4 ointments and 5 types of antibiotics did not help: he got a tattoo - and has been suffering from itchy pimples ever since
Four ointments, five types of antibiotics, and other treatments failed to bring relief to the skin condition, and Nadav is already close to despair. Following the case, we turned to a skin specialist, and he explains what might cause such an unusual reaction. "A skin biopsy is the most important test in such cases, because it allows distinguishing between an allergic reaction, a bacterial infection, or any other factor," he explains.
About a month and a half after getting a new tattoo, Nadav (pseudonym), about 40 years old from the center of the country, is still suffering from intense itching and pimples that developed in the tattoo area and do not go away. After a series of treatments that did not help, he is now waiting for a skin biopsy that might provide an answer to what caused the unusual reaction.
"About a week after I got the tattoo, pimples started to appear," he tells mako Health. "At first, they gave me an ointment to apply, but it only made the situation worse. Since then, I have already tried four ointments, five types of antibiotics, and steroids, but nothing helped. Even the tattoo artist said he had never encountered such a case. It is constantly itching and looks really ugly." According to him, his family doctor suggested that the needle might not have been replaced or could have been contaminated.
From allergy to infection
We turned to Dr. Oren Katz, a specialist in skin and venereal diseases, director of the Naot Shikma consulting clinic (Clalit, Central District), to understand what can cause the appearance of pimples and prolonged itching after a tattoo. The photograph shows small lesions with an inflammatory appearance within the tattoo area.
"One of the possibilities is an allergic reaction to one of the color pigments introduced into the skin," he explains. "Every color has a different chemical composition, and it is possible that someone will develop sensitivity specifically to a certain color or to a new type of color, even if they have already had tattoos in the past." Another possibility he notes is an infection. It is possible that one of the ink colors or the needle were contaminated, and thus bacteria were introduced into the skin during the procedure. "If the needle was sterile and came out of a clean package, the probability is lower. Thorough disinfection of the skin before starting work, as I would like to believe that tattoo artists do, reduces the risk," the doctor adds.
Dr. Katz explains that in the past, cases have been described where the ink arrived contaminated from the factory, or bacteria multiplied in it due to improper storage. Another possibility is that the tattoo artist himself carried bacteria on his skin, beard, hands, or clothes, which were transferred during the work. However, Dr. Katz explains that both an allergic reaction and an infection can look very similar, making it impossible to distinguish between them based on appearance alone.
Rare complications
Another possibility, although rarer, is sarcoidosis - a systemic inflammatory disease that can remain dormant for years. "For some people, the ink can serve as a trigger and lead to the first outbreak of the disease in the tattoo area," he explains.
According to him, the most important thing is to reach an accurate diagnosis before starting treatment. A skin biopsy is the most important test in such cases, because it allows distinguishing between an allergic reaction, a bacterial infection, sarcoidosis, or any other factor. Each option requires a different treatment, and sometimes a treatment suitable for one might even worsen another condition. Therefore, one must first know exactly what the cause is before adjusting the correct treatment.
Despite this stressful case, Dr. Katz emphasizes that it is not common. Most tattoos heal without any complications.
