“Should I go to the ER for a tattoo infection?”
I got my tattoo done 2 days ago and the whole area around it started getting red and itchy. I have many other tattoos and this has never happened before. Should I go to the ER?
2 Answers
Yes. May be a reaction vs infection.
Hopefully your tattoo artist and/or prior experience can assist you somewhat, as you should be putting some form of antibiotic ointment on the site already. If so, it could also potentially be an allergic reaction to one of the inks used, which would need treated differently. Since it is an unusual response/reaction, and is concerning to you, it should be looked at by a Healthcare Provider. That said, I would not suggest going to the ER for it, as could result in a long wait while patient's triaged as more acutely ill get taken first. A local urgent care center or your primary care provider should be able to evaluate the site and prescribe reasonable course of treatment. --Good luck!
