Tattoo Scars

[DJDeepFried]

After two months, some of the thicker lines in my tattoo are still raised where the artist went over them multiple times. Not worried about it -- the tattoo still looks cool and has healed fine otherwise -- but I'm wondering if this is normal or if anyone else has experienced this.

I heard something about some other people's tattoos getting raised up in the summertime, but never really understood why that would be.

[slayer9019]

After two months, some of the thicker lines in my tattoo are still raised where the artist went over them multiple times. Not worried about it -- the tattoo still looks cool and has healed fine otherwise -- but I'm wondering if this is normal or if anyone else has experienced this.

I heard something about some other people's tattoos getting raised up in the summertime, but never really understood why that would be.

Yea all of my tattoos are a bit raised where the lines are. They also "puff up" when irritated or when its hot out. If you think about it, it is normal as it is skin trauma. I got other scars that do the same thing.

[heathenist]

A guy who has tattooed a bunch of my friends, and who actually does really good work, is kind of notorious for causing this to happen when he tattoos, I know he has a rep of being really heavy handed, but I'm not sure if that's what causes it.

[rozone]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the raised lines come from the tattooer being too heavy-handed. What causes the tattoo to be raised is the fact that it's sitting on top a bunch of scar tissue from the amount of pressure applied and the depth of the needle.

It's not dangerous or anything like that, it's just what happens sometimes.

Some of my tattoos are like this, and some if them aren't. It's just the way she goes...

[slayer9019]

I wouldn't flat out say "heavy handed vs light handed" tattooing will cause or not cause scars as this really is in two realms that are not my expertise. This being said I have done a bit of research after my own discovery of my tattoos being raised/itchy/etc. When you cause trauma to the skin (aka being jabbed with a needle a whole bunch) you are going to create scar tissue. Scar tissue is different from regular skin tissue as it is not composed of the same "stuff" as regular skin. Raised scaring that can be accompanied with itchiness (in my case during hot/humid weather or irritation) is usually classified as hypertrophic scarring. In extreme cases the devolpment of keloids (highly doubt anyone here has experienced keloids). With hypertrophic scarring symptoms are raised scar tissue that is red in color (since we have a whole bunch of ink in there you wont see the redness) and itchiness of the scar. Like I stated before with the same artist I have some that are raised (you can feel the entire tattoo's image) and another that is completely flat, so I would rule out heavy vs light handed.

To sum up it is normal, completely fine and just a simple part of being a tattooed person.

Sources: http://www.molmed.org/pdfstore/09_153_Gauglitz.pdf

[JAllen]

More than likely your body is just reacting to having pigment in your skin and is not scarred. If enough skin trauma has occurred to scar you up, then you would probably have significant loss of pigment in the skin during the healing process.

[DJDeepFried]

Right on. Thanks for all the feedback!