Tattoos and allergies question for artists and serious aficionados?

Question

I have an almost 2 year old tattoo on my ankle. I had no reactions to the ink when I got it or my other tat, same artist, same shop, same color (black). For the past few months when my seasonal allergies are bad (sneezing, stuffy nose, etc) my ankle tattoo gets itchy and swollen. Do any pros know of any correlation between seasonal allergies and tattoos (although the tattoo on my shoulder is fine)? Or is it some kind of (long) delayed allergy to the ink, if such a thing is possible?

Answer 1

normally I'd think a histamine reaction to the pigment would have been immediate and possibly worsening with time if it were a reaction to the ink. the fact that it happens in conjunction with the allergy problem may indicte that the histamine reacts only when you are sensitized already, but I'd check it out with a dermatologist or allergist- if it is a reaction, the last thing you want is for it to become an anaphylactic reaction- those are potentially quite deadly.