You seem to be having a slight allergic reaction to the lotion it is not uncommon.Just give the tattoo a good cleaning making sure to get all the lotion off the skin and let it dry up for a few days it will not hurt the tattoo.After a day or two you can reapply a small amount of lotion maybe once or twice a day if needed.In the future make sure you clean your tattoo thoroughly between lotion treatments or you could use other products for healing.I reccomend Aquaphor to all my clients it is a great product you can find at any drugstore,pharmacy,grocery store etc.. Usually it will be with the hand lotions,I have had great results with it,but with any product you use 3 times a day for 4-5 consecutive days it is a lot for the skin to handle and cleaning between treatments is the best thing for it.Hope this helps and good luck..

P.S You should also check with your tattooer for help with any problems that arise, that is what they are there for..

I also have bumps under my tattoo lately. However...I have had my tattoo for over 6 months and they are just now forming. They seem to be gettting a little bigger and it itches. Any thoughts on what I should do/ What it could be?

hey guys I have had my tattoo for 3 weeks now and also have the bumps... I have not had them with anyother tattoos ... i am thinking that they might be keilods under the skin.... also way thinking that when they shave your skin befor a tattoo that it may be the hair growing back?? anyways I am not to sure..

I have been researching this myself. I just got some new ink and there were slight bumps over parts of the tattoo. Mine was also on the forearm.

I am inclined to believe that my reaction might be due to a slight allergic reaction to the ink itself. The reason I think this is becaue I have other tattoo's that have had no adverse affect at all. The difference is the artist and more than likely the ink itself.

here are two links that can help you out a little
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-204.html

which describe sympoms similar to those described here and
http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa121602a.htm

which give some background into the exactly what is in many of the commerical inks available today, although the exact content of the inks is a trade secret guarded by each ink comany respectfully.

From what I understand there are also many tattoo artists that mix their own inks.

If you continue your search you will find that there are specific adverse reactions associated with most every color.

There are some companies working on tattoo inks that have more natural incredients than the one's currently available but it will be a while before they are available.

I'm in the process of getting in contact with my old tattoo artist to see exactly what type of ink he used. I might end up taveling to tattoo artists with my own in, to make sure there are no adverse reactions, but I could also be terrible wrong.

hope this helps a little
Guy

I have a large amount of tattoos and have also had this problem.

small bumps, sometimes clustered, sometimes spread out, underneath my tattoo. This can occur in both new and old ink, although i dont know exactly what it is i have had it on some of my tattoos, and some of my freinds who are also tattoists get it also, i recommend NOT using any creams if the tattoo is old, and NOT itching it! IT WILL GO in most cases within 2-4 weeks, sometimes less. If it is a new tattoo, in some cases this may be a more severe problem, reaction to the ink, infection etc so please go and see a doctor then your tattooist (in that order)

**please keep in mind that this is only a general example, and in anycase you should always see a doctor to avoid a more serious infection developing**

I have ink on my right side just next to my breast and it has started to form these little bumps after about 5 months of no issues with healing or anything. They haven't gone AWAY that I've noticed, but there may be a few more. Is this normal, or should I ask an artist? The one who did this work is back stateside, and I'm abroad for the next two months (Italy). Any thoughts?

I just scratched off a bump on my tattoo and where the bump was is now a little circle that looks really black, almost like really really dark black ink i'm wondering will this go away once it heals or will it remain like this?

I just scratched off a bump on my tattoo and where the bump was is now a little circle that looks really black, almost like really really dark black ink i'm wondering will this go away once it heals or will it remain like this?

Russ, sounds as if you have completely removed the layers of skin in that spot and uncovered the raw pigment. Yes it will eventually heal but you will be lucky if it doesn't scar.

i have had my tattoo for about a week and i today i woke up and i had one bump that looked like a pimple but it was larger. i popped it and it felt like A and D ointment came out. but afterward it bled a little. it looks like there is a hole in my tattoo now. should i be worried.

Try applying a very small amount of cortisone cream to the afftected area.

Sigh, I never thought I'd be posting in the "trouble with tattoo" forum, but my tattoo has also developed these. Also a forearm tattoo. Are anyone else's green tattoos? I only ask because my friend had this problem once, and his was primarily green. Mine is a dead fish with an olive on the ribcage, and guess what....It's primarily green. I've been using Benedryl, but to no avail. The bumps are becoming more prevalent, and widespread. I've got other tats that are green. Although, now that I'm typing this, I just realized that most of the other green based work I have is from artists other than my regular guy (Jerry Owen-Kool Tattoo). Damn those inks!! Well, hopefully it'll all heal up well.

miked

Green Ink on the forearm + a touch up 3 months after the original, (i bled a little, so some bled out) and now bumps. Funny thing, everyone's symptoms match mine -- Although the bumps have gone down in size since they appeared (about a week ago) they are getting a bit more numerous since they first appeared. I just recently got put on an antibiotic for a small nipple ring infection, and since I've been on it, the bumps have gotten smaller -- I've got about 2/3 of the medication left to take, (doxycycline by the way) and an update to come upon finishing the medication -- Any body who'd had them, and then had them go away, any other advice would be wonderful!

I'm having the same problem on my forearm. Seems like it's only on peices of work (parts of my sleeve) done the same day. Got it done almost a year ago. Very weird. Mad itchy. Hydrocortizone is doing nothing for me. Anybody have any answers, please email, alan.wine@yahoo.com THANKS

Alas, I have the bumps too. Mostly on my shoulder, but then again, my knew tattoo covers half of my upper back and my shoulder (seven hours worth). My ink is pink, purple, and blue primarily. When I popped a bump, I got just blood, and no hair. Probably going to call my artist tomorrow. Mines about a week old, and all my peeling is almost done.

I've got some bumps on one of my tattoos, it's on my cover-up, and only the part that was covered up, the bumps have been there for a really long time now, they look like tiny blisters and they don't hurt or anything. I had the tattoo for about a year or so before i noticed the bumps. Does anyone know what it could be and why it only happens on the covered part?

Hi all. I'm a lawyer and I just settled a case for a client of mine where his skin became raised and irritated under his tattoo - exactly as you all talk about. My client has communicated with people on this site about what he went through (his skin reaction has lasted a couple of years) and he told me I should take a look here, so here I am. If anyone would like some legal advice, feel free to ask - I'm happy to advise for free. And who knows, you may have a case.

David Zevin, Esq.
Law@ZevinLaw.com

I just got the bumps as well. I noticed them yesterday. I just got done with the 2nd session of my coverup tattoo. It does itch, I am going to go and see my artist tomorrow. I will post back what she has to say about it. I hope it is nothing major, that would suck!

Mine is on my upper left hand arm. It is a large koi fish and only some of the head is along with the tail and a few of the scales. I really don't understand what they are. But they are small bumps and the skin there feels tight to me.

hey i have the same problem my tattoo is on my forearm and there all loads of little bumps which itch like hell

In most cases it is a sensitivity to your after care product. Can also be form having the area shaved or hairs growing back in. Also SUN! Try washing the area and doing a dry heal for a few days and then use a fragrant free white lotion like Lubriderm or Curel. Another case is detergents or dust mites from clothing rubbing the area or dirty sheets.

i've read through all these posts and i noticed alot of things in common:

--tattoo on the forearm
--green color
--was shaved before inked


im having the same issue. i got the cancer symbol in black with green stars around it. its 2 months old now. i'm thinking the shaving part/growing hair is a main thing because only the section where my hair begins to grow is getting these bumps. i dont have alot, just a couple in the green, and only 3 or 4 in the black, but they're noticable. i use "tattoo goo" lotion. i tried keeping it dry for a while, but it hasnt changed. they dont itch or hurt, but i dont want to pop them and scar.

anyone find a way to fix this yet?

I got my third tattoo Feb. 8,2008 and just a few days after I started with the red bumps that look like pimples and are still getting them almost two months later. Some have gotten big and once popped there is blood. Some of the smaller and had some pus then blood. A lot have healed and gone but only more take their place. I didn't have this issue with my first two. My problem one is on my lower back and it is like a vine outlined in black with three clovers in green and two small red roses. Is there anything to put on this that will keep these bumps from getting bigger and sore? Is there anything that will resolve this issue or do I have to let it take it course?

I got a tattoo of a feather close to two weeks ago. After about 3 days I would say, I noticed that there were two raised bumps down the quill of the feather; within a few days after that more appeared clustered and slightly smaller around the outside and what seems like the black shading parts of the feather itself. They don't itch or hurt or seem to have any different coloration other than the tattoo itself - so it doesn't seem like it's an infection or allergic reaction of sorts. The feather is just black and gold - no green like some of the other posts. It's located on my back, laying along the uppermost part of my shoulder blade (a common thread seemed to be forearm tats). The bumps do not seem to be ingrown hairs coming back from when the site was shaved, or pimples, or anything of that sort - the best way to describe them would be like a bunch of moles - which randomly decided to pop up at the tattoo site.

I just got a tattoo of a samurai committing sepukku on my upper arm. About 4 days after I got the tattoo I got a bump and it started spreading. These little pus filled bumps itch like crazy. I was really worried at first. I talked to my tattoo artist and found out that this happens due to an allergic reaction with the lotion i was using (which was lubriderm). He told me to switch lotions. I also have been using pure aloe vera on these bumps, because this was recommended I will let you know what happens.

I got my bumps to go away.! so what you do is stop putting lotions, soaps or any other things on the tattoo. at mornings and at nights rub on pure aloe vera. My bumps went away after 7 days so be patient.

I got a new tattoo a few weeks ago. It's not my first by far but during the healing process I developed white bumps under my tattoo [my tattoo is on my forearm like many of yours], some would bust open on their own and some would be pus, others would be clear pus mixed with blood. They finally went away after my tattoo healed.

Now where my problem differs... this morning I noticed a bump in the lower middle area of my tattoo, it's really red and hot [we all know hot means infection], and my arm is hurting like hell. Also the skin is raised where the bump is. However, if I rub my hand along my arm away from the bump, I feel a knot under my skin and it's fairly big, but it's not raised on my skin... yet. Hopefully it won't and will go away] It almost feels like a "charlie horse" feels under the skin. But I'm kind of doubting this one will heal on it's own. This has never happened with any of my other tattoos, even with ones on my hands or my other forearm. So, I have no idea what it could be, but it's scary as hell might I add.

If anyone has had any similar things happen with their tattoo, email me, please! I don't check these boards often, but I need any advice or information that I can get before I have to go to the extreme of going to the doctor.

hey all, i'm having a similar problem

about a week ago i got my first tattoo, it's black ink and it's on the underside of my wrist. after the top layer of scabbed ink came off, i noticed a tiny bump that leaked clear fluid from a pinprick sized hole when i pressed on it. it does itch, but i can ignore it. i don't know what color the actual bump is, as it's under the black ink.

if anyone else has any advice for healing these bumps, i'd love to hear. i think i'm just going to wash it and do a few days of dry heal, or maybe add some cortisone cream in case it's an allergic reaction. i do have sensitive skin, so that might be it. i'll let you know how it goes.

I had the same bumps, like tiny moles, pop up on the back of my neck. The tattoo is a green clover and I've had it for a little over a year. I don't know when they first started appearing, but it wasn't before the first 3 months I had the tattoo and it healed beautifully . I asked my dermatologis about them and he said they were probably skin tags, because i had two others, but he didn't really look at them close and to be completely honest, he was a crap doctor :)There are about 5 of them now and sometimes they just go away and another one shows up about every month or two. I can feel them but they are painless, and they are the same green as the surrounding skin, and just barely raised up, not like the skin tags had been. I didn't have the problem with either of my other all black tattoos, but i got those here (indiana) and i got this one on a trip to Georgia. However, my friend kellie got the same tattoo on her lower backat the same time from the same artist, and she hasn't had any problems with it.

I also have a similar problem, my tattoo is probably about a month old.

It's on the top and inside part of my foot. When the scab came off the outside black parts of the tattoo were still raised...

Now, i have a bump right in the middle, or maybe 3, of my lilly (also black), and some of the parts that were raised along the outside are still raised like little bumps. It doesn't hurt or itch, but I have no idea what they are because I had another tattoo by the same person with none of this.

Ha, however if i try to pop one then it hurts like a pimple would but it doesn't pop just stays there...

I would LOVE to know what's going on, as I haven't been lubricating for awhile now.

i got a tattoo on my back on monday the scab has already started peeling but i have bumps on certain parts of my tattoo the bumps are like white and they hurt and itch. What should I do?

I have had my tat for about 3 months now. It healed nicely and even after a touch up, healed well from that. I recently went to the beach and used spf 50 sunscreen on it. Since it is on the top of my foot and I wear flip flops everyday, I usually rub spf 25 on the tat everyday. After returning from the beach (where I got massive sunburn and some slight sun poison) I noticed little bumps on my tat and they were very itchy. They are usually better in the morning and worse at night. (Weird). Still no better. I admit that I scratch it and the bumps are always worse after I do... (go figure). Anyway, I have been putting TattooGoo on at nights b/f bed, doesn't seem to be helping much. It is a color tat and one of the green leaves is one of the worst spots. But some of the black is horrible as well. So I am not convienced that it is a color thing. Someone mentioned using pure aloe vera.....think I will try that. Nothing else is helping....

I got my tattoo 4 weeks ago, a purple butterfly on my lower back. The healing process seemed to go great with no problems. I got past the REALLY itchy stage without digging my nails into it but as of today I was gently rubbing over it with my fingers and I noticed I could feel A LOT of bumps. My husband said some were white (with heads he thinks) but it is hard to tell because of the purple/red/black. I tried to call the guy that did it and had no luck. I used aveeno fragrance free lotion and it seemed to work great. I am not applying it as much as I was as I thought most of the healing process was done as the guy who did it said I could come in at any time now for my touch up. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I think you guys are describing different things.
The people with the bumps after months of having your tat, You have some sort of skin infection. I know I went through it when they started appearing after a year! Antibiotic cream will heal it in about a week or two. I went to the doctor the first time and he prescribed some cream that cost 70 bucks for barely a weeks worth...i have found that neosporin works just as well.
If it's the same thing. They WILL NOT go away on their own. It'll keep spreading but staying within your tattoo. I let it go for 2 years and it just kept spreading. It healed up without harm to my tat though.
The people seeing the bumps just after a tattoo shouldn't worry to much.

can someone please advise me..
i got a tattoo about a week ago. its on my back area.. anyway.. theres a part of it that formed a bump underneath thats sore like a pimple. but it hasnt like got huge, nor got a head or anything. it is directly under nothing but ink. what do i do?

do i just keep cleaning the tat and putting the lotion on daily? while just letting whatever it is go away on its own? or do i mess with it or possibly have it checked by someone?

ugh

Its probably just an ingrown hair. i have tattoos that are years old that i still get little bumps on.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor. if you're really worried, go see one.

Also, i hope this doesn't start a heated discussion, but in my opinion and experiance, you shouldn't be putting "lotion", or anything scented, dyed, creamed, or otherwise altered on a tattoo less than three weeks old. At my shop, we have people use Aquaphor, twice a day, and rub it in till it looks dry. Doctors have people use it for minor cuts, scrapes, and even eczema, as it really helps relieve itch and moisturize without saturating the skin.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a liscensed physician. You should follow the directions of your own tattoo artist or doctor concerning your tattoo's aftercare.

I am also having bumps and irritation on a new piece on my forearm. Only in the heaviest of the black lines though. The color parts have been no problem. I believe i may have had a reaction from an antibiotic and sun exposure combined. If a medication says avoid direct sunlight...they are not freakin kidding!

I had the same problem and a drop of Tee Tree Oil on the Tattoo reduced my bump by 80% the first day I used it.

I have a tattoo on my right inner forearm that is about a year and a half old now. I had touch ups done on it a year ago, and everything healed just peachy. It is a combination of vibrant shades of blue. The rest of my forearm is tattooed aswell, as of about three months ago with a variety of colour. I noticed one small tiny little bump that almost appears to be an air bubble coming through the blue of the original tattoo, but with no other side effects. No itching or discomfort, I just noticed the bump because of it's texture and being visible when I got the other tattoos done. Now though, three months later I have got about a dozen of these tiny bumps all in the same blue part, but no where else on my arm. I have a variety of other tattoos, going back about 8 years now, and have never experienced any of this. It freaks me out a little. I mean I always healed well with all of them, and this one was no different for the first year, has no other effects, so it's pretty weird.

I would advise letting the Art air out no A&D or anything foe few days. You may have over applied the Bacitracin or A&D or whatever and clogged your pores. If they go away just get a good lotion like Lubriderm non scented, Always wash your hands always before applying. Never touch with dirty hand or let anyone else with new Ink. If it is actually an infection , see a DR. asap.

Let the tattoo dry after you shower before applying the recommended ointment. The bumps appear when moisture is "trapped"under the skin.. Completely normal and will vanish when healed.

Oh should mention "drying time" should be around 45 minutes

When in doubt....wash ALL the slimey stuff OFF.

Use soap and water ONLY until the bumps go away. You could get a very serious infection if not careful.

could be nothing more than zits from ointment...or it could be a staph infection and to be safe, you should use soap and water only.

a well applied tattoo will heal fine with no crappy ointments.

If anyone is really concerned, always see a doctor.

But, if you catch it early...just drying it out with soap and water should clear it up. sometimes I have people wipe it down ONCE with isopropyl alcohol. then start with soap and water...

ointments can clog pores and trap dirt if not done properly and again...if the tattoo was applied well, you don't need to do anything besides keep it clean.

.

Hey, I am VERY concerned about bumps under my tattoo. I got a new tattoo on my side about a month ago and it is completly healed but I noticed there is 5 bumps formed under my tattoo. They are slightly itchy and seem to be getting bigger. What can this be? What should I do?! I have other tattoos by a different artist and this has never happened.!

I got my first tattoo on my left shoulder about 2-3 weeks ago. It's basically done pealing and scabbing over but I noticed about 3-4 days ago a bunch of little bumps (kinda like little bug bites or pimples) under my tattoo. Some of them pop and they just bleed. I don't think it's an allergic reaction to the lotion I'm using or they would be all over the top of my shoulder plus they aren't in the whole tattoo just part of it. I'm not sure what they could be. Can anyone give me a guess or some advice on them?

i have like 25 yr old tats.the one on my right forearm always welts up and itches like a mofo.like once a yr or so.only last for a hour or so and its mostly on the out line.i used to trip out on it yrs ago like i was gonna die or sumtin.i think it might be to a reaction from systemic poison oak from a huge wildfire i was stuck in dring a wildnerness mt bike ride.i pretty much just dealt wit it after all these yrs. i will most likely never be able to figure it out.

i have like 25 yr old tats.the one on my right forearm always welts up and itches like a mofo.like once a yr or so.only last for a hour or so and its mostly on the out line.i used to trip out on it yrs ago like i was gonna die or sumtin.i think it might be to a reaction from systemic poison oak from a huge wildfire i was stuck in dring a wildnerness mt bike ride.i pretty much just dealt wit it after all these yrs. i will most likely never be able to figure it out.

i have like 25 yr old tats.the one on my right forearm always welts up and itches like a mofo.like once a yr or so.only last for a hour or so and its mostly on the out line.i used to trip out on it yrs ago like i was gonna die or sumtin.i think it might be to a reaction from systemic poison oak from a huge wildfire i was stuck in dring a wildnerness mt bike ride.i pretty much just dealt wit it after all these yrs. i will most likely never be able to figure it out.

i have like 25 yr old tats.the one on my right forearm always welts up and itches like a mofo.like once a yr or so.only last for a hour or so and its mostly on the out line.i used to trip out on it yrs ago like i was gonna die or sumtin.i think it might be to a reaction from systemic poison oak from a huge wildfire i was stuck in dring a wildnerness mt bike ride.i pretty much just dealt wit it after all these yrs. i will most likely never be able to figure it out.

Hey all, I am an apprentice and most recently we had a lady come in the shop who was getting tattooed by a scratcher. She had a huge peace frog on her leg which was a well past the healing stage. There were bumps within the tattoo, about the size of a marble, that were not painful or itchy and went away when she took a shower but returned shortly after. Pretty ugly looking things. Well, neither I or my mentor had ever seen anything like that so told her to go see a doctor. We asked her to let us know when she found out but never heard from her again. Then about a month later a young girl who also got ink from a scratcher, not the same scratcher though, had a similar problem. She fortunately had already been to see a doctor and was told she had an allergic reaction to the red ink (she had two cherries on her leg and with them swollen like they were it looked like two cherries poking through her skin) and the only way to get rid of it was to surgically remove the entire tattoo. Ouch.

this is actually dead skin that builds up and makes little bumps that look like goose bumps. i have had these my whole life and i dont even have a tattoo. my dermatologist said that it is pretty tricky to make go away but she gave me some moisturizer and ill have to see how it works

morons some of u might be having a reaction to the pigment but if its a pimple like bump its most likely staff witch u can get from a dirty studio or simply applying ointment with dirty fingers

I had a tatto that was a yr old keep doing this and I had to take a stiff round of powerful antibiotics because it was staph. It really itched bad and I had lots of bumps.

"visions" you are the moron......you cant even spell staph. staff is a bunch of people who work somewhere. sheesh

I've had my tattoo for about 3 weeks. its a picture of the grim reaper holding his scythe with a red rose on the bottom corner. the scabbing process has been done for over a week, but the bumps that appeared haven't gone away. I tried dry healing for a couple of days, but it hasn't helped at all. it seems that only one person has come up with an answer, and its the aloe vera solution. I'm going to try it and I'll let you know what happens.

I the bumps on my forearm tattoo also but they are really tiny and i have had this tattoo for about a year now and i just started noticing it. And its seems only to be where i have Orange ink that glows in a black light. If anyone has info plz E-mail me.

hey, my question is the same i have noticed small red bumps im my tattoo. i consulted an artist and was told my tattoo is healed. but im a little worried because this is my second tattoo and i didnt notice this with the first one. so shoul i be scared, also should i seek medical advice?

i dont have any bumps but have raising and scarring ( which i think is most from senstive skin and lil bit of over working.

the raising is only from the yellow inks. my artist mixes his own ink. I just know that if i do go back to him, not to get yellow ink. i do get worried of infection. but i have no fever or redness around the tat. I have psoriasis and i think that is contributing to some of the probs. I just need to make sure that i tell me artists that i have sensative skin and not to go so hard on it.

im waiting atleast a year for touch ups since i hear thats a good time to wait to let most of the scarring and things settle.

im gonna get back to the artist and see if he thinks its anything serious that needs a docs look.

I got my second tattoo less than three weeks of my first.Before my artist had did my tattoo he shaved the area,he didnt do this to the first.After a one to two months I had begin to notice some bumps on my tattoo.My tatto is on my forearm so very visible.I have already talk to my artist three times since noticing.First he said use less creme or whatever i was using.The second he told me because he shaved my tattoo before doing it,that it is probably the hair trying to grow back.They haven't seem to leave yet though what should i do???

Hello all! I have had a rose tattoo between my breasts for 3 years now. I noticed that every summer the darker spots of my tattoo (where there was shading done followed by red ink) get little bumps following the pattern. It's like I have a 3D rose!

In the winter, my skin goes back to normal and I have no issues. Once the sun touches my tattoo come summer time, the bumps start up again and they are itchy.

Does anyone else think that maybe it's a reaction to the sun? I was thinking that the darker pigment is reacting with the sun and forming raised bumps almost like keliods.

Any suggestions?

hmm... that's got me wondering, i got a tattoo on my left shoulderblade when i was 12, i'm now 19, there are very small, slight bumps under my skin under the tattoo, only where the tattoo is, i'm really not sure what they are, but they've been there since my tattoo has healed. I want to get my tattoo redone because it's faded quite abit in some areas, is it even possible to have ink replaced on top of it, even tho i have these bumps and i don't know what they are??

i got my tats about a month ago now and they healed just fine. There stars on my wrist. 2 of them are nautical stars and one is purple/black and one is green/black. Well about a week ago I noticed 2 little bumps right on the outline of the star with green, although its in the black area of it. What a coinicidence that I happen to get the bumps on the only star with green in it.

My bumps are small kinda like pimples but there is no redness, they do itch just a little but don't bother me unless I bump them, I was thinking maybe my body was just trying to push the ink out in that particular spot. They seem smaller now than when I first noticed them so hopefully soon they will be gone I hope they don't come back.

Hey guys. I first noticed my bumps when the tattoo was about a year old. I never used to expose my chest (yes i know how bad that sounds lmao) but now that i do in the summer, it's like as soon as i get a little sun on the tattoo these bumps get worse and a lot more itchy!!! I have 11 tattoos in all and the only one that has these bumps is my rose that's between my boobs.

i've come across the same issues, i have a tattoo on my upper right arm that would randomly get little itchy bumps, they would spread if i itched. eventually they went away but do reappear maybe once or twice a year. i've had 3 other artists this hasn't happened to any of their work on me.

i just got that same arm tattooed (forearm this time) by the same artist. its a few months old, a couple weeks ago i had a small cluster of hives related to stress (not under the tattoo but near it) next thing i know the hives are gone but those little bumps appeared under the newer tattoo! the tattoo takes up from my wrist to the middle of my upper arm but there's only about ten bumps. They are well spread out, pretty tiny and it seems like they're only on the black outlines. The other day i noticed there was the same type of bump about an inch away from the tattoo. The tattoo above it hasn't been affected by the outbreak. some of the bumps seem to have a greyish spot on them. hopefully theyll go away and not leave anything scarred or miscolored!

Reading over all of these, and i am not a doctor, but it souds like its an allergic reaction, or unsanitary upkeep of the healing tattoo. I have one bump under my new tattoo, which is black and on my upper chest. I doubt there is a link to the location and color, as everyones skin is different. Hopefully when i stop using a&D ointment, washing it with soap and water 4 times a day or more, it will go away. If not, i will see my doctor who is a good friend of mine, and relay the message as it seems im not the only one who is concerned.

I have raised areas in my tattoos, too, but:

1) they range in size from 1/4 inch to more than an inch long;
2) they do not itch - they hurt on the surface when I run my hand over them;
3) all tattoos on this arm are more than 2 years old;
4) they are all on the outside of my right arm (ink on underside of right arm, on left arm, and on leg and back are all fine);
5) the lumps are all on green or blue ink sites;
6) I never got the lumps until after I had a stroke, so I don't think it could be allergies to lotion, sun exposure, or food intake.

Does this sound familiar to anymore?

I too was concerned with the white pimple like bumps forming on my tattoo.I have 49 tattoos and with the biggest one that is a half sleeve on my right arm these bumps appeared after like 8 months.I did research on line but obviously i was going from site to site getting various different answers and after reading all these comments i got a little scared and went to my doctor.The Diagnosis is called keratosis pilaris.Which is a common skin condition,there are ointments that can be used to help the appearnce of the skin but doesnt really heal the skin.AS it's a dry skin condition where the hair follicles get clogged and leave your skin with a sand paper like feel.I would suggest using a pumice stone on the rough areas to soften the skin but you may wanna be careful as not to wreck your tattoo..other than that it is not serious,contagious or a disease,it's just a common skin condition.If you are wanting more info on this just type in "Keratosis Pilaris "on your search engines and it will give you a more detailed explanation.Hope this has helped you guys and gals with this concern.Evil E

have a lotus flower on my wrist for a number of months recently got itchy and when i felt the area i noticed i could feel small bumps like goose bumps on the tattoo but not really visiable to the eye one night it was very itchy and i scratched it but mine just whe dry in those areas and made the bumps visible i think its more of a skin irratation then anything else a good antiseptic cream should clear it but when its dry i use a Moisturizer cream just got one on my fore arm and he shaved it and i have notived tiny red lumps around the ink line skin feels quiet dry too i hav other tats that have given no problems i suppose stick needles and ink into your arm and there are bound to be side affects sometimes

I have had my ink for almost 2 years, but about 3 or 4 months ago I started getting these little "air bubble" looking bumps in my tattoo. They dont itch or hurt either. They go away just as fast as they show up, they also peel a little bit...
I have tried just rubbing A&D on it, all sorts of lotion, I even went in an talked to a tattoo artist about it, so if anyone is having these some symptoms and have found a method to fix it please let me know...

i get as well as some friends similar bumpage,
it will come and go in spots uusuallyon the green spectrum of ink,
never could get a ststraightoforwardnswer for it, so i started looking into it with another buddy that also dose tattoos and from what i remember of HS chem and other adv Hs science, is that there might be sosomethingn that green family of pigment that wewhethere natural source ie a mineral or chemical source that is reacting with i guess sosomethingn us and is making pours form something of a cacallushat causes an ingrown hair type infection, that is causing the razor like bumps. but im not a dedermatologistr ink maker so, yea

I have had my tattoo for 4 years now. A year after I got the tattoo it developed moles all over the tattoo no where else. Well they look like moles. Also the tattoo was homemade. But I showed the tattoo to several tattoo artist and they said they have never seen anything like it. I went to the health department and they said it was not cancer but its a health department they are not that smart. Does any body know what it could be and the cause of it?

I have had my tatto for about 5 mons. i got 2 tats back to back one on my upper arm and one on my foot same ink the one on my arm is fine but the one on my foot has these little itchy bumps i ve had for bout a month what is it and why dose it itch so much??????????? Help!!!

I got a rose on my forearm about 6 months ago and the shaded parts have started to get really itchy and when I scratch it bumps spread throughout the black parts. I am also pretty sure that it can be a reaction from the sun, since black absorbs light.

Not a doctor either but too poor to afford one. : ( maybe when school starts I will go to the nurse.

People who just got their tattoo's in less than 1 month should stop freaking out, its just a little allergic reaction. However, I find it really strange that its happening to me 6 months afterward when all the healing is done.

If anyone figures anything else out email me at yourfalseidol@yahoo.com. Im curious to what is happening

hi i just got my first tattoo so im prolly just paranoid but yea i got stars on my face and ive noticed on the biggest star closest to my eye there are bumps like pimples or small scabs or sumthing im kinda scared if this could be damaging or permanent nd wut i should do
ps im using tattoo goo as recomended

I have the bumps...
I got my secone tat about a week ago and its a pink flamingo on the outside of my lower left leg. Correction: I got the shading and filling about a week ago. I've had the outline for about 2 months. When i got the outling I got these bumps but it wasn't nearly as severe as they are this time around.
It looks like asevere case of acne, whiteheads and all. I thought they were ingrown hairs due to the shaving. However I've plucked hairs out and the bumps are still present, and are now travelling all around my calf and even up my leg.
I called me tatoo artist and he said the Eugerine healing ointment could be the cause since the ointment blocks the oxygen flow into the pores. I stopped using it for about two days now and it seems to be getting worse.

my tattoo is over twenty yrs old and i have the same bumps that outlines my tat on my upper part of my arm,it started this summer thought maybe it was the sun but now it's showing on my tattoo i have on my leg.help me out it's starting to FREAK ME OUT!!!!!!!!!!

i have strech marks on my upper and lower arm im sick of wearing 3/4 in sleever anyway my question is can i cover them with a sleeve the strech marks are very thin ..please help

I also have these bumps, but my is my upper left arm. its the start of my sleeve, but i thought i got the bumps because my mom has a cat and i'm allergic to cats and there's cat all over this house lol. and i also have eczema on this arm on my underarm. so i just figured it has something to do with that. i just use my cream and now they're going away

I've had my tattoo for a lil over a month. Around sunday I got a bump over a part of the tattoo. I left it alone but it itched really bad. Around wed [yesterday] it was itching so bad I picked at it, the top of the bump just came off and it looked like a piece of ink. When I looked at the spot where the bump was, there was like a hole, and when you looked in it, you could see , what looked like, a layer of the ink. I cleaned it and put a bandage over it. Today I took it off and there was a dot of ink on it. I just put another one on, and not even 30 mins later I could see a dot of ink through the top of it. I don't know if it could get infected when its been over a month. So what could I do? What could be wrong with it? And will the hole cover back up ?

Please help. Thanks.

i have all the same littl ebumps all over my tattoo, as well as a few really big ones dat i popped and it was pretty much like a pimple and now its like a big black hole. it only itches in one spot and its raised like a rash almost. some are really tiny and some a fairly large, and it kinda concerns me. mine is on my inner right bicep, and i didnt kno if its jus because its a really sensitive spot. if anyone has any idea jus hit me up... slugger2909@yahoo.com

Since December I have had about 45 hours of black ink put into my skin. (full back piece, vamp bite on neck, cover up on my left shoulder). I didn't notice any bumps through my back piece or neck. THEN, I got my shoulder cover up done. Of course the artist shaved the area so I assumed the bumps that appeared were little ingrown hairs. My bumps are small, don't itch, but they are annoying just because I want to show off my new ink.

Anyway, I was on a low dose of Doxycyclene for about 4 months because I had a staff infection last winter (diagnosed that I had MRSA from working in a hospital). Upon seeing a doctor, I was told that having taken antibiotics, I may need to take a pro-biotic to rebuild my immune system properly. ALSO, Doxy specifically can make you have a reaction to the sun which can result in the small bumps.

I'm sure this isn't very useful, but something to keep in mind if you've been on meds.

BTW, rather than lotion, I use Bag Balm on my tatts.

Hey i read alot of the posts here and alot of your tatts seem really fresh... i had 2 tatts done 1 on each forearm they're both names in old english that go all the way down the forearm these tatts are about 2.5 yrs old and just 2 days ago on both forearms i started to get these bumps throughout the outline and they itch like hell and they start to bleed. My tatt is all black so i dont believe these bumps have anything to do with color, i just have no clue why after 2 yrs it would do this. I have 6 tatts in all and all of them are older then the 2.5 yr old forearm tatts. but yet the forearm tatts are the only ones that have ever done this, all of my tatts are done by different artists in different cities, both forearms were done by the same guy at a place called kats like us in las vegas. If anyone knows of a legit reason why this has happened feel free to email me at idleaire2008@hotmail.com as i probably will never find my way back to this page again. P.S it might be something simple as 2 days ago we bought some ferrets, so maybe its just a small alergic reaction to them, however givin the amount of people on here with this problem i hardly doubt that.

Hey everybody..I got tattooed on my shoulder blade and a couple weeks afterward I got these bumps..not just under it but also in the non tattooed area around it. They itch like crazy and look like pimples with the white head on it and everything. I was thinking maybe and ink allergy but I'm pretty much at a loss..any ideas?

Hey there guys. i had the same experience with a tattoo i got about 4 years ago. i got a skull tattoo on my right shoulder, everything seemed fine until 4 days after i got it. after the 4 days, a few red bumps(pimple like) boils appeared on my chest, upper back, later spreading on my lower back, and on my neck. they itched. I went to the doctor, hospitals and dermatologists for about a whole year, i took tablets, antibiotics, ointments, yet no help. soon i thought maybe it was the ink that was causing this problem.

so, my thought was, since it was the think, maybe i should remove the tattoo to solve the problem. i also talked to a friend of mine who knows about natural medicine. what he said i may have is MRSA, or staph infection. i did my research that most tat inks, have mercury, copper, led, and other hazardous metals that can cause allergic reactions to some individuals, not all. unfortunatly i was one of them.

Again, i chose to remove my tat, got it lasered off, and took garlic Pills. Garlic is known to clean the blood cells and the entire system in our bodies. i took garlic pills for a whole year,while getting my tat removed. after the tat was completely removed, i kept taking the garlic pills, after a few months, the red bumps, abcesses and boils dissapeared eventually. they never came back, yet it feels good not having them again. i'm not a doctor or whatever, but i did what i had to do to make symptom go away.
after those months of agony, i thought of never getting another tat ever again.my conclusion, maybe tats aren't for everybody, every person has a different body chemistry.

maybe some one out there wants to get rid of these annoying itchy red bumps after getting a Tattoo. that was solution, lasered off, and taking garlic pills 3 times a day, until the tat was erased completely and red itchy bumps disapeared. hope this helps.

After reading this there seems to be two different types of bumps forming. Little red goose bumps and welts. A lot of this looks to be allergies to the ink or in grown hair or people who are just freaking out because it's their first tattoo.

There are many causes to the many different reactions. It would be great if people, after taking the oppertunity to complain about their irritations, would blog about how they went away or if they recived medical attention, what the diagnosis was.

Had my tattoo 6+years now. The black outline completely raised up around the whole thing and inside. I thought the thing was going to pop out it was so prominent. Itchy too. I put some generic hydrocortisone cream on it and within a half hour it was better. I think it's just the body under stress reacting to irritants and foreign matter. I've had a lot of skin problems lately and this is just par for the course.

Hi, been reading the site and I also have red like blisters which itch like crazy. Had some rework done to an existing tattoo and they seamed to appear under the new work about 3 weeks later. The ink is black and the tattoo covers my upper left arm. Didn't have to shave or anything like that, so don't think it could be anything to do with hair regrowth. Went to the doctors and he has tried me on 2 different types of steroid cream and also steroid tablets for 5 days. Nothing has worked so far. Going back to doctors again in a couple of days. These spots/blisters what ever they are, are driving me crazy.

i have been tattooing for twenty years and have seen these so called red pimple looking bumps this infection is better known by the title staff infection! come on people the answers to your health issues should be answerd by doctors not the crummy come backs of this stupid site it is clear to me that who ever is answering your questions on here has very little expertise in the tattoo industry. i am no doctor and do not claim to be one staff is a bacteria that is present on nearly 50 percent of the us population reputable tattoo parlors should not be blamed for such infections staff is everywhere not to mention several differnt strands of it it can live on a counter for 3 days now imagine u are in a gas station touching money counters door handles ect u jump in your car get to work home or where ever u grab your lotion ointment or what ever the artist has recomended an apply it to your new tattoo what YOU DIDNT WASH YOUR HANDS PROPERLY BEFORE YOU APPLIED IT !!!!!!!! this is just one example of how you can become infected it really earks me that this site has said nothing of such infections there are risks in breaking the skin get some one that knows sumthing and gives a damn to answer these questions

Thanks for the info everyone. My tatts are from 5-20 yrs old. The 5 year old tatts started getting these itchy bumps around and under them about 3 months ago and are still coming and going. They are in the blue green inks. They do look like moles and itch like heck especially at night. Too weird! So glad to think that they are not cancer or something because I was beginning to wonder. But several of you have described the same thing so I'm hopeful they will disappear just like they came. Some are permanent though, you can tell. When you scratch them they bleed, when they go away some just look like white heads or something like that. Some of them look like a translucent mole. They seemed to appear when I took off a few pounds, mine are down my right leg, the designs on my thighs are the effected areas where the inks are greens and blues. Oils with vitamin E take the itch away. I'm going to try the tea tree oil. Thanks a lot.

i got a tattoo on my lower back about 11 months ago and i have 3 big bumps in it and iv had them for ages i put vasealine on them but it dosnt seem to do anything. sometimes they itch and somtimes they sting so any one got any advice for me please but dont say just leave it it will go away becuase i already have left it for 11 months thankyou :)

Yeah like the guy a few posts above said it is quite unbelievable that nobody recognized this as very likely being a staph or possible MRSA infection. definitely needs to be checked medically because the MRSA can get quite nasty. It is very easy for people to pick these up after getting a tat. It is picked up during the healing process so it isn't so much the shop's fault although the shop is responsible for giving proper aftercare directions stressing the importance of thorough handwashing and not letting anyone else touch your tattoo.

Hey there!

So, like many people, I have a new tattoo on either arm, both on my inner forearms. (up near the elbows.)
It's been 5 days.
After getting the tattoos, i used aloe vera gel to moisturize for a few days. I was a bit of a dummy- even though i checked with my artist first, 'cause my skin is VERY sensitive, and my aloe gel turned out to contain alcohols.. which totally irritated the skin around my tattoo. Since then, i started moisturizing with a series of different lotions, before finally settling on Burts Bees- an all-natural moisturizer. Things were going well, the tattoos "skimmed over" and then started peeling.. and then yesterday i noticed a rash starting on the skin AROUND my new tattoos.

I washed carefully, and tried applying some different antibiotic creams- no effect. So i tried a cortisol creme- takes away the itch, and i can SEE a difference. The rash is like a pinkish tinge to the irritated skin, and that skin is covered with little bumps, like raised hair follicles.

After reading this, i think the problem is largely my own. These are my first tattoos, and I'm sure I overloaded it with lotions early on.. and then continued to do so. I'm going to let the cream I have on it- the cortisol one- soak on it.. and just let it be for a bit. I'll be sticking to short sleeves/no sleeves for the next few days, I guess! I think i was "trapping moisture", as one wise person pointed out. The rash looks a bit like "prickley heat".

Next tattoo, or once these start looking normal again, i'll invest in a proper tattoo-care product, so I have it on hand from the get go. AND I'll go sparingly with my applications, instead of slathering it on like a paranoid little girl. :)

thanks for all the advice and input!

Okay! So, i posted earlier about the bumpies... here is my solution!

As i thought, I had totally over-saturated my skin with lotion. DON'T USE A LOT!! That's the key, and I totally missed it. Anyway, my skin freaked out. It was CRAZY itchy, especially at night, so I started using a HydroCortisone creme on it, which worked okay, after stinging, but made my tattoo look funny and blurry (luckily just while the creme was actually ON it. When I washed it off, the tattoo itself was fine.)

Anyway, what I ended up realizing is that, being as my tattoos are close to the crook of my elbows, and I sleep with my arms curled up, the lotion that I was putting on at night was never seeping in all the way, and was getting WAY over heated, due to my closed arms. It was hot, lotiony skin against hot, un-lotiony upper arms, and that created a prickely heat rash! I laid off all lotions for 2 days, just washing with a very mild soap if my tattoos felt too dry.. and after that, now they look FANTASTIC and all the rash is gone! I still don't put lotion on at night, 'cause I don't want that sort of situation again. When I do apply lotion- I wash them, let they dry for A WHOLE HOUR, and then apply A VERY SMALL AMOUNT of Curel lotion to the TATTOOS ONLY.. and rub it in until it's totally dry. THEN i can wear sleeves or whatever.

Good luck, guys!

ive recently got a new tattoo i have many more but ive never had this problem.Its red diamond that covers my right hand.the bumps started forming 1 week after i got it and they itch.is this some type of allergic reaction to the lotion i use(curel healing lotion)?Please someone let me know.it will be greatly appreciated.