How to treat infected tattoos?

Tattoos are very attractive and a very cool way to express who you are. As we have mentioned in numerous articles, tattoos need a specific healing process. It is recommended to always follow the different stages to prevent them from becoming infected or the tattoo from fading.

Although you can follow all the recommendations perfectly and although it is not common, your tattoo can become infected during the healing process, and therefore, we are going to comment on this post on how to treat infected tattoos.

How can a tattoo get infected?

Believe it or not, there are many ways by which a tattoo can become infected. Despite this, you have to know that many of these things can be avoided, especially when the tattoo is fresh. If you want to prevent your tattoo from becoming infected, we recommend that you continue reading this article to learn more about the risk of infection. And, remember to always follow the recommendations of your tattoo artist.

Excess cream

Washing the tattoo and applying the cream is one of the basic rules for your tattoo to be fully healed. Still, you have to keep in mind that excess cream can hinder this healing process since the tattoo does not breathe well and will always be wet. If we put a lot of creams, we will be creating the perfect environment for bacteria to grow and, therefore, our tattoo becomes infected.

Traveling

This is possibly the cause that may surprise you the most, but it is considered that traveling can be one of the first causes of infection for a tattoo since you are exposed to many bacteria on numerous occasions. By having to go through many places, we inadvertently expose our tattoos to numerous bacteria.

Sun and beach

Before we talked about a basic rule, we cannot stop talking about the obligation to avoid the sun and the beach. And it is that bathing in the sea can cause a great infection for your tattoo due to the bacteria that live in this water.

Through your pet

The last because you should know about and why your tattoo can become infected is by direct contact with your pet. This does not mean that when you get a tattoo you cannot caress your pet, but that when you do, you should wash your hands very well before touching the tattoo as they can contaminate it and cause an infection.

How can a tattoo get infected?

If you follow the recommendations of the specialists and avoid any exposure of the tattoo to many bacteria, you will not have to worry about anything. Still, we want to discuss how you can tell if your tattoo is infected so that you can act quickly.

Redness and heat

As we said in other articles, it is normal that when you get a tattoo, the skin swells a little and is even a little red. Still, this swelling should go away within a few days. If it doesn’t go away and is coupled with a sensation of heat, it is an indicator that your tattoo may be infected.

Pus Appears

Pus appearing on the tattoo is a clear sign that something is wrong and that your tattoo is possibly infected. When we talk about the appearance of pus, we are also referring to another type of liquid that comes out of the tattoo wound.

Fever

Fever and tiredness can also be a sign of infection, as they will not be considered normal symptoms after getting a tattoo. In these cases, the body is considered to be fighting against something external: the tattoo.

Steps to cure infected tattoos

In any of the cases mentioned above or if you experience any other type of pain, you should quickly go to a doctor or the professionals who made you the tattoo to inform you how you should cure it.

Normally, in these cases, oral antibiotic treatment is usually prescribed to directly treat the infection. These are the steps that are considered to be followed to end the infection:

Apply the antibacterial ointment that you have been prescribed at least two times a day, once in the morning and once at night.
It is also recommended that once the ointment is applied, you cover the tattoo to prevent the infection from growing and spreading further.
Still, once the cream has been absorbed, it is advisable to let the tattoo breathe and be in the open air, so it can heal sooner. If you are going out, you will have to cover it again.
Always follow the doctor’s recommendations and follow all washing guidelines, so that your tattoo heals faster.
Do not use any type of cream or lotion that contains chemical products as it can affect and cause more pain to the wound.

We hope that this post helps you to prevent tattoo infections so that you can always enjoy your inks!