It can also happen in hot water or when you sweat and the cappilaries near the skin are dialated.
WOW NICE TO KNOW I AIN’T THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ITCHY YET BUBBLY AFTERMATH OF TATTOOz! I ALWAYz FEEL LIKE IM THE ONLY ONE..BUT REALLY WHAT IS THE REAL AND CORRECT ANSWER!! I MEAN MAYBE THE TATTOO GUY MAYBE DUGG A TAD DEEP (AMATURE)BUT FOR AWHILE THERE I WAS THINKING IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME….
I have 4 tatoos 1 on each inner arm and 1 on each ankle. Only the outer part of the one on my right arm itches and swells up. I doubt its an allergy because only half of the tat is raised and itchy. I know it must be nothing, but its really itchy and annoying when it flares up. If i have the tatoo removed by a laser will the itching and swelling go away?
I have had my tattoo for a year now it was a birthday present and it is on my lower arm taking up all of my lower arm. an I just started experiencing this itching 2 days ago and i was like what in the world? I am glad that I am not the only one going though this and i wish it would stop at first i got bite my a abug or somethiing but then it started to wilt. I hope i am not messing my tattoo up
Tattoos can raise when the skin is irritated. Mine raise when I’m getting sick or my allergies are kicking in. This is due to a rise in histamine levels. It is normal. As for itching a brand new tattoo, do not scratch with the nails, it will damage the tattoo and healing, only pat or slap it.
I’m having this same problem, I’ve had a tat for 8 yrs now and just a lil over a month ago it started itching really bad and is now all raised up with what feels like a lot of lil bumps all clustered together and is actually a lil painful to the touch…I’ve had a lot of people to tell me that it could be skin cancer, but I’m not so sure, is this something I should see a doctor about??
I have a ton of tattoos most of which have been done by different artists. I have a large tattoo on my lower forearm and I have the same problem with that tattoo — all of my others are fine. I spoke with a tattoo shop owner and he said it is an indication of a poorly done tattoo that maybe went too deep… It leaves the skin (especially in sensitive skin areas) prone to itching and bumps or swelling. He suggested putting Aquaphor on it when you notice the itching and it has helped my problem. I hope this helps…
I also have had the really itchy bumpy bleeding (from scratching) tatt. My dermatologist reccommended an ointment called Protopic. It helps a little but takes a few weeks to feel better. Do not scratch the tatt as this seems to trigger a more itchy reaction somehow. Hope this helps.
Thanks! this is my first tattoo and I was freaking out. I don’t know why it happens but once in a while raised up and itches especially in the color areas.
Im so glad i decided to do a search on this ,i have a tattoo on my lower back of a large butterfly ,have had it for years and it started to swell and get itchy a few months back ,its mostly only on the red ink thats on it,,i was starting to freak out myself,,i would sure like to know what causes this myself,,mine isnt getting better only worse!
All of my tats are itching like crazy & raised, just got 1 done in Dec/08, but even the ones I have had for over 20 years are have the same problem. What is happening? The itching is driving %*(@# banannas!!!
HELP!
I got my second tat 2 and a half weeks ago and it was healing beautifully until about 3 days ago when I put antibiotic ointment on as I had no lotion on me at the time. My friend covered it with plastic and the next morning I woke up and it was red and inflammed under the plastic. Now it itches like crazy and is peeling so I’ve been putting lotion.
The irritation seems to only be where the ointment was and it does seem to be improving – has anyone ever had this happen? or suggestions?
Ohh my goodness!
I thought i was the only one! haha,
yeah I really dont have an answer or anything here.
I was 13 when I got my tattoo, Im now 14 and every once in a while it gets itchy and sore. Oddly enough its the same spots where i picked the scab. I wonder if this is why it always does this?
i have 15 tattoos and this is constantly happening to the same 3. its really annoying. ive noticed if i shower and put cocoa butter lotion on it it makes the swelling and itching go away. if ur not able to shower just use the lotion and the itching should subside but it will still be raised.
I’m wondering if anyone has tried cortaid cream for this. It works pretty well with any other kind of itching. I just got my tat two weeks ago (Check out the URL to see it. I’m in love with everything about it. Artist’s name is Eric Cooley. HE ROCKS!), so I’m waiting until it’s good and healed before using anything but Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula, but after that if it continues to swell, I think I may try that. It did display welts in a couple of places already, but we did it all in one sitting with 13 different colors, so some spots got worked more than others. Still totally worth it, and I’d do it again, though.
WELL ITS GOOD TO HEAR OF OTHER PEOPLE THIS HAPPENS TO, BOTH MY ARMS DO THIS, THOUGH NOT ALL THE TATTOO,, SOMETIMES ONLY THE ONE SIDE,, I TRIED VARIOUS CREAMS WHILE HEALING TATTOO GOO KILLED ME AND CAUSED LOADS OF PROBLEMS,, BEPANTHEN ON THE OTHER HAND TOOK THE HEAT OUT AND THEY ALL HEALED REAL QUICK!
i have 6 tattoos and the 1 on my inner arm is the only 1 the swells up
I have two sleeves and they do this often. None of my other tattoos do this, only on my arms.
DAYUMMM….I was scared as HELLL>>>> I thought It WAS AIDS on my TATT!…HAHAA…Thank GOD…Yea I got a half sleeve and it DAmn itches and ITS BUGGIN!! Nothing made it better. NOTHING. Then it just stopped….
I got my fourth tat on my inner wrist 7 weeks ago. It’s ALL purple, red, yellow and hasn’t stopped itching! I’ve tried Aquaphor, Aveeno, and scar gel. It is seriously scarred…very raised. It’s like torture. A guy I know is bringing me some pure shea butter he got in Africa and said it really helped his. I HOPE so…this is driving me insane!
I have several tattoo’s and the only one that “swells” is the one on my lower back. The 1st time I noticed it was a day after I had a massage,..now I notice it every now and then ..plus it never itches….just swells abit.
This really is interesting. I have both of my tattoos itching since a couple of days. I thought it might have been the chlor in my pool. In 7 years I never had this on my tattoos. So I hope it will disappear soon. Glad to hear this happens to other people too
maybe this will help.i found this….
How to Minimize Scarring on a Tattoo
by eHow Fashion, Style & Personal Care Editor
Introduction
Sometimes when you get a tattoo, scarring happens. It can be caused by anything from improper aftercare to sensitive skin. Aloe, however, can minimize the look of a scare from a tattoo. Using aloe directly from a plant gives you the best results.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Steps
1Step OneIdentify the scar. Scarring under a tattoo can be tricky to spot sometimes because ink can distort the look of your skin. But, if your skin is raised up, and it’s past the normal healing time, you probably have a scar.
2Step TwoBuy an aloe plant. Most gardening stores or nurseries carry the plant. They can also be found at discount stores with gardening departments. You shouldn’t need a huge plant to minimize your scar, but be sure the one you choose has several thick, healthy leaves. You will have to alternate between several leaves because the aloe plant will need time to heal itself between tears.
3Step ThreeTear off a small piece of the plant and squeeze the aloe directly on your tattoo. Rub the aloe into the scar and allow it to dry completely. Repeat the process several times a day until your tattoo is flatter and less scarred.
4Step FourBe patient. Healing takes several weeks. But, if after enough time your scar isn’t reduced to a acceptable level, consider visiting a doctor to talk about laser resurfacing options.
Tips & Warnings
Don’t forget the plant! Make sure the plant gets plenty of water and is kept in a spot with a lot of light. During the summer months, the plant may be moved outdoors.
Member Comments
Find this article at: http://www.ehow.com/how_2093868_minimize-scarring-tattoo.html
How to Minimize Scarring on a Tattoo
by eHow Fashion, Style & Personal Care Editor
Introduction
Sometimes when you get a tattoo, scarring happens. It can be caused by anything from improper aftercare to sensitive skin. Aloe, however, can minimize the look of a scare from a tattoo. Using aloe directly from a plant gives you the best results.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Steps
1Step OneIdentify the scar. Scarring under a tattoo can be tricky to spot sometimes because ink can distort the look of your skin. But, if your skin is raised up, and it’s past the normal healing time, you probably have a scar.
2Step TwoBuy an aloe plant. Most gardening stores or nurseries carry the plant. They can also be found at discount stores with gardening departments. You shouldn’t need a huge plant to minimize your scar, but be sure the one you choose has several thick, healthy leaves. You will have to alternate between several leaves because the aloe plant will need time to heal itself between tears.
3Step ThreeTear off a small piece of the plant and squeeze the aloe directly on your tattoo. Rub the aloe into the scar and allow it to dry completely. Repeat the process several times a day until your tattoo is flatter and less scarred.
4Step FourBe patient. Healing takes several weeks. But, if after enough time your scar isn’t reduced to a acceptable level, consider visiting a doctor to talk about laser resurfacing options.
Tips & Warnings
Don’t forget the plant! Make sure the plant gets plenty of water and is kept in a spot with a lot of light. During the summer months, the plant may be moved outdoors.
Member Comments
Find this article at: http://www.ehow.com/how_2093868_minimize-scarring-tattoo.html
I was also getting worried. It would start and stop intermittently. I find for me it’s not only on my tattoo with red but my outlines. Also on my other tattoo which uses blue ink, i can feel the skin under the blue raised.
I am so happy that other people have this going on! I was freaking out~!
I have five tattoos, and only two of them get raised and itchy. One, a medium sized tat with black and a little purple, I have had for 4 years now, and since it healed has been doing it- BOY IS IT ITCHY! I haven’t paid much attention to when or where it is, though. My newest on my wrist is itchy, too, but only raised in some spots. I asked my tat artist, and he said it’s usually a reaction to the metals in the pigments.
Strange, though, because the tats on my upper back, hip and belly don’t get raised. Weird.
when i was 18 i got a tattoo on my right lower back that included red ink. around the age of 20 after having my first child i noticed a lump under my arm near my right breast. when they went in and removed this lump they thought was the size of a pea it was actually the size of a golf ball. after biopsy they found red pigment ink had oxidized in my system from this tattoo and lodged itself in my lymph node causing it to grow in size. since then i have a full back piece and quarter sleeves with no issue and i have overly sensitive skin. they raise from time to time;mostly when im stressed or the weather changes…. never really thought it was a big deal!
AAAAA i dont know why but my tat itches like CRAZY!!! its bugging me its been a little over a year i see alot of people have it but i mean dang it its bugging me!!! like a crazy lil fly
hiyas all..
i’ve had a tat of an eagle with a ship’s anchor in it’s beak for almost ten years.. a year ago i noticed the red ink was puffy and raised.. come to find out i had an allergic reaction to the red ink.. it happens for different reasons.. usually the weather or a change in the body’s chemistry.. so i had the red ink removed and it took a year to heal up. so now for the last 4 week’s i have had new ink put in but i am wondering, because the skin level where the red ink was removed is actually lower than the rest of the tat, will it eventually grow to it’s normal level?
Hi guys, I had this once but i used Bepanthen nappy cream and I never got it again. I think it must be a similar type of irritation to that of a baby’s nappy rash.
I have a lion tatt it never swells but the black tribal design behind it does,this is because were there is alot of coloring in or dark lines you get more scar tissue and like any scar it will bother you from time to time its realy nothing to worrie about..
I have 3 tattoos. One on each ankle/heel and one on my shoulder blade. The one on my shoulder blade is about 6X10 or so. I have had it since 1996. Was done very deep, is thick black outline and some coloring in that is turquiose.
Started last winter to itch, the lines raised so much you could see it through some of my shirts. It actually casts a shodow on itself. It itches awful, and at times when the swelling is at it’s worst, it feels like a terrible sunburn, and cannot stand to have it touched AT ALL. The skin all around the tat turns bright red and looks awful. Only the black ink raises. Sometimes lasts for several weeks, sometimes only a week or so. Sometimes it is raised, and doesn’t itch and sometimes it does. When it itches, it is almost unbearable.
I’ve had this since 1996 and had NO problems, and no problems with the other 2, which were done close to the same time. Went to the dermatologist and he had to do some research, had never seen it before. Said it was an allergic reaction to the ink (metal based) and likely caused by chemical changes in my body. (Well that sux, change BACK !)
Also, one of the nurses here said she had a patient once who right after an MRI, her tattoo looked just like this, she had a large tattoo on her stomach. So some ink’s do react to MRI.
Anyway- glad to hear I am not alone. The doc took pics of it so he could talk to his students about it at the university. Yea!
Wow)) thanks for posting your qs!
reading all the comments made me feel at peace since it’s true when I stress or get angry my tattoo raises ,,, thanks!!
I got 2 tatoos. one on my right wrist that itches like mad. It is black and gray, shaded word. The other tat I got was a re-do to clean up the tat I already had, and that one doesn’t itch at all, black and green – crazy. How can it be an allergic reaction to the ink if only one tatty bothers me?
My tats raise periodically( 1/2 sleeves). Not the whole tattoo raises just pieces. The raised parts are like lashes on tat, jelly fish lashes.
But on my other tat wich is only 3 out lines no fill in color, the lines all raise.
Can’t pin point why,, could be an alergy of some sort.
Yet another person who is so glad to hear this is normal. I mean if it happens to all of you it’s normal enough. It does seem to be heat or stress. I could probably put paint on it and make a stamp that looks just like my tat! It swells up raised perfect little flowers! My ink happens to be black – i wonder what the cause is?!
wow, glad to know Im not the only one with this problem. I had asked a doctor and she was clueless as to what I was talking about.
I have a full length red and purple tattooed corset piece on my left arm and sometimes my skin raises up in line marked welts that feel like a bee sting. My arm has had previous injuries to it, a pretty bad burn and some cuts which were years healed before I got the ink. I think the red ink has an effect on me big time, because all of the other colors I have don’t throw temper tantrums like my red ink…
I have a tattoo on my right shoulder FREE at that so , in some way I think I got what I deserved. But, the night I got it god it hurt so bad and I was bleeding like a stuff pig, this guy was so heavy handed it was crazy but, I have seen some comments saying I probaly have permenat scaring that really sucks!
Oh my God, I have three tatoos and the one on my left forearm is the only one that itches terribly and gets bumps only on half of the tattoo. Its enough to drive me crazy. Though its a relief to know that I am not the only one this happens to, I would really like to know how the hell to stop this and WHY it happens to begin with. Like I said, the tat is like over 1 year old and it just recently started doing this
I was just looking up something on tattoo designs and saw this. I get the raised and itchy tattoo thing so I just read all your comments. Now 1/2 my tattoo on my arm just started swelling and itching. Its not hot in here, I’m not freaked out. What the hell? And its weird how people have had their tattoos for 10 yrs and all of a sudden it starts happening. I think some professional should look into this! Don’t you guys?!?
Do you think vegan ink would prevent this? There is vegan tattoo ink out there.
Yeah, Why doesn’t a tattoo artist post on here about this…some one has to know why this happens. I am willing to bet it is sun exposure, stress or moist weather. That’s what seems to do it to me!
Only my blue ink raise and itches????
I’ve had my tatoo for about 2 1/2 months. It is a very small tatoo of a ladybug where my wrist and thumb joint meet. When I was being tatooed if felt like he was really digging extra hard into my skin. It healed, but you can’t really tell what it is. It looks wrinkly and the red parts are little raised bumps. It itches a lot. I just started using hydrocortisone cream, it helps a little with the iching, but its always raised. What happened? I have another tatoo with red ink on my shoulder and I’ve never had any problems from it. Was it the artist? Did he dig too deep? I think I’ll see a dermatologist and maybe a layer, depending on what the Dr. says. Thank goodness its small.
I have 15 tattoos the one on my right foot itches like crazy, some times it itches so much that I leave scratches on it and other times the itch goes away. I noticed that when im going thru stress or body changes it gets really itchy and then it goes away. So its common
-LOL!!!!!I have a couple of tattoos—one on my upper arm has been raising (swelling)-the whole tattoo–it gets worse when I drink Merlot-hehehe!I believe it is because it is very deep—the ink is black and I have had this since I got it about 16years ago—glad to finally solve this mystery—I am in very good health, so I am not worried about anything-just a reaction from scar tissue;)…
Got my tat 2 years ago and only the black outline does this, today it is swelled and itches some ,I took a Zyrtec I have allergies anyway …And it’s raining outside…so some said moist and or dry air..and now I am thinking more into this.I have many other tats for years also ..this 2 year old one swells more than the others, But I have one like 12 years old and it swells at least once a year..weird, but I don’t think it’s uncommon.
Every year at the end of summer, the Dragon Tattoo on my Left Arm raises and itches (worse than when I got the tattoo) but only where the tattoo is. I have had this tattoo since 2000 (9+ years) and it just started doing this to me about 4 years ago. I have had Doctors and Dermatologists look at it and they have all tried many things only to come up with “Allergies”.
All 8 of my other tattoos (R Arm, Stomach, Chest, Back, R Calf, Forearms, etc) are unaffected.
As far as the tattoo rising, its possible that you could be alergic to a certain color of ink as I was.I have a USMC tattoo that had a good bit of red that “rose” up .I went back to the artist that done the work and he said that I was allergic to the red ink and that it would eventually go away and it did once the red faded out .Hope that might have answered some of your questions
I recently started on my full sleeve and have sat for two sessions so far. The first session, I got most of the outline done on my forearm. For the second session, the artist finished the outline on forearm as well as outlined my full inner arm. I completed the second session a little over a month ago and it seemed as if everything had healed up nice until a few days ago when only the outline done in the second session started to swell around the outline and itch like mad. Both outlines were done within a a month and a half of each other so it doesn’t make sense to me that, only the second half would have a reaction???????????? If my body chemistry has changed or if if some other factor, such as heat (sun), were the culprit, then why would it only affect part of my arm?
Mine started on my arm and only in the light colored parts of the tatoo bumps that started as little bite looking spots ,then grew to the size of a pea and solid, then spread to the rest of my peice, and to my other tatoos. This is day 4 and its spred mildly to close areas around my tatoos. I have been extreamly stressed and a little cold so this could b the cause. This is the first time this has ever happend to me and I have had tatoo for 8 yrs, but the last two were only 2 wks apart and one month ago….Sooo glad im not alone ….ugggg needs to go away
I have had this one Tat for about 3 years and all of a sudden this summer the RED part {its mostly RED} will raise, itch and bumpy. It is making me crazy. It only does it on the red, and its the only Tat I have that has red in it. Its on my calf so maybe its from the sun {wearing shorts} Its just so weird. I wish I could find something to put on it to make the itch stop. It doesn’t look weird I am the only one that knows its like this.
I have two full sleeves and have had tattoos for over 10 years. Mine raise and get itchy maybe every other 2 days for like an hour or so. Honestly what do we expect we let somebody dig at or skin with a couple needles and pack the wound with color. Seems like it would be not normal for the skin to just blow it off as nothing and never have any reaction.
Ya i have the same problem with one on my inner calf that I did myself and on another that i touched up and only the spots i touched up and the one tat that i did raise up n itch every now and then. i just ice it. This also happenned to one of my friends tats that i did not do. They do it when its hot out too. My theory is that the ink had mercury in it. Its only certain ink that did it to me. It was “vivid” ink.
i just got a new tattoo on my ankle its in black and its a name so no colour and ive had it coming up 3 months and it itches all the time no matter how much i itch it dont stop i have one on my lower back tht i got 5 years ago n thts fine plz if somone knows wots up plz let me know as it not gd itching all the time thanks cheryl
My first tattoo is 5 months old now and it seems every time i exfoliate it gets super itchy… i dont understand.
Written by a dermatologist, scroll some way down:
http://www.dermadoctor.com/article_The-Science-Of-Tattoos_113.html
i have had my tattoo around my ankle for 10 years now. its roses and vines around the ankle, the roses are a purple color and are swollen and itch like crazy!i think its is raised because its scar tissue but i dont know why it itches. ten years and it still itches and looks like crap!!
i have a star tattoo on my forearm at my tattoos is 4 months old and it itches and it gets bumps..its been like this for a week
I have over 20 tattoos and never had a problem out of mine except one little burgandy star on my wrist which is part of another tat. It swells up and itches and stays that way for a couple weeks. My artist who has over 100 tats says that his do that from time to time too and thats its from changes in the body,
I just got a half sleeve about a month ago. Its only the black ink that swells and its basically the weather change from hot-cold.when your skin swells it stretches. That stretching causes an itch. This has happend to many other of my tattoos before. Mostly my lower back, wrists and arms. Hips, and upper back never had this problem. Its more where you have more meat vs skin to muscle contact. If it doesn’t go away in a week, start thinking as if its a rash and treat it or see if you have an allergy to something. If it was the ink, your body would have reacted before it even healed.hope this helps.
I’ve had mine for about 5 years and just recently started experiencing the same things as everyone else. It itches really bad and is raised. This one is on my left arm and in all black ink. I have several others that do not do this. Who knows???
I have 2 rather large back pieces an a tattoo on my neck an the one on the top of my back has alot of color and detail an it itches an swells real bad compared to the other 2 that r black and grey… I wonder if its jus the different pigments in the colors that cause our bodies 2 react in that way… Very irritating but WILL NOT cause me 2 stop decorating my body…
Finally an answer. Mine is lower back and five years old. It is itchy, raised and sore to touch but I can live with it know I know it’s not serious. I will let my doctor know, she had no idea what caused it but wasn’t worried. She picked up on a life threatening problem and I wouldn’t be here if not for her, so I always trust her.
Ha I started to freak outt ! I got a scripture on my upper stomachs and the left half itches constantly and is raised. I got it about 4 months agao in septemeber an it is Now December. Will it do this everytime the seasons change ?
I have 6 very larg tattoos all done by the same person my husband. He uses has used the same brand on all of the and only one puffs and itches. The rest never do and most use the same colors. He has also said ir has to do with the pigments. But I have noticed that it happens when I am hot or the skin is hot like after I take a shower or if I sweat.
What I’ve been told the reason the tattoo actually raises is that the tattoo artists press harder while tattooing then they should actually be pressing. This & alergic reaction to ink.