4 week old tattoo with irritation around it?

I have a 4 week old tattoo that healed beautifully right off the bat, but has now suddenly developed red, raised irritation around some of the ink. It just started over the weekend, and doesn't really itch but feels more like a throbbing/consistent pain. It isn't unbearable or anything, and I'm just looking for some info on what could be happening or what to do to help relieve the inflammation.

The tattoo is a cross and text on my left wrist, in black and shades of grey. It is my second tattoo and I had no problems with my first one at all (an all black one on my foot). I had planned to go to a friend's shop today to ask his professional opinion, but have to head out of town unexpectedly. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, please do not suggest that my artist re-used needles or anything of that nature. I went to a highly recommended shop and watched him open new needles, etc.

Could it possibly be that he did it too deep.
I had a friend who had a tat done and the artist did it too deep and now its bumpy and raised...
Go see your doctor!

I actually had this problem with the tattoo on my wrist as well. Do you have colored ink? I freaked out when this happened, and my artist told me its like a heat rash and I was to keep it out of the sun completely. It took about two weeks to fade out, but thats what it was.

could be an infection, from what it sounds like. throbbing pain is never a good thing, usually means the area around is swollen and is pressing on nerves. get to a doc and some antibiotics.

hey my tatt on my leg has a similar thing happening to it but mine gets red raised and itchy.
i have noticed with mine its only when my thigh heats up so its kinda like a heat rash sorta thing

i had a similar situation happen to me. i think it was infected cuz it took five weeks to heal. but i also babied it in the beginning by putting a lot of Neosporin on it. Once I started letting it dry out, it helped a little bit but didn't completely ease the pain. I was itching like crazy though. I had the raised red skin too. Once I soaked in the bath (something they tell you not to do), that's when I started feeling relief. I think everyone knows their own body enough to be able to trust their instincts on how to take care of things like this. Something told me that a bath might help (and it did).

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8 January 2009 | cameltoepants.com | edit