Tattoos are getting more acceptance, and infected tattoos are more common nowadays. Thanks to this and some unethical parlours, the chance of getting an infection is easier than ever. That’s why here we will tell you how to spot any signs of an infection and how to treat it on time. However, if you have any sign of an infection, you must go straight to your dermatologist.
Tattoos are very sensitive to your environment; that’s why it is so important to follow the caring process your tattoo artist suggests you take. In addition, everything that surrounds you- from air to clothes can carry any infecting agents. That’s why here we will tell you how you tell if you have any infected tattoos.
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How to know if you have any infected tattoos
Sometimes the symptoms of an infected tattoo might not be as evident as other infections. It can be as confusing as red skin and itching, which are normal healing symptoms. Some not-normal-looking symptoms might come when the infection is already at an advanced stage, like switches in your body temperature, like sudden sweats and shivers or fever.
If you experience regular sickness symptoms without being sick, that’s your first red flag. Now there are other more obvious symptoms, such as pus coming out of your tattooed skin area, red lesions, hardened skin with raised tissue, or tattoo swelling. If you have any of those symptoms, keep on reading to know how to treat them.
It’s important to know that when you have an infection, the colours on your skin will fade as the pigment is not retained by the skin. The longer it takes to recognize the infection, the more touch-ups you might need to do after it’s correctly healed. This is necessary to get the tattoo back to its former glory.
How to treat infected tattoos
Suppose your symptoms are minor, like small bumps or rashes. In that case, you can safely treat them at home with some antibacterial ointment and proper cleaning. Now, if your symptoms are bigger, they might be caused by specific infections. In which case, you’ll need a doctor’s examination to know the exact treatment you need.
Your doctor may take a swab of the area or lance a pus pocket to see what bacteria or virus is causing the infection to treat you properly. If you have a pus pocket, we can’t stress enough that you should not treat it yourself since it might worsen the infection. The treatment will always depend on what is causing the infection.
In most cases, your doctor can prescribe an antibiotic to help stop the infection. In severe cases, treatments may last for weeks or months. Suppose your infection was caused by staphylococcus bacteria. In that case, antibiotics may not do much for you since they can also cause an abscess, which your doctor will treat directly.
In nasty cases, surgery can be needed; due to your skin reaching a dead point. Your doctor might choose to make surgery to get rid of it, but this won’t cause any long-lasting health problem. Although very rare, there’s a chance to catch some disease like hepatitis or HIV from an already used needle, requiring long treatment.
Why is it important to cure infected tattoos?
As we said before, there are some infections to which you can be chill about, but some are delicate and must be treated in the long term. Of course, any infection must be taken care of because mistreatment can get from simple to dangerous. Still, delicates ones can even put your life in danger. That’s why we will give you some advice to avoid any kind of infection.
Any infected tattoos can become a lot of trouble, not only aesthetically but also chemically. A wrongly treated infection can reach your bloodstream and become a huge risk for your daily life and, even worse, to your long time health, and things can go as bad as losing part of your skin. However, most problems are treatable and show off in the early stages.
How to avoid infections
There are many easy basic ways to stay away from the doctor, and on the tattoos field, we must do to avoid infected tattoos. The first one is to always go to a well-known tattoo artist. Unfortunately, with the increase in tattoos fame and acceptance, unprofessional people do this for a meagre price tag.
We shouldn’t always judge a book by its cover. Still, when it is about a needle entering your body, the look of the tattoo shop is indeed critical. If when you come in, the first thing you see is low lights and a dusty environment, run. We’re not trying to make you paranoid, but the air and what may be in it is determinating when it comes to having an infection.
You should also be aware of the small details. We’re not talking about decorations, but your tattoo artist image and overall cleanliness with the machinery. A good professional will always unpack a new needle in front of you and disinfect all the area they’ll be using. So if that’s not what they’re doing, maybe have your appointment somewhere else.
Lastly, your tattoo artist should always ask you if you’re allergic to any ink or to any ingredients of the ink. This one is more personal, but some allergies can also be life-threatening. With that in mind, make sure you always ask your tattoo artist what they’ll be using and make sure your body will be okay with that; after all, it’ll be in your skin forever.
Why you should pay a lot of mind before choosing to get a tattoo
Not only because they last forever, but you should also care a lot because tattoos are a huge part of who you are. Anything that anybody can see and something you can repent from doing if you don’t give it importance. Not thinking long enough about what you want can personally backlash you.
Not giving much care to the place you’re getting it — both in your body and the shop you choose can be significant and dangerous as well. On the one hand, our skin is different in the different parts of our bodies. On the other hand, the tattoo shop you choose plays an important role in the final results. Both the proficiency and professionalism of your artist and the security of everything going well can be a safe choice if you choose your shop wisely.
These days we have a lot of tools to know when a place is legitimate or not. Try googling it first, see if it has good comments from past customers. Look at both the artist and the shop’s profiles and look at other shops, to have wide options. If you don’t catch any good reviews- or any review at all, maybe try somewhere else.
Good tattoo aftercare to avoid infected tattoos
Usually, your tattoo artist will tell you some advice on what steps to take on your aftercare. These tips might be specific for your current weather, your type of skin, or the technique you chose to have. But, of course, you should always follow what your tattoo artist advises you to. The key to avoiding infections is good aftercare, and we have all of our best tips for you.
Keep it safe
Always make sure not to hurt your tattooed area since you can both ruin your tattoo lines and allow an infection to enter your skin. If it happens, make sure your skin is protected, some treatments may need you to damage your tattoo, but you can always get a retouch.
Moisturize the area
You can also keep your tattooed skin moisturized with some odour-free agent, like Vaseline, to create a shield between the exterior and the outside world. This is wrapping paperwork, but you can’t have your tattoo wrapped always, and it’s important to still have that shield until your tattoo is fully healed.
Don’t let the sun touch it
Avoid sunlight as much as you can. The first week of healing is crucial, and sunlight can cause the ink to lose its colour and make your skin over-sensitive. Both things can be an opener for mild infections.
Don’t cover your tattooed area with any piece of clothing. There’s a lot of reasons for this. First, you have friction that might damage your tattoo as well as cause bruises to your skin. Then there’s the humidity problem. If you live in a warm area, you might find yourself sweating a little bit, and humidity is one of the tattoos’ worst enemies.
Avoid scent soaps
Don’t use any scented soaps, creams, or moisturizers on your tattoed skin. The chemicals that are present in artificial scents might be dangerous for your healing skin. So, either for allergic danger or infection danger, we advise you to avoid using this kind of article in your exposed skin while healing.
As we said before, any infection is better treated by a professional. If you have any symptoms of infections, we advise you to go to your dermatologist and get proper professional care of your skin and your tattoo. After all, it will be forever in your hair; you must want only good memories instead of infected tattoos ones.
