Getting a tattoo is cool and trendy, but aftercare is crucial to keep yourself healthy and prevent life threatening conditions. Though a tattoo infection is uncommon, it might be annoying and worrisome when it occurs. So, educating yourself with the signs and symptoms of tattoo infection will help you make a decision as when you should seek medical help and get it treated so that you can avoid serious problems. If you are thinking about inking your skin, you should read this post before you go for it.
Signs That Tell Your Tattoo Is Infected:
1. Inflammation
As tattooing is done by breaking the outer skin layer, a slight inflammation and redness around the tattooed area is common. However, when the skin around the tattoo starts getting weirdly red or pinkish and inflammation is heavy, then something is wrong. Touch the reddish/ pinkish skin to see if it is hot and radiating heat and if the condition is prevalent for more than two days, then it is time to report to the doctor.
2. Discharge
A day or two after getting a tattoo, the skin might ooze out clear liquid. Do not worry about it as it is an indication that the skin is healing, but the discharge becomes problematic only when it does not stop within 48 hours. Moreover, if you see any yellowish or even greenish discharge, then it is a clear sign that your tattoo is infected and you need to seek medical help immediately.
3. Bad Smell
When you sense foul smell coming out of your tattoo (that is, if your tattoo stinks), it could be a bacterial infection, especially, anaerobic bacteria. This condition has to be reported to a doctor at once for getting proper medical care as bacteria can kill your cells and cause complications.
4. Fever
Fever is a sign of infection in the body. Fever is an indication that your body is fighting hard to get rid of the infection. So, if your temperature increases after getting a tattoo, it could be due to infection. If temperature is increasing and you feel weak, observe for a day and if fever and fatigue still persist, meet the doctor.
5. Red Streaks
If you have pain in the tattooed region and you feel you have an infection, immediately examine the area for red streaks. In case, you notice red streaks radiating outward from the tattoo, you need to get medical help at once because radiating red lines means infection has been present from quite some time and the possibility of blood poisoning is high. If left untreated, the effects could be fatal.
6. Pain
When you get a tattoo done, initially there would be some amount of tenderness or discomfort and the pain will depend on the kind of work done. For instance, fewer needle penetrations are involved when you get a simple tattoo without much detail. However, a full color tattoo designs need more than thousand pricks, which explains more pain. The pain experienced initially will reduce in one or two days, if it doesn’t or in case the pain increases then it means the infection of the tattoo is in the early stages, which needs to be examined immediately.
7. Swollen Lymph Nodes
It is quite normal that a newly done tattoo is swollen or tender for first few days. However, the severity of pain, warmth and redness that you experience is limited. The redness does not spread beyond the tattoo. However, if you have swollen lymph nodes then it is a cause of concern. Lymph nodes drain out infection from the skin, so swollen nodes near the area where you have done the tattoo means there could be an infection.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.