GESTALTEN VERLAG NEW TATTOO BOOK LAUNCH RECAP

Forever: The New Tattoo – Recap of Berlin Book Launch from Gestalten on Vimeo.

TATTOOS AND INFECTION

Getting a tattoo is common practice by many in this day and age. With an on body art form that can

be used to express yourself, it’s no wonder so many people enjoy getting tattoos. This is all good and 

well but what happens when a tattoo goes wrong or becomes infected? This can be a traumatising 

and depressing experience so it is important to make sure that you know exactly what you want and 

that your tattooist is a reputable artist. 

It is important when picking out your tattoo that you make it clear to the artist what it is you want. If 

there are any details of a design you do not like, make sure that you point this out, remember it is 

your body that the design is going on and so you must be the final decider. Tattoos that you should be 

extra careful about are those with letters or numbers in them. The last thing you want to do is get the 

spelling wrong or dates wrong, because once it’s on your body there’s no changing it. 

One of the most worry things however about a tattoo is the risk of infection. The most common cause 

of an infected tattoo is lack of aftercare and not down to the tattooist. They can however also become 

infected due to poor hygiene in the tattoo studio such as dirty needles and equipment not being 

sterilised properly. 

If you have just got your first tattoo it may be difficult for you tell whether or not it is infected or just 

healing. A number of symptoms that would indicate an infected tattoo are listed below.

• Extreme redness or irritation
• A fever
• Increased, persistent or shooting pains
• Swelling
• A funny odour
• Discharge
• Red streaks or sores

A seriously infected tattoo has the potential to kill a person if it gets out of hand, it is therefore 

extremely important that you take the proper care precautions after having one done. If you feel as 

though your tattoo is infected and you are becoming worried about it you should firstly see your 

tattooist as they should be able to inform you if it is infected or not. If you are still worried however 

or have had an infection confirmed you should make an appointment to see your doctor immediately. 

The treatment of an infected tattoo will generally be a course of antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. 

Some doctors may ask you to take a blood test depending on the seriousness of the infection. It is 

important that if you do have an infected tattoo to keep it out of direct sunlight and away from water. 

Author Bio:

Jake is a keen writer who has a particular interest in tattoos, piercing and their aftercare. He often 

writes about tattoo supplies and the aftercare of tattoos.