The most common symptoms are redness, swelling, and mild to severe itching. If left untreated, additional problems may arise like infection or scarring. Blow outs often occur when an artist uses too much ink or pushes too hard during the process of tattooing which can cause excess bleeding under the skin's surface.
If after the healing process has come to an end, the lines are blurry or the various colors of ink have bled into each other, you most likely have a tattoo blowout.
As the hypodermis layer is made of fat tissue, the ink spreads out easier, creating those unwanted blurred lines in your design. Tattoo blowouts tend to appear a few days after the tattooing session as the ink seeps through the wound, becoming fully noticeable in a matter of weeks.
In some cases, a tattoo blowout may resolve itself as the tattoo heals. But if, after your new tattoo healing, it is still looking funky, you may need to have it removed by a specialist. It's often the best way to get rid of a tattoo blowout.
If you've recently gotten a tattoo, but it appears blurry and smudged during and after the healing process, you may be experiencing tattoo blowout. “A blowout is when a tattoo expands below the skin layer when it hits fat [and] veins or when scarring occurs,” says Crys.
Applying too much moisturizer restricts the skin's ability to breath, thus causing the pores to clog and can lead to consequent break outs. To avoid these symptoms, follow the aftercare instructions of your tattoo artist and apply the best tattoo aftercare moisturizer: your trusty Ink Nurse cream.
For example, tattoos on thinner skin (like the foot, ankle, or inside of the arm) are more likely to blow out. They can also be more painful and have a longer healing process. Women are more likely than men to get blowouts because their skin tends to be thinner.
Yes, tattoo blowouts happen quite often, although few people talk about it. The risk increases when you get very small tattoos (or tattoos with tiny details), as well as tattoos in places that are constantly exposed to mechanical impact (e.g. fingers).
Over-moisturising can lead to inflamed tattoos and potentially infection. Excess moisture can clog your skin's pores which prevents it from breathing, something that's important for your skin to heal. This can lead to breakouts on the skin that can damage the tattoo.
Tattoo blowouts can make your tattoo look messy, but there's no pain associated with them (other than that of getting a tattoo). However, you probably will feel an infection. Infections can make the skin red, cause a burning sensation, and make the area swell.
While some redness, swelling, and scabbing is normal during the healing process, excessive pain, bleeding, and scarring may be a sign that the needle was too deep.
Yes, they can happen right away, but, not always. Take a look at the Reddit discussion on timing of blowouts, and you'll see that there's a range of timeframes that blowouts can happen.
Signs of an Overworked Tattoo
A Change in Appearance - If the tattoo looks faded, pale, cloudy, blurry, or heavily distorted, this could be a sign of overworked skin. This may also appear as ink distortion and blurring. During a tattoo, ink needs to be deposited in your dermis so the pigment stays put.
Your tattoo is going through the normal healing process.
A lack of ink isn't a problem if your tattoo is still peeling and healing. Chances are, your skin won't all heal at exactly the same rate, which may leave you with a patchy, inconsistent-looking tattoo.
Yes, it is possible to get a highly detailed Fine Line tattoo, but it won't look good for as long. Eventually it'll blow out and get muddy, and not all tattoos can be reworked or recovered if they're super small.
Too much pressure or over-inked lines can cause a blowout to happen during tattooing.
If your tattoo is very new, it is likely that the lines feel raised and swollen simply because they are a bit swollen. Your new tattoo is an open wound, and the impact of the tattooing process will usually result in some swelling.
If you're a new artist: Avoid areas that are prone to blowouts. It's much easier to blow out a line on thin skin. If you're worried about causing a tattoo blowout on your first tattoos, you can suggest a new placement to your client on an area with thicker skin.
Your tattoo will go through a number of stages as it heals. In the first few days, redness, oozing fluid and swollen skin is common. If this carries on however for more than a few days this could be a sign of an infection. After two weeks, your skin may begin to peel.
“Your tattoo will get a bit lighter or slightly thicker depending on how your body heals it,” Kim says. “Go with your artist's suggestion regarding placement, size, and detail. They're the expert and are there to make your tattoo experience as fun, informative, and seamless as possible.
Tattoo cream: how many days you need to apply it for optimal skin healing. After getting a tattoo, you should moisturize it daily for at least 10 to 14 days. Respecting these timeframes is absolutely crucial because, if your skin dries out, you are likely to get very disappointing results.
"During the healing process, you should moisturize your tattoo three to six times a day," Ladna says. "Keeping your tattoo hydrated during the initial days is especially critical. If your tattoo becomes too dry, the healing may actually take longer, and you may risk losing color saturation."