One thing that you may not know before or right after getting a tattoo is that the area of the skin is usually raised after completing the tattoo.
There are many different reasons that your tattoo may be raised, including weather conditions, your individual body chemistry, or an allergic reaction. However, raised skin is usually just a normal part of the healing process.
Tattoos become raised for several different reasons, and it is usually not a cause for concern. However, it is important to know what signs to be on the lookout for and what to do if something looks abnormal.
Keep reading to learn more about why your tattoo is still raised.
Is it Normal for a Tattoo to Be Raised?
Generally speaking, it is normal for a tattoo to be raised. While it is not normal for the skin around your tattoo to be puffy, if the tattoo itself is raised for a few days following your session, it is usually not a cause for concern.
Reasons for Raised Tattoos
While it is unusual, many other reasons could explain why your tattoo is raised:
- Weather conditions
Weather conditions play a significant role in the health of your skin, and if you find that your tattoo has suddenly become raised, it may be the cause.
This is typically seen when it is either very humid or very dry outside.
- Body Chemistry
Your unique body chemistry could play a role in whether or not your skin becomes raised. Much like some people bleed more than others during a tattoo session, some experience raised skin more significantly than other people after they’ve been tattooed.
- Allergic Reaction
If the skin surrounding the tattoo area becomes raised, this may indicate that you are having an allergic reaction to the ink.
Allergic reactions to the ink are relatively rare, but it can happen
Oddly enough, this is seen more often in those whose tattoos have colored ink – mostly red or yellow.
How Do You Fix a Raised Tattoo?
Fixing a raised tattoo is dependent on the cause.
- If your skin is simply raised because it is healing, then the only thing that you can really do is wait it out.
- If your tattoo is acting up because of the weather, you may have to simply wait for the weather to subside before you can get any relief.
However, be sure that you are wearing sunscreen in the sun and keeping your skin well-moisturized all year round.
- However, other causes, like an allergic reaction or infection, require medical attention.
Most symptoms will go away within a few hours without any need for medical intervention.
My Tattoo is Raised After One Year
It is very common for a tattoo to be raised for a few days after they are completed, but it is normal after a year?
The answer is most likely – yes. As long as your tattoo isn’t displaying any alarming symptoms or patterns, then the raised skin can usually be attributed to a harmless anomaly.
As we said before, a couple of common, non-threatening causes of a raised tattoo include certain weather conditions, your natural body chemistry, or existing skin conditions unrelated to your tattoo.
However, once tattoos move past the healing phase, there is usually no significant reason as to why tattoos randomly become raised.
Some people periodically and randomly experience raised lines on their tattoos and can’t find any clear explanation as to why it is occurring.
Warning Signs
While raised tattoos can typically be attributed to a harmless cause, especially after one year, there are a few causes that create more concern:
- Skin tissue damage
- Infection
- Allergic reaction.
However, it is unusual for any of these to occur a full year after the tattoo has been completed and has healed.
Why is My Tattoo Raised and Itchy at the Same Time?
The reason that your skin gets itchy, and may even peel off, is because your top layer of skin is essentially shedding. The most important thing that you should consider regarding your raised tattoo is any accompanying symptoms.
Symptoms like itchiness, puffiness in the area surrounding the tattoo, or signs of infection should prompt you to call your doctor.
During the healing process, it is perfectly normal for your tattoo to show some raising, and itchiness is almost synonymous with tattoo healing.
A raised tattoo that may be infected is going to distinct symptoms.
These include:
- Swelling
- Pain
- White spots
- Oozing
- Scabs and rashes
- Warmth
- Pimples.
Though tattoo infections do not occur often, if you are experiencing any of these symptoms and seriously think you may have an infection, you should immediately call your tattoo artist or doctor.
Final Thoughts
Many of us were conditioned by our parents or other elders about the “dangers” of getting a tattoo.
Common threats were, you’ll get an infection, they are going to fall off, and other horror stories with the intent to dissuade yours from ever getting anything inked on your skin.
Most of these are old wives’ tales or incredibly exaggerated, mild complications.
Though infections and serious, harmful side effects are not common, they do still happen.
So, it is essential to keep an eye out for abnormal symptoms.
Raised skin, itchiness, and even very mild swelling are typically nothing to worry about in the days following your tattoo session.
Your tattoo artist has just injected ink into a deep level of your skin – it needs time to heal.
If your tattoo is raised but otherwise shows no other symptoms, then it is likely an inexplicable yet harmless cause.
Most causes pose no real problems when handled swiftly. Always use caution and common sense when caring for your ink.