Hi ladies and gents,
First off just want to say hi to you all as I’ve just joined this forum and this is my first post!
I am hoping that someone out there will be able to help me with some aftercare advice as I have reached the stage of desperation and frustration!!
7 weeks ago now whilst on holiday with my wife in Thailand I had my first tattoo, a bamboo tattoo to be precise. I’m sure most of you know that bamboo tattoos are primarily native to Thailand and originated there and are known for there fast healing process and lack of scabbing.My wife had her first bamboo tattoo (she has other electric tats) on the same trip in Phi-Phi and she has had no problems what so-ever and all healed and looking great!
Myself on the other hand is having a nightmare with mine!!! 7 weeks since having mine done it is still atempting to heal in the sense it is constantly scabbing, when I say scabbing it’s more like pealing/dry skin like when you get sunburnt. Aswell as the pealing there are red blotches under the skin dotted around the tattoo, mainly behind the shading. These are tender to the touch and can get quite sore. I best point out I had my late mothers name tattooed in Thai script down my left bottom leg/shin, about 5 inches long.
The tattoo was done under sterilised conditions and I followed the aftercare advice given to me afterwards, i.e. apply vaseline for 5-6days afterwards in particular before showering or taking a bath. I also kept the tattoo covered out of direct sun-light as instructed. All seemed fine until I returned to the UK.
As described ever since coming home I have had these blotches in different spots behind the tattoo, changing position as and when and the peeling skin. Three weeks ago I went to my GP and he prescribed me with some TIMODINE – Hydrocortisone cream. I applied this as instructed for 2 weeks and not the slightest improvement!!! Then a few days ago I went back to my GP, saw a different doctor and she said I should simply get a good moisturiser and advised me to get some Aqueous cream which can be purchased form a pharmacy counter without prescription. After 2 days, no change!!!!
I am at my wits end now as really dont know where to turn now?? I shall return to my GP for the 3rd time in a week to see what they suggest, perhaps antibiotics, who knows??
If any of you have any tips or advice you can give me I will be so greatfull as this whole business has taken the happiness away that I felt when I first had this tattoo done! Soppy I know but being a memorial tattoo this means a lot to me.
Thank you and kind regards
Phil;)
Hi
First of all you need to make sure that the tattoo is kept clean and I mean clean. It needs washing at least 3x a day and patting dry.
It sounds like you may have an infection which antibiotics will help with.
Or it could be a rejection of the pigment used – this is more serious and you will need to keep a major eye on it.
Also have you any bamboo splinters that have broken off into the skin? There are 2 types of bamboo tatts those that have metal pins and those that are sharpened bamboo.
Sharpened bamboo can shed/split very easily and possibly become lodged into the skin as small fragments. This can cause major irritation.
Meanwhile I would suggest ibruprofen for the sweeling clean it and aqueas will be fine to keep the skin moist. Just enough to cover the surface.
Take Care
Matthew
Hi Matt,
Thank you very much for your reply and advice, much appreciated;)
I have decided to stop using any creams on the tattoo other than Aqueous to moisturise for the time being and to simply wash in clean soapy water 3 times a day as you have advised. I shall see how I get on with that and if still no improvement I shall return once again to the docs and no doubt get some antibiotics.
The bamboo tattoo was the needle kind not the raw sharpened bamboo. If it is rejecting the pigmant what happens then?
Thanks again and I’ll keep you posted as to the outcome, fingers crossed will see itself right before long!
Cheers
Phil:)
If you are having an allergic/rejection reaction, it may cause you problems for a very long time indeed. Your skin is trying to push out the ink. Red is one of the most common colors for rejection but being Thailand, there is no telling WHAT is in the pigment as colorant. Soap and water, keep it clean, and take your meds. The rest is up to your body.
Hi Phil
My advice is get some antibiotics and see how you go from there.
If there is pigment rejection there is not much to be done about it unless you want tattoo removal.
If it was highly toxic they would surgically remove the tattoo but this such a rare thing I would not worry about it. Your arm would have been dropping off to require this.
Usually if you get some rejection the tattoo will keep shedding as it is trying to force the pigment out at an excessive rate this will go on and on but the risk is that infection can set in as the wound is not healing.
If you get the anti-biotics it should clear up any infection and allow the tattoo to settle – once the scar tissue is formed it should stop being irritated.
Take Care
Matthew
Hi Matt, Cheers for the advice once again.
Well the update is as follows: Stopped using the hydrochloride cream as wasnt doing anything, got some Aqueus cream as advised from doctor and that wasnt making any difference either apart from temporarily keeping the skin supple. So have stopped putting creams on and just been keeping it clean. I have to say it seems to improved a little, as my wife pointed out only yesterday! However, it’s still peeling and there are still some red blotches under the skin. So, I went to the docs again this morning for the 3rd time and once again I felt like I got nowhere!!!!!!!
I asked if I could have some antibiotics now as all other suggestions of creams have failed. To this the doc didnt feel that antibiotics would help!!!! Instead he suggested the red blotches may be Keloid scars!!!!! I know what these are and they are nothing like the red blotches I have!!! He then said that worse case scenario I will have to have the whole tattoo cut out!!!!! Basically he just said to leave it and see what happens…..cheers doc….you’ve been most helpful!!!!
So the waiting game continues and I guess that’s all the choice I have at this stage! I’m going to try and upload a photo on here once I suss out how to do it, maybe this will generate some more advice from you guys? In fact, how do you upload a photo to a thread?
Cheers
Phil;)
Easiest way to get photos uploaded – goto http://www.photobucket.com – signup and register… upload the shots from your pc then copy the links (you want the IMG ones)
done!
as for the tattoo – if the doctor doesn’t think its infected then antibiotics arent going to help… (on the other hand if it is infected and you dont take them, well you’ll eventually go septic and die… but thats months away yet)
cant wait to see the pics… sounds like it has turned a corner tho…
Hi Matt, Cheers for the advice once again.
Well the update is as follows: Stopped using the hydrochloride cream as wasnt doing anything, got some Aqueus cream as advised from doctor and that wasnt making any difference either apart from temporarily keeping the skin supple. So have stopped putting creams on and just been keeping it clean. I have to say it seems to improved a little, as my wife pointed out only yesterday! However, it’s still peeling and there are still some red blotches under the skin. So, I went to the docs again this morning for the 3rd time and once again I felt like I got nowhere!!!!!!!
I asked if I could have some antibiotics now as all other suggestions of creams have failed. To this the doc didnt feel that antibiotics would help!!!! Instead he suggested the red blotches may be Keloid scars!!!!! I know what these are and they are nothing like the red blotches I have!!! He then said that worse case scenario I will have to have the whole tattoo cut out!!!!! Basically he just said to leave it and see what happens…..cheers doc….you’ve been most helpful!!!!
So the waiting game continues and I guess that’s all the choice I have at this stage! I’m going to try and upload a photo on here once I suss out how to do it, maybe this will generate some more advice from you guys? In fact, how do you upload a photo to a thread?
Cheers
Phil;)
Aye Carumba.
Cool design…pity this thing has brought you so much torment.
Is this a recent picture?
What strikes me as odd is I can clearly see peeling skin. This piece should be far past that stage…
I’ve no idea, but I’m no expert.
You’ll have to wait for Mathew to post.
He is the local god of tattoo lore and knowledge.
Your tat looks like mine did when it got infected, my own fault i might add. Went mucking out horses the day after my tat was done, never covered it up properly………took quite a few weeks for the infection to clear but all is well now. I would certainly take Matthews advice, not much he doesn’t know about tattoos and the taking care of.
Kind regards – Karen
Hi Jubakuba, cheers for the reply. Yep this is a recent pic and yep the tat is peeling on a daily basis! I jsut hope the doc was right and I dont need antibiotics cos personally I believe antibiotics would do the trick but hey I’m no Doctor so who am I to say what’s what!! It’s just a waiting game but is getting to me nowas it’s been almost 2 months since I had the tattoo done!:(
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