Advice for a friend - bad scabbing/ possible infection

Esoteric_

Okay, so I've been giving a friend some advice on healing her tattoo, but I have no idea what to do now, after seeing pics of how bad it really is.

She got a friend to tattoo her in her own house (I know, fcuking TERRIBLE idea). No autoclave used, and from what I know, the scratcher doesn't know anything about hygiene. :rolleyes:

Anyway, this is when the tattoo was 'fresh' -



After a few days, she told me it was scabbed. I didn't know that she had gone to a scratcher at this point, and told her to go back to her artist as she said it was hurting her quite a bit. She then said the 'artist' was just a friend who had come to her house and done it while she was lying in bed. :eek:

I asked her for a pic and this is the tattoo about 5 days after it was done. She DID follow proper after-care guidelines, which is the only bloody thing she did do right!



Ignore the website names at the bottom, I got the pics from one of the sites we both use. :pac:

So guys, I'm no expert, but she said the tattoo and surrounding skin is hot to the touch. Parts of that look quite infected to me, it's not just normal scabbing from what I can see.

What should she do? I know what to advise for scabbing and bad healing, but this has stumped me. Is a doctor the only thing I can suggest now?

Killer_banana

Skin being hot to touch, in general, is a sign of infection. I'd say the doctor is the best thing to do now.

Star Lord

The heat can also be there just because the body is trying to heal from the tattoo, doesn't mean it's infected.
I don't see anything in that picture that would make me think it's infected straight off. Is there any weeping? What is she doing for aftercare?

Esoteric_

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

The heat can also be there just because the body is trying to heal from the tattoo, doesn't mean it's infected.
I don't see anything in that picture that would make me think it's infected straight off. Is there any weeping? What is she doing for aftercare?

Bottom left hand corner looked a bit too inflamed for normal tattoo healing, to me, but you can't tell perfectly from pictures either way.

She said it's weeping 'clear liquid' and that her shoulder (where she has it done) is extremely stiff and painful, to the point where she can't do anything with her arm because the pain is too intense in her shoulder.

For aftercare, she's been using E45, applying thin layers at regular intervals, I told her to apply it more frequently if it's scabbing.

Star Lord

Yeah, the pictures are too bad to judge properly.

The 'clear liquid' could be simply from white blood cells trying to heal the 'wound'. If it's infected, I'd expect there to be a bad smell from it.

You mentioned the E45, how often was she applying it? Has she been washing it regularly too?

Esoteric_

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

Yeah, the pictures are too bad to judge properly.

The 'clear liquid' could be simply from white blood cells trying to heal the 'wound'. If it's infected, I'd expect there to be a bad smell from it.

You mentioned the E45, how often was she applying it? Has she been washing it regularly too?

She hasn't told me anything about a smell, I'll ask her, though.

She was putting on the E45 every 2-3 hours. She was washing with warm water, mild anti-bacterial soap and patting it dry. I told her because of the scabbing, to apply the E45 more frequently to keep it moisturised. She says the part where the writing is (in the first pic) is badly swollen and is rejecting most of the ink.

Star Lord

Again, hard to judge by the pic, but it doesn't look like she's putting on enough, or often enough. It does look very dry.

If she's in any doubt though, she should get her ass to the doc.

Melion

Just tell her go to the doctor, i doubt any amount of e45 is going to help her tbh. Hopefully she learns a lesson from that mistake.

antocann

id suggest going to the doctors , but looking at those pics , id suggest more poor after care tbh

Cupcake_Crisis

Maybe tell her to pop into a studio, if an artist has a bit of down time they might be able to have a look at it for her. The second pic does look pretty gnarley, but more dried out than infected.

niallam

I'd mix a small bit of savlon through the moisturiser and do it every few hours until they can get to a doctor. Might help if its only a small infection
The pic isn't great so can't really make it out too well but looks really dried out and very scabby.

Hellrazer

Ive never ever ever seen an "infected" tattoo.

Usually the problem is the person that tattooed is either

1.Using too much "stuff" on it.

2.Is letting their clothes rub too much off it in which case Id use a clean dressing over it every day.Not cling film.A clean dressing that you buy in a chemist shop.

3.They keep touching it,rubbing it etc.

Tell your friend to leave it alone.Put a dressing on it under their clothes and change it twice a day.

Use Johnstons baby lotion on it and not e45.

I know I keep saying it but products containing lanolin dont work for healing the body and can cause reactions.Anyone Ive told to switch with reactions like your friends have found baby lotion better for healing.

http://www.tandurust.com/skincare/lanolin-cream-side-effects.html


Now back to the "scratcher"

Did they use single use tubes ie plastic??Did they use stainless??Technically if you are using one use only tubes you dont need an autoclave and in my opinion these are safer for want of a better word.

Id be concerned if they used stainless as you dont know how clean they are.