GETTING A TATTOO is an investment. They can be pricy, painful, and take time. It’s usually worth it in the end, though, unless your new ink gets infected. The likelihood of an infection is ...

GETTING A TATTOO is an investment. They can be pricy, painful, and take time. It’s usually worth it in the end, though, unless your new ink gets infected. The likelihood of an infection is ...

Quiniece Washburn developed a dangerous, 'traumatizing' skin infection after getting a tattoo on her calf for her brother.

“That’s always a risk for any open wound that’s not treated properly, it can spread very quickly,” Katz says, noting infected tattoos could leave an unwanted scar.

Tattoo Allergic Reaction. It is possible to have reactions to the inks or the metals in the needles used in tattoos, causing swelling and even damage to the skin tissue itself.

Your tattoo is basically an open wound. And sweating into that fresh ink can irritate or even lead to infection. It’s not just the sweat that’s an issue either.

You can get a skin infection any time your skin is broken, whether from a cut, tattoo, piercing, puncture, sting, or bite. Some infections happen at the skin’s surface, but they can start deeper ...

After getting a new tattoo, the outer layer of skin will typically appear healed within 2 to 3 weeks. However, the healing process can take upward of 6 months. Here’s why.