So I think I may be having an allergic reaction to my new tattoo. I remember having issues with the first one but not quite like this. It started with a couple bumps around it, and now its a ton of bumps both around it and within the tattoo. It looks like a breakout...which i guess it possible since this damn bc pill is making me breakout on my chest and back thats a whole different RANT lol...but this tattoo is on my ribs and nowhere on my other side or stomach or anything has a pimple so im really hesitant to call this a breakout. I'm really busy with school and work so getting in to see my doc is difficult. The tattoo place is in another city so I emailed them a picture to hopefully get some answers.

Any suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks!


This is what it started out as:

Within a day it became this:

Oh yeah, I personally would call that an allergic reaction. I've heard sometimes people can be allergic to certain colours? Mostly red's. Maybe it could have been the pink ink, or the type of ink the artist used. That's just my opinion though. Good luck! and cute tat

Maybe you are reacting to:
1) the solution the tattoo artist used to clean the area.
2) polysporin or something you are using to treat the area

I can't remember, can you wash it yet? If so, I would just use a gentle cleanser once to take off whatever the tattoo artist used, and then just wash with water until the spots go away.

~CGH~

It's the red ink. Something in red pigments causes irritation to just about everyone's delicate skin areas, and especially when it's injected under the skin. That's why they don't make red eyeliner. Your artist should have briefed you about that before they even started working on it so you would know what to expect.

I don't have any tat's, but DH has about 12 now -- 8 of which i've sat in on -- and I remember his artist Angie specifically warning him about the red pigments giving most people a mild allergic reaction when he was getting the huge one on his side that had a ton of bright red.

It will go away in a few days. Just make sure you clean it well, and Benadryl topical gel is fine to put on it if it starts to itch. It won't affect your tattoo at all.

I am SO glad you posted this! DB wants to get a huge red and black tattoo and it's great info to have ahead of time - but I also hope you feel better soon!!

it might be ink irritation, but as someone else said, it could also be that you are sensitive to something in the shop that the artist was using. you said this also happened with your other tattoo which would suggest (if the other tattoos isn't pink or red) that it's shop-related. latex? green soap? there are a plethora of things it could be. wash it gently (GENTLY) with mild soap and put a thin layer of Aquaphor (made by Eucerin) on it.

and let us know what the artist says when they get back to you!

i too think its just the red ink i have a red ankh on my back that did soemthing like that. and whenever i get hives from anything else they crawl all over it ugh

hmmmm i have hot pink in both of my tattoos and i never had that. so i guess it's an individual thing.

ouch looks painful! does it itch? if so I'd take benydryl- it looks like an allergic reaction to it... as the other lady's pointed i guess there is something in red ink...

i never had anything like that but for some reason mine did flare up about 4 years after it was done the whole thing was raised and swollen and very hot exactly as it feels in the days after its done.

then after few days of being uncomfortable it just went i woke up and it was gone most strange. apparently it happens

I have a red and black tattoo. I got nothing like that, and I have the most sensitive skin in the world!

~CGH~

That Cortizone cream stuff worked well alleviating itch when my tattoo had a reaction to being near a cat when it was healing. But if it's from the ink, it may not help. I would try it though because itching will make it worse.

It will heal as your skin becomes adjusted to it.

first of, that is a stunning tattoo! My dad is allergic to red ink from tattoos, as he got a pin up girl on his arm, and the red lips, plumped up and became raised on the location. while yours looks like a little rash, it could be the cream used. go talk to your tattoo artist.

Thanks everybody, my tattoo artist never responded...great, huh? But i have been doing benadryl gel and it has been getting a lot better. Thanks again!

Not cool, on the artists behalf.
Yeah, I have a huge CANADIAN flag tattoo'd on me, which is mostly RED, and didn't have a reaction at all.
Everyone is different. Being allergic to red ink is actually common. It'll heal soon and your going to be left with one hot tattoo