J-Werk needs some help

Okay, before I break down and ask this question I want everyone to know that I have been scrambling through back posts and search engines and I am still coming up empty handed. So here it is.... On two spot on my right arm and one on my left I have some pecular bumps. They have not spread to any other sections of my arm where I have had work done but stay contained in areas that were done during specific sessions. (Hope that made sense.) There is no other color of ink where these little buggers are except black. And considering the majority of my right arm is now covered in black and grey I doubt that it is a reaction to the ink. Nor do I believe that it has anything to do with the artist....Seriously, it's the Tazman! But he and I are absolutely dumbfounded by this! They seem to react to heat as they become more visible after I take a shower but then subside a little afterwards but are still very visable. I did become a little experimental and popped one open today. (I know I shouldn't do that) All that came out was a clear liquid followed by some pretty descent bleeding (considering the small size of the bump). I have used Cortizone and am currently trying Scalpicin to see that would "dry" the little fuckers up. But out of my own curiosity I just have to ask those of you that have had similar issues, what did you find out? Is there something OTC that I haven't tried as I am stubborn and hate doctors.... I'm a guy. I can do that. Okay, I'm done.... Back to the search engines....J

Do the bumps itch or sore to the touch? If they are you may look into staph infections. If this is the case then your OTC, cortisones and such won't work. You will need to see a doctor for a cream or anitbiotic. Keep us posted on what you find out. j

one theory: in grown hairs. i never really had probs with them, but my brother gets them occasionally on the outlines of his tattoos. they look like a small small bump. when 'popped' usually clear fluid, sometimes a hair comes out... if you push to hard on it blood can come out. that's just what i've noticed from when he still lived at home. i think it only really bothers him in the summertime though. don't pick too much! you don't want to end up with a crazy ole infection. :P

and what J#2 said. oi that would stink. if you've a staph infection i swear you didn't get it from me!

There was itching but that was right around the time that the tattoo was pealing and then for about a week afterwards. Never has been sore to the touch though. On my angel (left upper arm) for example they seem to follow the outline of the image. On my inside forearm however they are spread out more. There are almost to many of them in a concentrated area and the look doesn't resemble in grown hairs. But then again I am the furthest thing from a doctor.... Still looking through the engines.

Ha! Bee, that's cute. I don't recall you sending me any "virus's" via e-mail! ;) You sneaky leaker!

Another thing it could be is an acute inflammatory reaction, which is a little allergic reaction to the ink. I know you said you aren't allergic but you never know. If this the problem it will go away in two-three weeks.

Unfortunately, I think I can rule the acute inflammatory infection out as well. The only reason I say that is because it's been approximately a month and half since we did the work on that piece and it's been even longer since we have worked on my right inside forearm. And the third place that they are beinging to/already forming is on the top part of my bicep that we just worked on about 2 weeks ago. But once again, I maintain that I am not a doctor. =)

Just peekin in. I have this every so often on a couple of my tats. They tend to come and go. Sounds like an ingrown hair, its probably just a really FINE hair and it's the skins way of trying to reject it, if that makes any sense. Dont pick at them, but you might try using an exfoliating body wash for a while. That should help, and as an added bonus, this will slough off old dead skin, so your ink will look less dull. Allrighty, back I go to the kitchen, I've got obscene birthday cake to bake.

I have a "sponge-scrub-thing" that is used for an expholiant (sp?) I had originally got it to help with the "milk-skin" appearnace from the healing but when these things showed up at the party I stopped using it because I was concerned that it was irritating them. I hate to be so stubborn about this but I seriously don't think they are the result of in grown hairs. These things are almost nodule like and concentrated in the areas that have ink.

only other thing i can think of is folliculitis.... which is usually caused by a few things - infection (bacterial or viral), extreme heat (causes the follicle to get all plugged up and gross), allergic irritant of some sort, etc. it can be extreme and gross looking, or you can have just a scattered few that resemble small pimples. sometimes there's a hair follicle sticking out, sometimes it's an ingrown hair due to swelling. if you got groups of these things (folliculitis or not) there's a fancy name for that: carbuncles!! YUM! as for the scrubby deal you have -- i wouldn't reuse that on these, just IN case it's an infection, that could make it worse. get a new one that won't trap bacteria/mold/mildew. hmm. curiosity -- did these suckers pop up (no pun intended) before, after, or during those days of no-a/c at work?? give it a few days, if you notice it getting worse, might i be the first to say high-tail-it to the dermatologist? (and lordy.. this just occurred to me, i hope you didn't pop some poison ivy or else you're in for a world of hurt/itch)

Okay, I have begun to unravel this stinking bumpity-bump mistery. According to Cnn.com's health section; Skin disorders: Your body may form bumps called granulomas around tattoo ink, especially if your tattoo includes red ink. (red ink gets such a bad rap...sorry; continue.) Tattooing can also cause areas of raised, excessive scarring (keloids), if you're prone to them.... SO guess what I am looking up now!

Ooohh you know what, it could be what Bee is mentioning here, if they are just little bumps, it could be something like what they call "Chicken skin" usually irritated by heat. I agree, throw out your scrubby, those need to be replaced every so often or....eewwwwww. Oooor, you could get some St. Ides Apricot scrub.... no need for a scrubby with that stuff. Look at it this way, your hair grows in different directions, when you get ink, your skin is being pounded. Those follicles could get annoyed if you are just coming at them from a strange angle. Do they hurt? Swell? Itch? Or are they just annoying you? Mine come and go, they dont irritate me or anything other than a "Aii what is that?" type of thing :) Let us know if they get better/worse etc.

granulomas <-- i sure hope not. i looked em up in the google-images, look like bloody lil suckers. and look pretty painful. hmmm. maybe atopic dermatitis... or... what they call Koebner (sp?) phenomen(sp? again?). Kobener or Koebner or however it's spelled has something to do with psorias (sp?) that can cause irration/bumps to form on your tattoo or near sites of a cut etc. takes 10-20 days to show up sometimes, a lot of times people don't even realize they have/are predisposed to psorias(?) until it develops.. wondering why i can't spell any of this? i didn't get it from a search engine - i asked dear ole mom (she's a medical person) hmm. as for chicken skin.. that's keratosis (normally). i'm really sticking by my original theory of ingrown hairs or folliculitis of some sort.

I have that.. Keratosis, that is.. I'm 95% sure it's not that.. because you usually notice it before.. and it doesn't show up just in one spot, and usually goes most of the way away in your 20s..

The bumps appeared long before the debacle with the a/c at work. I haven't used the scub thing since I first started noticing the bumps and that has been several months. It's just looks neat hanging in my shower now. The only time i have ran across anything dealing with atopic dermitis is eczema. I do have very light eczema on my upper arms. The bumps are no different in those areas as in the areas without. You might be looking at pyogenic granulomas. Those are nasty sum-bitches. Look like raw hamburger meat and bleed profusely if you look at them wrong. I am only assuming at this time that there are different types of granulomas but haven't got that far yet. As for the dermatologist.... here's a mathamatical fact for St. Joseph.... Approx. 76,000 people x 1 dermatologist = mooooooonths. =( Still researching though!

ok J-werk, I may have your answer, 90% of all my tattoo work is black, I have over time become more susceptible to UV effects, the black pigment will absorb more uv, and hence....a light form of sun poisoning. mine re-occurs every year if I dont use sunblock. DONT SCRATCH good luck bro, Mortis

OH MY FUCKING GOD I FOUND IT!!!!!!!!!!! It is Koebner Phenomenon! It's true; I am a freak!!!!! Here's the website talking about it and it even has a picture: http://www.postgradmed.com/issues/2005/12_05/pd_maccarelli.htm

Sorry! In my excitement I hit the enter button.... HA! Thank you to Bee, jsilos, Saiyge, and Lord Mortis for lending your help the last few hours! AND AN ESPECIALLY A HUGE-FUCKING-MUNGUS THANK YOU TO A WOMAN I HAVE NEVER MET, BEE'S MOM!!!!! I am in love with your brain!

..... SHIT! ... this sucks!

aha!!! so i was right (in my last post)!!!!! well. actually my mom was right. but still. not the point. :P my understanding is it's not permanent..... and my mom said that cortizone based creams can relieve the itching as well as using a tar shampoo if you've any serious issues/outbreaks. (she means to use it as a soap, not shampoo)

Bee give that woman a hug... or because of the baby, a high five.... Hell, give her a pat on the ass and tell her good game! .... Now, what the hell is Tar Shampoo?

ahhh that looks alot different than what I have. At least now ya know whats going on, and at least its treatable, yah? ((hugs)))

*sigh* The more I read into this stuff the more it sucks... A LOT! ... That site goes on to mention different types of psoriasis which I looked up which could include guttate psoriasis, lichen sclerosus et atrophicus, and lichen planus......BLOW ME TO BERMUDA! Would someone please pass the Benedryl, Scalpicin, Tar Shampoo, Prednisone, Crown Royal, scalpal, and soldering iron, please....

NOPE!!! Sorry to bust your bubble there research boy but that is NOT the condition you have..the condition in the artcle causes very hard bumps that almost appear like hard warts or callouses....I have seen your little fuck bumps and they bear only a superficial likeness to the ones pictured in the article...As I have told you your skin is simply telling you that it does not like tattoo pigment...this little problem will go away its just going to take a while...did ya notice that this did not happen when it was cold?...Thats the hint for ya pal...now keep usig the scalpicin its great stuff!...And no you do NOT have a staph infection either!