How To Heal An Infected Tattoo
Due to the bruising experienced during the process of getting a tattoo, the skin tends to secrete a fluid which forms tiny drops on the surface. In a normal situation, the blood particles in the fluid would dry on the surface and end up looking like black specs, this situation would be most likely to result if you didn’t bother the bruises. The fluid would dry on the surface along with the particles and then form what most people know as a scab. The skin would eventually heal despite the various problems otherwise if the process is disturbed or interrupted, you might have to deal with healing a tattoo which is infected.
Minimal damage would more or less meet with a rate of healing which is proportional to the amount of moisture that the tattoo is exposed to. A number of healing ointments can be used to promote the needed atmosphere required for the tattoo to heal and these ointments include: Bacitracin Zinc, A & D Ointment and Petroleum. Petroleum found in all these products tends to mean that air or water will not penetrate the skin surface, what this then results in is the best healing situation.
When a tattoo is just finished there is generally no oozing and the surface is relatively dry so when a petroleum product is applied droplets of fluid will begin to appear because the body is producing exudates. Exudates are necessary to create an environment which stimulates rapid wound healing. A wound maintained in a moist environment with exudates has a lower infection rate than a wound which is dry.
In the past people thought that petroleum in ointments would make the ink dissolve from the skin but research has proven that this is not true. It has also been proven that the constant application of antibacterial medication is not required in order to eliminate the possibility of infection. The constant application of antibacterial medication is even detrimental to the healing process. Simply applying ointment and plastic wrapping for when you shower or sleep for a number of days will help protect your tattoo under difficult conditions.
Sometimes for various reasons a tattoo will become infected. If any of the following symptoms are present after having a tattoo it is possible that yours is infected and you are going to have to heal an infected tattoo. Increased pain, swelling, redness, heat, or tenderness around the tattoo, red streaks extending from the area, pus coming from the wound, swollen or tender lymph nodes, or fever are all indications that an infection has occurred.
Infection usually starts at the tattoo and the usually clear or clear-yellow fluid which tends to drain from an infected tattoo may change to creamy yellow, brown, or red or look or start to smell like pus. It is also possible for infection to occur deep inside the wound without any signs on the surface. However pain and swelling may develop and this will be a definite sign that you have to heal the infected tattoo.
In certain other cases, the skin over a tattoo could heal but an infection could still reside in the depths of the wound thereby creating more serious situations such as an abscess. Neglecting to take care of this abscess properly may result in it becoming septic and infecting the whole body.
Usually you will need an antibiotic to heal the infected tattoo; a doctor may also recommend that you take blood tests depending on the particular circumstances under which you received the tattoo. An infected tattoo should be treated by keeping it dry as much as possible, water tends to be the greatest enemy of a healing tattoo.
Tags: Health