wierd skin rash in tattoo

[tatrobyrd]

for about 6 months now i have had this itchy spot on my upper right arm within my tattoo. once i start scratching it gets worse and i have to stop myself or else ill bleed.once i started scratching the first spot it has now turned into 5. there is one now that is not on the tattoo. i have had this tattoo for over 7 years without a problem. its seems to itch once or twice a day and doesnt go away even if i cover it with creams and bandaids. ive researched it but cant seem to figure out what it is and now im worried becouse it seems to be spreading but only on the skin in and around my tattoo. these spots look like if you had a mosquito bite that you never stopped scratching. my skin around it seems to feel a little thicker and kind of numb. they are flat and not bumpy. anyone have anything like this or any idea about it. im stumped

[ILLNANA]

well although rare it is possible to become "allergic" to the ink....Most commonally with RED pigments. It could also be your skin is trying to reject the impurities of the ink. However if you are experiecning a reaction to the ink, it can last a long long time.

It is common for people to experience they're tattoos become raised, and bumpy, it usually only last a few minutes to an hour, and that is the fact that the scar tissue of the tattoo is "inflamed" (any scar will tend to do that) which usually happens if youve been in the sun for too long, or in hot shower.

Also your skin maybe reacting to what your putting on it, most of the time if your tattoo does break out in itchy bumps its usually the lotions/creams your using, when you do have an outbreak any tattoo artist will tell you to stop using all ointments/lotion, and let the tattoo "dry out" and do its thing.

My best advice would be to see a dermatologist and make sure its something that is not serious, or even unlrealted to the tattoo....

good luck

[tatrobyrd]

thanks for the reply. i wasnt putting anything on it but i tried bag balm and a few other creams. i have been putting neosporin on it and it seems to help. i still have the 5 spots but they dont itch as much and they arent such big "holes" like they used to be.

[Ottis556]

I have the same problem and have for some time.  I have a large tattoo on my leg with a red flower in the middle of it.  There are many different colors in this tattoo but only that red is giving me the problem.   I've had this tattoo for years without any problems and now that one flower is pretty much ruined.  I started out using neosporin and that did not work.  My doctor then had me try Lotrimen cream.  That seemed to help with the iching for a few days but it always comes back.  I'm going to have him send me to a dematoligist.  Do you have any new information since you posted this?  

[friendlyface2]

This itching may be a form of skin fungus which does itch a lot and is hard to get rid of,  I suggest you try tea tree oil, use a cotton ball to apply the oil.  There may be a burning sensation but it will subside.

[Ottis556]

Thanks.......I'll give it a try.

[Matty360]

I have this exact same problem. I first noticed it approx 6 months ago and it has slowly gotten worse and spread over that time. Everything mentioned in this thread matches my symptoms perfectly athough i have not been able to find any information personally.
  Both of my legs and arms are sleeved and I have never had a problem with any of my tattoos. I have'nt had any work done in several years and this particular Tattoo with the symptoms is probably 6 years old. It has never itched or looked like a problem before. It healed normally when I got it.
The infected Tattoo is  basically all of the light blue on my entire right sleeve. It started out as a few small bumps that itched like crazy. I dont us lotion or anything like that but thought it may possibly be the soap I was using so I switched brands.That is obviously not the case.
  I know that I need to see a dermatologist but I do not have an insurance that will cover that. If I had some type of idea of what it was and how serious then I could better decide whether I should go to one anyway or just learn to deal with it. Either way.....Not knowing what is going on is the most frustrating part. I have asked several artists who all same the same thing "The lotion you are using is causing it...Stop and let the tattoo dry out" Thats a load of BS. First of all, if ive had the tattoo for 6 years ive had pretty much everything on the tattoo that could possibly be on a human body. Every temprature, condition, lotion, weather. Why all of the sudden and why in just one particular color done in one particular session.......6 years ago!!!!!"
  I'm sorry i do not have more information to add to the thread. My point in posting was basically to tell you guys that you are not alone and hopefully we can all get some helpful answers.

[Ottis556]

I tried the tea tree oil and it did stop the itching for me.  It's not the greatest smelling stuff but it was cheap and stopped the itching.  If you get more information please post it here.

[jizzo741]

the rash that i am getting started only in the red of my tattoo. The more i scratched it the more it spread. its little blister like bumps and itches like crazy. I have had this tattoo for about three years without a problem and my other tattoos with the same color in them don't do this.

[Whodisis]

i got a swallow tat and 2 days later i had a few bumps that itched and it jus keeps geting bigger the tat has pink ,dark pink ,blue and green the artist who did it said it was the A & D clogging my pores but i stoped using it and its getting worse

[shane724]

I got a tattoo done on my whole back in black ink a year ago. Two weeks later I was going to sleep and i thought i felt what seemed to be some kind of bugs crawling around in my back, they were itching the hell out of me, and ever since then I know have these itchey red bumps and a couple of little blister like bumps. It has also changed the skin on my face a little as well. It isa not as bad as it sounds but it is uncomfortable at times and I was just wondering if anybody had sucess in getting rid of there syptons or had what im talking about and got rid of that also. Ive been to three dermatologist and two said it was falleculitious and they're medicines did not work. The other gave me cortizone cream that did not work either. I also had one of them write me a perscription for mites because of the bugs i thought i was feeling in my skin and that did not work either. Im gonna try the tea tree oil. Any help is appreciated, Thanks.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

The symptoms began a year after the tattoo was done. An allergic reaction may still be a differential here. However this is not very likely now, as the symptoms appear to be far delayed. This sensation of crawling bugs on your back may be nerve related. These blisters may be herpetic skin lesions. This is the differential I can readily think of given the symptoms and presentation.

Have you had chicken pox before?

[briggsk1]

I am expeirencing the same thing. I am glad I'm not alone but I'm sorry others have to endure this pain in the butt. Same thing, I've had tattoos for year and all of a sudden, I got the itchy little bumps. I went to the dermatologist. He seemed more interested in the the 40 year old girls that were getting Botox injections. Whatever... Anyways, he prescribed me some Dermatop cream. It's a steriod base cream. It helps a little but I still deal with it damn near hourly. OTC Max strenght Hyrdocordisone cream seems to be just as effective. PLEASE!!!! Anyone whom finds success with a product, PLEASE LET US KNOW!!!

[nicki_cph]

I just got this tat last week on my leg. I had an allergic reaction to the yellow colour, so I went 2 the doctors and got sum antibiotics..everything was fine for a few days, my leg was healing and it wasn't swollen anymore.. BUT 2day I got this awful red rash around the tattoo.. and it itches like crazy. and when i itch around the tattoo i get these bumps,.... is this normal or should i go to the doctors again?

[srslydoihaveto]

Same thing happened to me with a big color tattoo.. I started seeing some blisters in it and a rash forming around the outside of it. Saw a doc, got on antibiotics. By the 6th day the rash was super bad, and I started breaking out in hives all over my body. Went back to the doc who said "maybe you're allergic to the antibiotics." So they gave me another round of a different kind of antibiotics, eventually the rash went away. I got the same tattoo touched up a few months later and broke into the same awful rash around the tattoo by the time the tattoo itself was pretty much healed. This time I saw a dermatologist who  said "I have no idea what's causing this but let's just treat the symptoms" and had me buy a $60 tube of steroid ointment to put on it. Eventually the rash went away. All in all I spent nearly $400 on doctors and meds and zero out of three medical professionals have any clue what caused the rash or how to prevent it. Good luck everyone

[dreberry]

everyone seems to be really interested in stopping the itching and not getting rid of the rash, has anyone rash completely cleared up? i've got the same thing on mine half of it has dried and is flaky the other is still spreading, its come up pretty quickly over the last week and a half.
i've had the tatt for 7months now, and like most of you i've been getting tatts for several years which are not affected at all.
i'm seeing a dermatologist on monday, so ill let u guys know what is suggested to me.
nice to know im not alone :)

[fuzzyblue]

I have had my tattoo on my leg for years. now all of a sudden I have the itchy, raised bumps within the tattoo. I have all colors in mine. It is weird because it is following my tattoo around the leg and not on my regular skin. So that tells me its the ink and I am having a allegric reaction or the ink is bad for us.  It feels like I am turning into a reptile!  I have been putting rubbing alcohol that's 97%. It seems to stop the itching for awhile.

[08mhayes]

I have the same sort of rash as you guys seem too. Just as some of you have mentioned it seems to appear only where there is ink in the skin. It seems to be slowly spreading and I want to at least stop it or hopefully clear it up. Anyone who knows of a definite diagnosis or treatment PLEASE help me!

[dreberry]

sorry guys i completely forgot to inform you what happened at my appointment, 3 dermatologists from the same clinic advised me that the rash was not serious an that due to the fact i am tattooed all over my body it can not be due an allergy.

i can't remember the exact term it was a lychin or lykin based disease, he gave me a cream which worked in a week the bumps where gone , i have to continue use till my next appointment.

give me a day and ill get the name of the cream for you guys it is prescription medicine so see what you can do

[bluestar1952]

i got that same problem , i've got 3 tat's and about a month ago we , got a kit from ebay, the ink came with it , so my husband , which has done lots of tat's , put a flower on my leg. 2 days later , i started iching. then got res spots and very dry skin, flacking and all the good stuff , then i got bumps ,little red ones , some of the color had even faded,i wash it real good and add a little a&d , but after reading this i think i'll just wash it and let it go , too see what happens , i think it's in the ink and so does my husband , they say sometimes ink is cut with mouth wash , even befor you get it , so iam thinking that is couseing the problem., we got new ink now all made out of organte , nothing added . we are going to do a small tat and see if i have any problem with the new ink .. i'll keep you posted... ***@**** PA

[MeneBag]

I have read the thread but I hope someone can help me. I got my first tattoo Sept 19. Yesterday I woke with pink rash (not itchy or painful) all around the tattoo (the tatt is fine just still sore). I was using Lubriderm unscented & the artist told me to use Neosporin cream. It has only been about 14 hours now so I guess it takes time. Looks like the bumps have stopped spreading but it turned a brighter red. Should I go to the dermotologist? Or my regular Doc? I feel really ingnorant that I didn't think or read about the possible side effects of tattoos :-(

[mixwill]

I've had this darn thing on me for going on 25 years and just noticed the bumps without itching. It does not have color except dark blue.  I suspect it is a form of  "lichen planus". I just rubbed liquid vit.  E into it Its has only been about a week that I noticed the "bumps" Bag balm seemed not have any effect.  I'll stay tuned to the site .  I'm going bath it with "Chlorhexidine Gluconate(12%) that I got from the dentist for suspected oral lichen planus. I have HepC and the usual array of related symptoms (migaines, sore joints and the like) Just when everthin' seemed to be going good this has to fall on you.  Not to make light of the condition or any other.  I just want there to continue to be hope in this world. Mixwill

[JessBoz]

i am so relieved to hear im not the only one this has happened to.
Ive had this tattoo for almost a year now and never had a problem with it..and all of a sudden only in the purple of my tattoo it will get puffy and itch..and when i start to itch it spreads and feels all tingly. IT FREAKS ME OUT! So.. this is prob. just a allergic reaction to the ink ..that will eventually go away or no?

[Spookyuberette]

I am currently dealing with the exact same thing you are all talking about, and I have been researching it as much as I can.

Here is something I found that may help you all:

Lichen Amyloidosis

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1123423-overview

It seems like what we all have.  I could be wrong, and I know only a dermatologist can correctly diagnose us, but I, along with many on here it seems, do not have insurance.  I will keep watching this community in case someone has more insight, and I will update if I do go to the doctor for treatment...

[raven1972]

I have had the same problem for the past 2-3 weeks on my tattoo. I have had this tattoo for 10 years with no problem till now. In my case I did the tattoo myself and I know the needles were clean and the ink wasn't cut. It is only on the black ink in my case.

has anyone here figured out yet what the cause or cure if any. I itch like crazy and stated off with a few small bumps and now have 30-40 little ones in a cluster.

Need more info and help please, anyone!

[babyfish]

I also have this problem.  I have a half sleeve and the rest of my arm is fine except for one part on the top.  It is extremely itchy and bumpy.  I always use rosebud salve on my lips and realized its pretty much a multipurpose skin moisturizer to so I figured why not slap some on my arm.  I did that about two weeks ago and it provides immediate itch relief and I have noticed my bumps start to shrink and basically just become dry skin.. hope this helps...

you can find this stuff at sephora(6 dollars) or bath and body works(5 dollars). its in with the lip care stuff. i suggest the kind from  sephora because it is thicker and works better.
http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P42204&categoryId=B70