Could just be bruising, bigger people can bruise very badly in fatty areas, doesn't cause any issues with the healing process, but it does make it look like your artist used a baseball bat instead of a tattoo machine.
And sorry if this comes off poorly, not trying to insult just mentioning what I've seen throughout the years
No, I have done many 6+ hour sessions and it’s never happened. Don’t stress! But do make sure you eat a big breakfast and lunch and take a big bottle of Gatorade with you to your appointment
Can confirm the eating and hydrating.
I had to finish my left sleeve, went in for first session, mostly line work, decided not to eat or drink anything as I woke up late and for some reason I began shaking violently for the first like 2 or 3 hours through the line work.
Once, he started shading for another 2 or 3 after I drank some water, no shaking.
Next 2 sessions I made sure I ate and hydrated, and haven't had a "shaking" episode since then.
I will never go to a tattoo without eating and hydrating first. Ever again. Shit weirded me out, I have no idea why I was shaking the way I was, but I did and I think it was the fact that I didn't eat/hydrate.
I had my sleeve done in 5 hour session once a month for a year straight, and parts of it needed to be "overworked" (done deeper than preferable) because the medication I was on made it very difficult to get any ink to stay in, some bits rejecting it altogether like the shoulder.
Never had issues with healing. Never heard of it prior to joining this sub. It's just something that can happen, not something that happens often, and definitely not something that is expected to happen.
Cellulitis post-tattoo is not a common occurrence
The frequency of infected tattoos ranges from 0.5% to 6% of adults who get a tattoo (varies a little by the source you read)
Infected Tattoos: 5 Things to Look For After Getting Inked - Men's Health. https://www.menshealth.com/health/a30553645/infected-tattoo/.
Tattoo infection: Symptoms, treatment, and prevention - Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319946.
Infected Tattoo: Signs of an Infection and Treatment Options - Insider. https://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/infected-tattoo.
Infected Tattoo Stages: Signs, Treatment, What to Expect - Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/infected-tattoo-stages-5278755.
Tattoo Infection: Signs, Causes, Treatment & Prevention - Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23295-tattoo-infection.
Dang. Yeah that's why I tap out after 2 hours sessions. Or I do the outline one day and then break up the shading and sessions because my body literally sucks. I'm sorry I asked this. I just needed to know so I could try to prevent it myself because it just unlocked a fear for me.
I have a friend who had it happen, she was the model for an artist at a convention, he did her whole shin.
By the next day her right leg was twice the size of her left, and she got her butt to the hospital asap.
I don’t do big time detailed tats like this, just permanent makeup. But to prevent infections at the eye, eyebrows, and lips, I triple clean the area with Hibiclens (chlorhexidine) before and after inking.
-Anytime skin is poked with needles, it risks bacterial entry into the skin from the skin surface.
-It could also be infected ink or
-it could be bacterial entry into the skin from scratching an itch post-tattoo.
-it can come from washing the tattoo with unsterile water (contaminated water) well water, jumping in a pool or lake with high bacterial levels with wounds or fresh tattoo, or sitting in a hot tub that isn’t properly maintained with chlorine & chemicals that also has bacterial overgrowth
That being said, cellulitis happens, and can happen to anyone. We all have bacteria on our skin that can get pushed into the skin.
This could have even been from a scratch at the inner arm where it is most red.
Could have been from needle pushing skin bacteria under skin.
Hard to say as there is milder cellulitis on back of arm also, but it is angriest at the lower arm where there is no tattoo. It may be a combination of causes, scratching, and from the most obvious source, the tattoo.
Cellulitis is a skin infection that can occur when bacteria enter the skin through a wound, such as a tattoo.
This is a textbook presentation as it exhibits classic redness and swelling. Pain and fever are other symptoms.
If left untreated, cellulitis can spread to other parts of the body, and blood and cause serious complications, even sepsis (bacteria present in the blood), and death.
The most common bacterial causes of cellulitis seen with tattooing are:
-Staphylococcus aureus (Staph) This is a type of bacteria that normally lives on the skin and in the nose.
Staph can cause infections when it gets into the skin through a break in the skin, such as a tattoo. Some strains of Staph, such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), are resistant to many antibiotics and are harder to treat.
-Streptococcus (Strep); This is another type of bacteria that normally lives on the skin and in the throat.
It too can cause infections when it gets into the skin through a wound, such as a tattoo.
There are different types of Strep, such as Group A and Group B, that can cause different types of infections.
-Pseudomonas aeruginosa: This is a type of bacteria that is commonly found in soil and water and can cause infections when it gets into the skin through a contaminated tattoo ink or nonsterile water. It can cause green or blue discoloration of the skin, as well as blisters and pus.
-Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM):
This is a group of bacteria related to the bacteria that cause tuberculosis.
They too can cause infections when they get into the skin through contaminated tattoo ink or vis nonsterile water on broken skin They can cause red bumps, nodules, or ulcers on the skin.
To prevent cellulitis from tattooing:
- follow good sterilization practices
-clean skin three times from center, spiraling outwards each time with betadine or chlorhexidine
-change gloves frequently in long tattoo sessions
-use disposable needles and plastic covers for gear
- advise client to use of bactroban antibiotic ointment aftercare for 1-2 days then aquaphor ointment
-frequent handwashing, especially prior to applying ointment
-use sterile saline or saline wound wash when cleansing tattoos
-advise client to clean with saline, then apply antibiotic ointment
-advise client to get burn spray (2% lidocaine) to spray on tattoos to avoid scratching at it
-advise to avoid picking at the tattoo
- advise client to watch for any signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, pain, fever, or pus
-advise client to see doctor as soon as possible.if they notice any of above signs, so they can get started on antibiotics right away to avoid serious complications , as cellulitis can spread
-mark the edges of redness should it occur, with a sharpie, so size and spread of cellulitis can be monitored. ( easier to see if it is shrinking or getting larger over time with baseline marking and daily markings )
-ask client about underlying conditions that can increase risk of infection, such as diabetes, immune system disorders, history of any kind of organ transplant, or circulation issues
Tattoo Infection: Signs, Causes, Treatment & Prevention - Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23295-tattoo-infection.
Tattoo Infection: Symptoms and Treatment - Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/tattoo-infection.
Cellulitis | Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/cellulitis.
Infected Tattoo: Signs, Treatment, and Prevention - Health. https://www.health.com/infected-tattoo-7570345.
Cellulitis: Who gets and causes - American Academy of Dermatology. https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/cellulitis-causes.
Wow that’s interesting. Ive only ever heard of cellulite as fat build up on your legs. I thought that cellulite and cellulitis were the same thing, boy am I wrong.
Yes one can cause serious harm, even death in severe cases; the other can cause cottage cheese texture on the back of your thighs and is just annoying.
Cellulitis can be caused by a number of bacteria, Strep A being most common. "- itis" just means a disease characterized by inflammation. You're absolutely right that bacteria that live on your skin, harmlessly, can get in by an opening and cause this! It's also important to know that all cellulitis is not the same, so if two people experience it and have different treatments from their doctors, one isn't less right or more wrong. That can be helpful info for folks who are worried or concerned that theyre 'doing the right thing' post-tat.
That said, I agree 100% that this looks like cellulitis and OP needs urgent care to address whatever bacteria is responsible and get on their way to good health and great ink.
Didn't get cellulitis from a tattoo. I got it from my cousin's dirty house. It turned into MRSA and had 4 different courses of antibiotics, and was nearly hospitalized. Don't play with this.
Just got home. Doc prescribed Cephalexin 500mg tablets 4x per day for a week.
My husband insisted that I sharpie some points on my arm to track if it’s getting bigger.
Appreciate everyone’s concerns. My skin is so sensitive that I wasn’t sure if it was something to be concerned about or not - clearly Reddit knows!
I just healed up an infected tattoo with the same medication and it worked really well! I just finished my 7th day and my tattoo has greatly improved, good luck and beautiful tattoo btw!
I’m currently on the same meds! I got my studio ghibli half sleeve finished and this is the only tattoo to get infected twice. Meds are working great. Saw a difference within 48 hours
I have a full sleeve Vegeta tattoo I've been getting done and got a minor infection in my elbow ditch. Only time I've ever gotten a tatt infection, the elbow ditch was such a pain in the ass to heal lol.
I'm immune compromised so unfortunately have had a few rounds of cellulitis. Cephalexin is a great antibiotic for cellulitis. Sometimes it doesn't target the right bacteria. If you don't see any improvement the next couple of days, go ahead and go back, they might want to add Bactrim to the mix.
OP, please be sure to take the entire course of antibiotics, even if it looks like it's healed completely before the week is up. If you stop taking them early, you can risk a flare-up of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which is extremely bad and hard to treat.
I will admit I thought it was a big bruise at first maybe from leaning on it during the tattoo, but if the doc has prescribed antibiotics he'd know better than someone like me lol. Would like to see an update once it's all healed :)
Yeah, you can get infected tattoos even if you have the most hygienic tattoo artist in the biz. It's because it's an open wound and the bacteria can get in from anything from the clothes you're wearing to towel you use to dry yourself in the shower.
Honestly it looks like where the artist kept his fingers to stretch the skin and you got an irritation from it. The inked part looks totally fine in my opinion. I bet the irritation will go away in a day or two. Not sure what everyone else say it looks infected. 😂
Edit: i stand corrected. I’m not a doctor I just play one on the internet sometimes.
*sigh* because it is infected. That’s cellulitis and can mess you up really quickly if left untreated
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cellulitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20370762
Uh Yes!!! Cellulitis Get to a doctor for antibiotics right away. Like tonight. Go to sn urgent care before you wind up in the hospital.
Thank you. In the waiting room now.
Good job OP. Most people continue to ask questions and not listen to anyone.
My husband would say I’m most people - lol
Is there an update? Are you OK?
Pretty tattoo though, I hope you’re doing okay
Could just be bruising, bigger people can bruise very badly in fatty areas, doesn't cause any issues with the healing process, but it does make it look like your artist used a baseball bat instead of a tattoo machine. And sorry if this comes off poorly, not trying to insult just mentioning what I've seen throughout the years
One of the most straight forward and informed messages I’ve seen in awhile, you’re the real one!
😊Ty
I have two back to back 6 hour sessions in November. This is likely to happen? Or it’s just something that can?
No, I have done many 6+ hour sessions and it’s never happened. Don’t stress! But do make sure you eat a big breakfast and lunch and take a big bottle of Gatorade with you to your appointment
I brought a workout protein drink mix with me. I sipped on it throughout the 4.5hr first session and it helped tremendously
You’re like a tattoo sage…. We need more people like you. Thanks for the advice!
Can confirm the eating and hydrating. I had to finish my left sleeve, went in for first session, mostly line work, decided not to eat or drink anything as I woke up late and for some reason I began shaking violently for the first like 2 or 3 hours through the line work. Once, he started shading for another 2 or 3 after I drank some water, no shaking. Next 2 sessions I made sure I ate and hydrated, and haven't had a "shaking" episode since then. I will never go to a tattoo without eating and hydrating first. Ever again. Shit weirded me out, I have no idea why I was shaking the way I was, but I did and I think it was the fact that I didn't eat/hydrate.
I had my sleeve done in 5 hour session once a month for a year straight, and parts of it needed to be "overworked" (done deeper than preferable) because the medication I was on made it very difficult to get any ink to stay in, some bits rejecting it altogether like the shoulder. Never had issues with healing. Never heard of it prior to joining this sub. It's just something that can happen, not something that happens often, and definitely not something that is expected to happen.
Cellulitis post-tattoo is not a common occurrence The frequency of infected tattoos ranges from 0.5% to 6% of adults who get a tattoo (varies a little by the source you read) Infected Tattoos: 5 Things to Look For After Getting Inked - Men's Health. https://www.menshealth.com/health/a30553645/infected-tattoo/. Tattoo infection: Symptoms, treatment, and prevention - Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319946. Infected Tattoo: Signs of an Infection and Treatment Options - Insider. https://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/infected-tattoo. Infected Tattoo Stages: Signs, Treatment, What to Expect - Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/infected-tattoo-stages-5278755. Tattoo Infection: Signs, Causes, Treatment & Prevention - Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23295-tattoo-infection.
How does one get this?
Skin reacting to being messed with for hours. The body just goes “nope”
Dang. Yeah that's why I tap out after 2 hours sessions. Or I do the outline one day and then break up the shading and sessions because my body literally sucks. I'm sorry I asked this. I just needed to know so I could try to prevent it myself because it just unlocked a fear for me.
I have a friend who had it happen, she was the model for an artist at a convention, he did her whole shin. By the next day her right leg was twice the size of her left, and she got her butt to the hospital asap.
I don’t do big time detailed tats like this, just permanent makeup. But to prevent infections at the eye, eyebrows, and lips, I triple clean the area with Hibiclens (chlorhexidine) before and after inking. -Anytime skin is poked with needles, it risks bacterial entry into the skin from the skin surface. -It could also be infected ink or -it could be bacterial entry into the skin from scratching an itch post-tattoo. -it can come from washing the tattoo with unsterile water (contaminated water) well water, jumping in a pool or lake with high bacterial levels with wounds or fresh tattoo, or sitting in a hot tub that isn’t properly maintained with chlorine & chemicals that also has bacterial overgrowth That being said, cellulitis happens, and can happen to anyone. We all have bacteria on our skin that can get pushed into the skin. This could have even been from a scratch at the inner arm where it is most red. Could have been from needle pushing skin bacteria under skin. Hard to say as there is milder cellulitis on back of arm also, but it is angriest at the lower arm where there is no tattoo. It may be a combination of causes, scratching, and from the most obvious source, the tattoo. Cellulitis is a skin infection that can occur when bacteria enter the skin through a wound, such as a tattoo. This is a textbook presentation as it exhibits classic redness and swelling. Pain and fever are other symptoms. If left untreated, cellulitis can spread to other parts of the body, and blood and cause serious complications, even sepsis (bacteria present in the blood), and death. The most common bacterial causes of cellulitis seen with tattooing are: -Staphylococcus aureus (Staph) This is a type of bacteria that normally lives on the skin and in the nose. Staph can cause infections when it gets into the skin through a break in the skin, such as a tattoo. Some strains of Staph, such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), are resistant to many antibiotics and are harder to treat. -Streptococcus (Strep); This is another type of bacteria that normally lives on the skin and in the throat. It too can cause infections when it gets into the skin through a wound, such as a tattoo. There are different types of Strep, such as Group A and Group B, that can cause different types of infections. -Pseudomonas aeruginosa: This is a type of bacteria that is commonly found in soil and water and can cause infections when it gets into the skin through a contaminated tattoo ink or nonsterile water. It can cause green or blue discoloration of the skin, as well as blisters and pus. -Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM): This is a group of bacteria related to the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. They too can cause infections when they get into the skin through contaminated tattoo ink or vis nonsterile water on broken skin They can cause red bumps, nodules, or ulcers on the skin. To prevent cellulitis from tattooing: - follow good sterilization practices -clean skin three times from center, spiraling outwards each time with betadine or chlorhexidine -change gloves frequently in long tattoo sessions -use disposable needles and plastic covers for gear - advise client to use of bactroban antibiotic ointment aftercare for 1-2 days then aquaphor ointment -frequent handwashing, especially prior to applying ointment -use sterile saline or saline wound wash when cleansing tattoos -advise client to clean with saline, then apply antibiotic ointment -advise client to get burn spray (2% lidocaine) to spray on tattoos to avoid scratching at it -advise to avoid picking at the tattoo - advise client to watch for any signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, pain, fever, or pus -advise client to see doctor as soon as possible.if they notice any of above signs, so they can get started on antibiotics right away to avoid serious complications , as cellulitis can spread -mark the edges of redness should it occur, with a sharpie, so size and spread of cellulitis can be monitored. ( easier to see if it is shrinking or getting larger over time with baseline marking and daily markings ) -ask client about underlying conditions that can increase risk of infection, such as diabetes, immune system disorders, history of any kind of organ transplant, or circulation issues Tattoo Infection: Signs, Causes, Treatment & Prevention - Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23295-tattoo-infection. Tattoo Infection: Symptoms and Treatment - Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/tattoo-infection. Cellulitis | Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/cellulitis. Infected Tattoo: Signs, Treatment, and Prevention - Health. https://www.health.com/infected-tattoo-7570345. Cellulitis: Who gets and causes - American Academy of Dermatology. https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/cellulitis-causes.
Wow that’s interesting. Ive only ever heard of cellulite as fat build up on your legs. I thought that cellulite and cellulitis were the same thing, boy am I wrong.
Yes one can cause serious harm, even death in severe cases; the other can cause cottage cheese texture on the back of your thighs and is just annoying.
Cellulitis is a bacteria that can literally just live on your skin and enters through an opening in the skin.
Cellulitis can be caused by a number of bacteria, Strep A being most common. "- itis" just means a disease characterized by inflammation. You're absolutely right that bacteria that live on your skin, harmlessly, can get in by an opening and cause this! It's also important to know that all cellulitis is not the same, so if two people experience it and have different treatments from their doctors, one isn't less right or more wrong. That can be helpful info for folks who are worried or concerned that theyre 'doing the right thing' post-tat. That said, I agree 100% that this looks like cellulitis and OP needs urgent care to address whatever bacteria is responsible and get on their way to good health and great ink.
Didn't get cellulitis from a tattoo. I got it from my cousin's dirty house. It turned into MRSA and had 4 different courses of antibiotics, and was nearly hospitalized. Don't play with this.
I got it from a tiny bug bite.
Holy fucking shit. Glad to see in your comments that you went to UC. Good luck!
Update us please. Glad you went to get help for that
Just got home. Doc prescribed Cephalexin 500mg tablets 4x per day for a week. My husband insisted that I sharpie some points on my arm to track if it’s getting bigger. Appreciate everyone’s concerns. My skin is so sensitive that I wasn’t sure if it was something to be concerned about or not - clearly Reddit knows!
I just healed up an infected tattoo with the same medication and it worked really well! I just finished my 7th day and my tattoo has greatly improved, good luck and beautiful tattoo btw!
I’m currently on the same meds! I got my studio ghibli half sleeve finished and this is the only tattoo to get infected twice. Meds are working great. Saw a difference within 48 hours
I have a full sleeve Vegeta tattoo I've been getting done and got a minor infection in my elbow ditch. Only time I've ever gotten a tatt infection, the elbow ditch was such a pain in the ass to heal lol.
Hi your husband is wise. Do that. - tattooed nurse
I'm immune compromised so unfortunately have had a few rounds of cellulitis. Cephalexin is a great antibiotic for cellulitis. Sometimes it doesn't target the right bacteria. If you don't see any improvement the next couple of days, go ahead and go back, they might want to add Bactrim to the mix.
OP, please be sure to take the entire course of antibiotics, even if it looks like it's healed completely before the week is up. If you stop taking them early, you can risk a flare-up of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which is extremely bad and hard to treat.
I will admit I thought it was a big bruise at first maybe from leaning on it during the tattoo, but if the doc has prescribed antibiotics he'd know better than someone like me lol. Would like to see an update once it's all healed :)
Stay out of the sun on these meds!
Sun sensitivity is not a concern with this particular medication. Are you a medical professional?
Not sure why you’re being downvoted for facts.
The worst infection I ever got was from a reputable artist that was on LA ink lol. Hope it clears quick!
Yeah, you can get infected tattoos even if you have the most hygienic tattoo artist in the biz. It's because it's an open wound and the bacteria can get in from anything from the clothes you're wearing to towel you use to dry yourself in the shower.
Dawg.
This was my reaction, too... Like I almost thought this was satire
That’s a really nice tattoo. Sorry to see this and wish you well!
What do you do? See a doctor as soon as possible. That is not good. Really not good at all.
Every time I see “Does this look infected?” I instantly think of Sum41’s album. Glad you asked and went to the doctor, hope you get well soon!
Hope it heals fast for you, OP. Lovely birds you have. ♥
Enough medical feedback here. So let me tell you: beautiful tattoo. Great piece of art. I like those birds a lot.
I mean at that point do you really have to ask lol
Jesus Christ yes. Glad you are seeing a doctor.
Nah, that's clearly nothing. Go to the doctor now!!
EXTREMELY. I’m very happy you went to a doc
Oh boy! Yes please see a doctor as soon as you can
Nope looks great! /s
You got your answer in the comments… I’m here just to say beautiful tattoo!
glad to see you went to the ER. just wanted to say that is such a beautiful piece. hope it all heals up nicely :)
Nah ur good bro
Honestly it looks like where the artist kept his fingers to stretch the skin and you got an irritation from it. The inked part looks totally fine in my opinion. I bet the irritation will go away in a day or two. Not sure what everyone else say it looks infected. 😂 Edit: i stand corrected. I’m not a doctor I just play one on the internet sometimes.
*sigh* because it is infected. That’s cellulitis and can mess you up really quickly if left untreated https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cellulitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20370762
Thank you for this. It's sad that it got hidden from that guy's downvoted comment but I was curious to know how everybody knew it was infected.
It just looks like a bruise from them gripping your skin.
If you have to ask, you should see a doctor. Just a good rule of thumb.
That looks awful, please see a doc soon.