| Leg tattoo & swell-ish foot |
Question:
I got a new tattoo 2 Sundays ago (9/3) at the Pins & Needles convention in
Tampa. It's a pretty large tribal piece that goes from my knee to my ankle,
almost on to my foot. I sent my wife out to get lotion the night I got it,
and she got Vaseline intensive care, which is bad apparently... Since I got
a shit-load of zits all over my leg now..
Since last Wednesday or so, my foot has been a little swollen, and kind of
numb if I sit on my ass too long. Is this bad? Am I gonna die, or is it
normal for my body to react this way when a foreign substance is added to
it? This never happened with any of my other tattoos, which were all on my
arms.
Answer:
- It's common for bony area to swell after getting tattooed. The zits are less
common, and yr right, it probably has something to do with the lotion.
Switch lotions, try something that has worked on your previous tattoos. One
of the tattooists at the shop had a traditional piece like 7"x5" put on each
knee, and boy he swole the fuck up. It looked like water on the knee for a
few days, he was fine, just a little overworked.
- Keep in mind I don't have that much ink and I don't have anything that large
(especially not done in one sitting).
On the lotion, I use Lubriderm Seriously Sensitive. My tattooist recommends
the Sensitive version but I was getting a rash/zits around my new ink when I
used it. A quick check of the ingredients showed that the plain sensitive
version has lanolin. Lanolin can clog pores (causing zits) and if you have a
wool allergy it can cause an allergic rash when used on broken skin (fresh
ink). I'm guessing that the Vaseline Intensive Care has lanolin or another
waxy substance in abundance and that it's clogging your pores. Try something
'lighter' and apply it more often.
I'd go visit doctor, sounds like the beginnings of an infection or an allergic
reaction. Better safe than sorry.
|
|
| |
 |