If you have a fascination towards body art and are planning to get one then you need to know how to take care of it if it gets infected. A tattoo involves a lot of pain and so you would not like to go through an unnecessary pain again. A sophisticated tattoo parlor also can’t vouchsafe that nothing will go wrong with their tools or your skin. If you want to save the tattoo then follow the guidelines given below. They are simple but will save you a lot of trouble.
1. Notice the symptoms
An infection can be detected if you notice the following symptoms :
a. swelling
b. pain
c. redness
d. tenderness
e. red streaks
f. pus of a bad odor
g. swelling in the lymph nodes
h. high temperature
The irritation can be experienced on the tattoo area or underneath the skin.
2. Consult a doctor
The first thing that you must do if you think that your tattoo is infected, is consult a doctor ASAP. You can also talk to the tattoo professional who made the tattoo. He can identify an infected tattoo but won’t be able to offer you any medical help as they are not likely to know much about medicine. Once the tattoo artist has given the verdict that your tattoo is infected, don’t hesitate to consult a doctor and seek medical help.
3. Medicines
A doctor will give you topical medicines for sure which you will have to apply on the infected area. The medicines which the doctor will prescribe can be A&D ointment, Hydrocortisone or an over the counter topical medicine. Use these ointments only if you are sure that the tattoo is infected. Don’t apply the ointment in excess as this may irritate the skin and aggravate the problem.
4. Keep it dry
Make sure that you keep the tattoo area dry all the time. Moisture in the tattoo area will make the area prone to infection.
Quick tips
- After you get the tattoo done, make sure that you take proper care to keep it clean and take sterilized cotton balls to clean the area.
- Don’t wax the tattoo area for atleast 3 weeks.
- After the tattoo is done make sure that you don’t experience any irritation in that area. If you do then consult your tattoo artist or a doctor immediately.
