Don’t interfere with your body during the healing stage. It may itch and it may be uncomfortable, but don’t pick at it! This is also why many people advise against wearing tight chaffing clothes on the tattooed area, as this can rub away the skin before it’s ready to flake off.

Read More: Tattoo Peeling: Is It Normal and How to Fix (Everything You Need to Know)

AI01

4. Infection

The last cause of a tattoo scar is an infection. Now, the main cause of an infection is when dirt or bacteria get onto the tattoo – this is often caused by people not taking the necessary aftercare steps. However, it’s also possible that the infection came from the tattoo parlor or is just your body’s reaction.

So, if you know someone who had a tattoo infection, don’t automatically assume that they’ve skipped aftercare or are just living in a dirty environment!

Anyway, with that point out of the way, here are the signs of an infection:

• Red swelling that gets progressively worse (some redness and swelling is normal, but it should only get better),
• Excessive oozing, pus, and a bad odor,
• Swollen blister-like lumps,
• Fever symptoms in general.

If you experience any of these problems, then don’t touch your tattoo. Picking and prodding the tattoo to “burst” or relieve pressure is going to make everything worse.

The best thing to do is go to a doctor and get treatment – they’ll likely prescribe antibiotics. To minimize the chances of scarring, keep the area clean but otherwise untouched. You may scar regardless so trying to avoid infection is so important!

Read More: Tattoo Infection: Everything You Need To Know

Overworked Tattoo Scar

An overworked tattoo scar occurs when the tattoo artist has “overworked” the skin. This is usually where the tattoo artist deposits ink into the wrong layer (above or beneath the dermis layer) or goes over a single area multiple times, thus damaging the skin more than necessary.