I just got a small tattoo yesterday and later that night I had serious head congestion, almost like an instant sinus infection. I had never heard of this myth until I went to work and my boss stated that it could be my body rejecting the ink... Has anyone ever heard of or experienced this? Also, i would love aftercare tips
if your body were rejecting the ink you would not get congested. however a tattoo is a traumatic injury to your body and your immune system is working to heal your body and make sure that whatever foreign body has breeched your skin is not dangerous so it may just be your immune system gearing up to protect you. or maybe it's just a coinsidence and you are getting a cold. it IS cold and flu season but i do not in any way think that your congestion has anything to do with the tattoo.
I got a pretty large tatt 2 days ago ( a tree with three birds) from the middle of my back to my crack and have several others..I've never gotten ill nor heard of this.
i have three tattoos and never got sick.
its probably nothing but if you have a fever you should go to the doctor in case of infection.
aftercare tips:
always put lotion on it.
always.
The tattoo doesn't instantly make you sick just because of it. Your artist should have given you aftercare, at least verbally, follow what they say unless it sounds fishy. Things to watch for are being told to use vaseline or neosporn, only white unscented lotion if you don't want to buy a specific tattoo cream like Tattoo Goo and H2Ocean (I used a combination of Lubriderm and H2Ocean on my tattoos, a little bit of lotion goes a long way, don't over saturate). Don't pick or scratch, if it is where clothes would rub just wear slightly looser fitting things for a while. Do NOT rebandage, expose to sun or soak in water. Clean it lightly with warm water and antibacterial soap twice a day. A tattoo is an injury, your body naturally scabs even slightly to heal so don't freak out. That is normal, and that is the worst part by far. Scabbing or atleast flaking and being annoying could last for a few weeks or more depending on how big it is, where, how deep the artist went, and how you take care of it. The better care you take the less it will itch. If you have questions ask your artist, it's part of their job to give you after care since it is their work on your body. Enjoy the tat, they are addicting so be patient and think it through! U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement::
Provides news, contact information, careers, and details about Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the largest investigative branch of the U.S. Department of
http://www.ice.govHOME |
it's not that you get sick it's that you can get a desease like HIV,HEPETITIS from a person who uses a needle previously on a person with HIV AND HEP
Some people are allergic to different types of ink.
Red ink is said to be *very* likely for you to have a reaction. So yes, you could get sick. And sometimes the area around the tattoo can get swollen but you just have to wait it out. There shouldn't be any long-term affects.
I have never heard of this. I have 10 tattoos and have never gotten sick after.
As far as after care I have always washed them with the gold dial antibacterial soap and used A&D ointment on them for the first week, if it starts looking like it is infected then switch from the A&D to bacitracin. After the first week you should be able to switch to a good hypoalergenic lotion, I used aveno in the green bottle, it is for sensitive skin so no sent. You will want to do this often to keep the skin moist so it doesn't crack and scab up. Try to keep the new ink out of the sun for a while so the color doesn't fade and after it has healed make sure to use sunblock to help keep it bright. No swiming or soaking in water until the scab is completely gone, usually about 1-2 weeks depending on how well you heal. Hope this helps.
heard about it... dunno if it's true... i have 6 tats and never have I gotten sick
since you are getting stuck with a needle the chance for infection is always there and maybe there are people allergic to the ink people are allergic to some dyes
never have got sick and i have 11 tatts..I have never heard of getting sick after. unless you have used a dirty needle or something like that.
keep it moist with A&D cream {must be the clear kind}.
dont soak it in water like taking a bath. a shower is fine its ok to wash it .
when it scabs over DO NOT pick at it.
when it itches DO NOT ITCH IT. and yes it will itch!
Aside from the body under stress issue, a few people (me included, albeit in a minor fashion) noticed an "endorphin crash" effect. It's kind of like a sugar crash - the endorphin response initially makes you feel all giddy, but then it wears off & you can feel somewhat unhappy.
As far as aftercare, your best source is the artist who worked on you. Barring that:
The bandage should come off after a few hours. My shop recommends 2-6 hours. Wash the area carefully with a light, unscented soap. Apply a light unscented lotion, *NO* tribiotics or neosporin.
Keep the area clean. The first day or two are important as the skin barrier has just been broken. It's okay/a good idea to wear light clothing over the area, but do not wrap it or restrict airflow.
Stay out of the sun and don't soak the new tattoo for at least 2 weeks.
Keep the area moisturized, but less is more. Keep it feeling like the surrounding and no more. If you begin to break out stop using the lotion for a day or two and then start back up with less.
You'll go through at least one shedding of dead skin that carries some excess ink. This is normal.
Bring a mirror with you to work if it's in an area you can't easily see. You'll want to look at your cool new tattoo rather often in the restroom - I know I always do. :)
True. Not a myth. It doesn't happen all the time. It's got everything to do with your immune system.
The skin is a large organ and it's purpose is to put up a wall between the outside world and the inside of the body. Break that wall and the body goes into repair mode. It puts everything on hold to go fix that opening to protect the body from outside germs. People catch colds easier after being tattooed. If they're just getting over a cold it's much easier to relapse. The immunity level drops... the body has a more difficult time healing several things in different areas.
For aftercare you should refer to your artist. That way if something goes wrong during healing, its in his/her hands to fix it.
actually -- some people can, yes. It is common. It is one of those things that depends from person to person, but it is just like any other stress on the body. When you're body undergoes a lot of stress, wether it be physical, mental or emotional, your immunes system is suppressed leaving you more vulnerable to viruses and illnesses -- of course, not serious ones, just minors bugs, but it is a common occurence -- just like how people tend to get sick in cold or rainy wether, because the stress of the body working overtime to keep itself warm lowers the immunes system, so does the stress of taking on a tattoo, large or small, because it is intentional physical pain being placed on the body -- causing your body to not only try to heal from it, but durring the tattoo the mind is trying to convince the body not to feel it, or bite the bullet through it.
 A good gift for tattoo artist?
 Tattoo etiquette....is what you can call it I suppose?
|
I've heard some sort of myth about getting sick after tattoo... is it true?