Contact Dermatitis

[Fala]

I'm sure everything will be fine, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you, just in case!

[roroarro]

I had that contact dermatitis issue after eating a massive amount of codfish.

[roroarro]

haha... well... Like when you "refill" the dish a couple of times.

[El Dolmago]

My artist mentioned the worst contact dermatitis he has seen is post tattoo contact with wool - particularly wool sweaters and Uggs. He told me to stay away from all wool for at least a month.

[ironchef]

@El Dolmago Makes sense. The skin is already irritated and in shock from shaving/tattooing. Add another "itchy" layer on and it doesn't surprise me if a breakout occurs, especially someone with sensitive skin. I've had a few times after tattooing, mostly outside of the newly tattooed area. This last flare up was the first time it happened on that actual new ink but I'm basically running out of real estate on my body. No damage or issues with the new ink so far as I can see and that my girlfriend can see. Started lightly lotioning the area after treating with Benedryl for about a week looks to be on the mend.

[pidjones]

haha... well... Like when you "refill" the dish a couple of times.

I think that may be heavy metal poisoning. Or a simple food allergy.

[ironchef]

You know the funny thing in my mind is that for as long as it has been around and for all the new fangled designer medication that's come out tailored to specific ailments, good ole Benedryl is still the go to in main circles to address allergic reactions. The only draw back is the sometimes drowsy effects, but nothing really beats it in terms of settling down a histamine reaction.

[roroarro]

Dear all.

On saturday I had my second tattoo session, the first of two to complete the black background.

This time, following my dermatologist's prescription, I start ingesting a cortisone based medicine 3 days before the tattoo session. I will follow up with this drug for 4 days after the session.

It's curing quite well... The only reddish and itchy area is not where the ink is, but around the tattoo artist (latex) grip on my arm.

I'll keep you updated. I guess that this experience could be usefull to whom experimented contact dermatitis before (as I did).

Regards

[silentspring]

Ahhh I wish I had seen this thread before I had my cover up done! My allergic contact dermatitis irritated my skin so much that a cancer popped up in it and I've had to have it chopped.

If only we knew what was in the ink then we could make the decisions about what is best for our own bodies. I know you say it was a "good brand" but how do you know what was in it? What may be good for one may be deadly to another (peanuts for example).

I have a known nickel allergy and if I had've known that xyz ink contained nickel and abc ink didn't, i surely would've opted for abc and saved the tattoo, money, surgery and anxiety which have followed on

[xcom]

Ahhh I wish I had seen this thread before I had my cover up done! My allergic contact dermatitis irritated my skin so much that a cancer popped up in it and I've had to have it chopped.

If only we knew what was in the ink then we could make the decisions about what is best for our own bodies. I know you say it was a "good brand" but how do you know what was in it? What may be good for one may be deadly to another (peanuts for example).

I have a known nickel allergy and if I had've known that xyz ink contained nickel and abc ink didn't, i surely would've opted for abc and saved the tattoo, money, surgery and anxiety which have followed on

silentspring,

I sympathize with you, I have had family member with cancer before and a close friend of mine, his wife battle breast cancer 3 times.

But I am not understanding the ink issue.

Nobody in this thread mention (quote me if I am wrong) that the issue is or was the ink.

[Graeme]

@silentspring Everybody here sympathises with you, but if you're going to turn this into a crusade about the ingredients in tattoo inks--and your name would imply that's exactly what you mean to do--then just come out and say it.

[silentspring]

silentspring,

I sympathize with you, I have had family member with cancer before and a close friend of mine, his wife battle breast cancer 3 times.

But I am not understanding the ink issue.

Nobody in this thread mention (quote me if I am wrong) that the issue is or was the ink.

Ink was mentioned as not being a likely cause, as it was a"good brand" whatever that means. I have sensitive allergic skin and if I had've known to take an antihistamine to avoid any potential issues (wool, lotion, ink etc) then I may have been able to save my tattoo. That is what I mean

- - - Updated - - -

@silentspring Everybody here sympathises with you, but if you're going to turn this into a crusade about the ingredients in tattoo inks--and your name would imply that's exactly what you mean to do--then just come out and say it.

I'm not on a crusade. I have used the SS name since I was in university (18 years ago) and studied environmental politics. I had NO IDEA that i would not be able to find out the ingredients in the ink. It does make me wonder what people are hiding if they won't disclose though. The feeling I'm getting is that the industry has closed ranks to protect a company or companies or ideologies or agendas (i have no idea what is being protected) and it smells very fishy.

[xcom]

I have sensitive allergic skin and if I had've known to take an antihistamine to avoid any potential issues (wool, lotion, ink etc) then I may have been able to save my tattoo.

Analyze your above sentence.

I am not trying to shut you down nor discourage you from keep trying to find your answers but bashing around is not going to help you.

Take care and God Bless.

[silentspring]

Analyze your above sentence.

I am not trying to shut you down nor discourage you from keep trying to find your answers but bashing around is not going to help you.

Take care and God Bless.

I'm toning it down because I am looking for information and people are closing ranks. You offered to help me but got bullied into shutting that down and someone thought it would be funny to make a racist meme about my story. I really do not understand why no one can tell me what is in the ink? I didn't mean to bash around, sorry about that and thanks again for trying to help earlier.

[CultExciter]

Ah yes, using a Russian propaganda poster and ironically using the term "Red Scare" is racist. It's not. It's a double entendre.

Hopefully, as someone who unfortunately allowed this discussion to begin, I can resolve it as well. We all sympathize and want you to be well and happy and tattooed. It sucks so bad that something happened and there was a reaction. What we are all saying is that there are many variables at play. The pigment. The environment. What your tattooer touched. What you touched, washed with, etc.

I've got a lot of red in my body, as well as many other colors. I can safely say I have a lot more tattoos than you. There are no ranks that are closed here, we just don't talk a great deal about technical info because discussions like this are not the most productive (obviously). Keep asking your doctors, and your tattooer, and I hope you discover a solution.

[MarvelAvengers]

Ahhh I wish I had seen this thread before I had my cover up done! My allergic contact dermatitis irritated my skin so much that a cancer popped up in it and I've had to have it chopped.

If only we knew what was in the ink then we could make the decisions about what is best for our own bodies. I know you say it was a "good brand" but how do you know what was in it? What may be good for one may be deadly to another (peanuts for example).

I have a known nickel allergy and if I had've known that xyz ink contained nickel and abc ink didn't, i surely would've opted for abc and saved the tattoo, money, surgery and anxiety which have followed on

Your thread was locked on the other thread for a reason. If you spent any amount of time researching contact dermatitis, you find that a person may never find what specific ingredient they have or had a reaction to. You would also find that one could have a reaction 1 time, but not the next. Your own documents provided on your locked thread were even titled "rare cases". This doesn't mean that the ingredient is a carcinogen, it simply means that your unique biology is not compatible with it. Anyway, I think there was no foul play here. Likley you had a reaction to a heavy metal used on pretty much all ink

http://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/survey-selected-samples-tattoo-inks-presence-of-heavy-metals-july13_0.pdf

[silentspring]

Your thread was locked on the other thread for a reason. If you spent any amount of time researching contact dermatitis, you find that a person may never find what specific ingredient they have or had a reaction to. You would also find that one could have a reaction 1 time, but not the next. Your own documents provided on your locked thread were even titled "rare cases". This doesn't mean that the ingredient is a carcinogen, it simply means that your unique biology is not compatible with it. Anyway, I think there was no foul play here. Likley you had a reaction to a heavy metal used on pretty much all ink

http://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/survey-selected-samples-tattoo-inks-presence-of-heavy-metals-july13_0.pdf

My thread was locked because another user was behaving badly.

Yes I've read that survey and was surprised that the reds they tested were more compliant overall than the rest of the inks, go figure. Red is the most common color linked to adverse reactions though, which is a shame as it looks so lovely on the skin

[polliwog]

Edit: never mind.

[roroarro]

Hi... When I spoke about a "good brand" I ment that it's a brand known to care about the quality of it's products and the amount of heavy metals contained, according to a canadian (if I remember well) study.

As an update of my second tattoo session... Yesterday i got some scratchy red dots around my elbow, quite far from the new ink that is in the arm. That area was particularly reddish after the tattoo session because the artist hold it strongly when he works. I'll check if I have some issue with the material of the gloves.

[polliwog]

If I can piggyback on this thread, I currently have a few itchy bumps under one of my tattoos - consulting with the artist isn't possible because of distance/nothing's visible in pictures. It's probably just irritation but I'm concerned enough to want to check with a doctor. But it seems like dermatologists can be hit-and-miss when it comes to their knowledge of tattoos and how to treat them when there's a concern (for example, prescribing antibiotics for tattoos that are scabbed and angry-looking but not infected). I'm wondering if anyone has tips or stories about advocating for yourself/communicating across what might be a cultural divide - or finding a tattoo-friendly dermatologist.

[pidjones]

Call them. Their call nurse should know or find out if they have tattoo experience and their acceptance of them.

[polliwog]

Thanks, and that should have been obvious to me.

[beez]

@polliwog how far into healing are you? Without fail, every weird thing I've been worried about when healing a tattoo has resolved itself on its own without anyone looking at it - that said, just having someone tell you that it's okay might be the medicine you need to make it go away!

[polliwog]

I'm a couple months out - it seems pretty well healed, except for these lumps. Probably just a reaction to the red. I was thinking of giving it a bit more time anyway since I don't love seeing doctors/paying for whatever my insurance doesn't cover. Thanks!

[beez]

@polliwog Hmm. If the bumps are tender or hot at all, definitely get them checked out. I thought you might be earlier in your heal - wish I had a better answer for you. Good luck!