I got my second tattoo twenty days ago and I’m freaking out a little bit.
I followed all of the directions given to me by the tattoo studio and things were going really well. Then, a week ago I started noticing my tattoo itched like I’d been eaten alive by mosquitos and the ink was more raised and puffy than it’d been before. I’d read about terrible itching so I didn’t think much of it. On Thursday I noticed some redness around some of the linework while the lines continued to be raised and puffy. I contacted my studio (one of the most reputable in the city) and they recommended Fucidin, an ointment that is prescription only (which I didn’t know until I got to the pharmacy). I immediately went to my doctor and he prescribed Fucidin-H which also includes anti-itching properties. I followed the instructions of both the doctor and the pharmacist and while the redness is mostly gone, the itching remains. It’s not as bad as before, but still quite intolerable. I also have some general pain in the area, not unlike how I felt when I first left the studio. I’m actually surprised I still have that level of discomfort this many days on.
I’m really hoping y’all will tell me I’m being overly dramatic and everything is fine, but the itching and pain has me feeling off about the whole thing. I’m wondering if I should go back to the doc for a full course of antibiotics.
I learned quickly that a key is to use just a little of whatever you are putting on it. It looks to me like you have some scabbing and some small bumps under the skin in places – you may be having a mild allergic reaction to the ink. That would account for the itching. Did you try taking Benadryl? It is non-prescription and might knock the itch out. In any case – go easy on the ointment. A little goes a long way.
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