How to treat itching and thickening on tattoos?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am concerned about my tattoo placed before two months back. I have five tattoos with different colors such as blue, yellow, red, green, and purple. I have itching on my yellow and green tattoos from time to time and it lasts for two weeks. It subsides eventually for five to eight days and then itching comes back again. The itchy tattoos are bumpy and hard. What is the cause?

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have read your query and can understand your concern.

Itchiness and thickening over tattoos indicate a couple of things. As these are occurring over coloured pigments, there is a high chance for you to have a tattoo granuloma. It means that the coloured pigments have caused a foreign body reaction in your skin. If topical steroids like hydrocortisone did not help, you may require intralesional steroid injection or dermabrasion or laser. Again, lasers for green and yellow pigments are separate, requiring Alexandrite and 532 pico. Secondly, you can have a mycobacterium infection called tuberculous verrucosa cutis, which requires oral medication. Lastly, you can have slight chances to have keloid. You need to do a biopsy to rule out the cause. Continue using hydrocortisone for two weeks, and if there is no improvement, you need to do a biopsy.

I hope this answers your query.

Please let me know if I can assist you further.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

If it becomes flat, then it is not keloidal. You can take a higher level of topical steroids like Mometasone and see for improvement for two weeks. If it still recurs, then you need to do a biopsy to rule out the cause.

Please feel free to reach out if you need further assistance.

Thank you.