giddygeek | (no subject)

I am up waaaaaay too late to be writing in LJ, especially considering how early I have to leave, but I'm having difficulties. My tattoo, which I've had...almost two years now? periodically itches and swells up. It's on the back of my neck, and I try so so hard not to scratch at it but I can't help tracing it with my fingertips. Normally, it's like...not even there. Just something I'm aware of a lot, mostly when my hair is up or my shirt is low--

Especially since people seem to feel that a tattoo you can see is a tattoo you can touch, whether or not you know the person who has it. People are constantly putting their hands on my neck and saying, "What does it mean?" (Chinese symbol, kind of--a mix of dream and believe)

But, anyway, sometimes it itches, like I said, and tonight it's burning and so swollen that I could like...ink it and make a stamp. I know that image prolly doesn't make sense but it's 1am and I'm incoherent. Does anyone else with tats experience this? My sister doesn't, neither does her husband, or does my mom or Kerri's mom or Kerri herself, so I'm at a loss. But, seriously, oww. Can't sleep. Heeeeeelp?

Threaded | Flat

I have no idea what'd wrong with your tattoo and I hope it gets better soon. Have you tried Aloe Vera gel? It's good for inflammation.

However, ::shuffles feet:: if I used this in a fic, would you be annoyed? 'Cause as far as ailments go, this is a really, really literary one. ::feels like a heel::

Do feel better, dude.

I've never heard of anyone who has symptoms like this after the tat healed... is there a possibility you could be allergic to the ink, or something? I'd suggest going back to your tattoo artist and asking him/her... when you're having a flare-up, if at all possible, so they can see what you're talking about.

Of course, if this were a fic, it would be, like, a possessed tattoo or a magical tattoo. You haven't been hearing Jodie Foster lately, have you?

I get that burning/itching on the back of my neck sometimes, without a tattoo. It's usually from heat and/or sweat or some other kind of external irritation, like a reaction to a new kind of soap.

I suggest washing it (and the area around it) with something mild like Ivory soap, and putting a little powder on it (something medicated like Gold Bond would probably be good) to keep it dry. And if it keeps doing this, go to the doctor sometime while it's flaring up.

One of mine, the older of the two (two years in a month), will get slightly inflamed/raised when there's some trauma to the skin near it (i.e. if I get a bug bite within an inch of it). I have no idea why, and I haven't asked anyone...maybe I should call the person who did my second one (that I have no problems with whatsoever) and ask, but really, it doesn't worry me or anything, so I don't. Is yours filled in/thicker than a single line? The one that does react is thicker lines and colored, the new one is black and just a thin outline...

If you find out a reason for it, do let me know, I'm kinda curious now... :)