Allergic reaction year after getting tattoo?

[rastacourage92]

I got a tattoo (all black) on my inner arm last year and haven't had any problems until now.  I also have plenty of other tattoos (black and color) and have never had a problem.  But recently I've been noticing that my tattoo is itchy and the ink is raised, particularly on the darker/most-shaded areas of the tattoo.  I'm getting nervous that I may be having an allergic reaction and rejecting the ink. Has anyone heard of this being a problem? What should I do? I really love this tattoo and it's really beautiful in a very visual part of my body, so I don't want the appearance to be ruined.

[Dan]

I have seen reactions to red ink,not too much from black though,

and after this long ?

maybe you irritated the skin ,like scraped it or the hot summer sun ? or mosquito bites ?

a link to a pic of it would help.

Edited August 26, 2017 by Dan

[Hel7]

Yes, I have read many articles about the red color in particular, that may contain something that could give allergic reactions. Plain black is the most neutral of all, I think that almost all tattoos have black parts in it.. apart from the borderless ones which I hate  

For what concerns the raising, it's quite normal. I don't really know why but I have a black tattoo on my inner arm under the armpit which raises up a lot when I take antibiotics XD

A pic may help, even if after a year I think that it's quite unlikely that the tattoo itself has some problems.. after a year it should be definitely settled forever, at least it can fade! It's more likely that you got some external problems, which of course in the summer are more numerous.. You're not rejecting anything I think, and for the allergic reactions really.. after a year with zero problems before to me it seems definitely strange.. there would be the need of a specialized doctor to talk about allergies in this particular case! I think this is unlikely the issue!

[Hogrider]

I've got some tattoos which are 7 years old where very occasionally the outlines will raise a little. I think it may be heat related as it always happens when it's very hot and humid.

If you do some research, you will find that actual allergic reactions to any ink are very rare. Someone takes a little longer to heal than normal and all of a sudden it's 'an allergic reaction.' Many people who are new to the tattoo world don't understand what the normal healing process is. Too much watching TV shows where it looks like you walk out with a fully-healed, pain free tattoo. 

Not that it doesn't happen, but odds are it's nothing.