Summer is right around the corner! Can’t wait to enjoy the summer fruits, BBQ parties, and all the fun stuff it brings? But hold up a second, with tons of fun stuff, summer brings a few annoyances as well. One of which is mosquitos. Mosquito bites are not that big of a deal for many, but for some mosquito bites can trigger an allergic reaction and swelling. If you are planning to get a tattoo during this summer then there is a high chance you might get a unexpected mosquito bite right before your tattoo session. If you get a mosquito bite before your tattoo session, can you still proceed or do you delay the procedure because of the mosquito bite?
Mosquito bites are not that dangerous in general. In many instances, you may not even notice that a mosquito has bitten you. But if you have sensitive skin, a single mosquito bite can cause swelling and irritation. In such instances, can you tattoo over a mosquito bite or not? That is exactly what we will be discussing in today’s article.
Key Takeaways
- A mosquito bite is when a mosquito injects its proboscis into your skin and sucks on your blood. Its saliva gets into your skin and you may get small bumps or swelling on the affected area.
- You should not tattoo over a mosquito bite because tattooing on irritated and bumpy or swollen skin is not recommended.
- Reasons not to get a tattoo over a mosquito bite are difficulty working on an uneven surface, increased discomfort, delayed healing, infection, tattoo artist may refuse, increased itchiness, tattoo not matching expectation, etc.
- Getting a mosquito bite over an old tattoo is not an issue, as it is similar to getting a mosquito bite over your regular skin.
Understanding Mosquito Bite
You know mosquitos, those pesky little bugs that fly around and bite on your skin to suck on your blood. You can hardly find any country that does not have any mosquitos. Interestingly mosquitos do not have any teeth. Then how do they bite?
Mosquitos have a pointy mouthpart or proboscis that they use to pierce your skin and such on your blood. While they suck on your blood, some amount of their saliva gets into your skin which may cause mild irritation, itching, bump, or allergic reaction.
In general, mosquito bites are not that harmless but on rare occasions mosquito bites can cause and spread diseases like Chikungunya virus, Malaria, Dengue, West Nile Virus, and Zika virus.
Tattoo Over A Mosquito Bite: Can You Do It or Not?
Now comes the juicy part. Can you tattoo over a mosquito bite or not?
You should not tattoo over a mosquito bite. Mosquito bites in general may create small bumps on your skin, getting a tattoo over these bumps could not only the tattooing process but also the tattoo outcomes. And if you have sensitive skin or an allergic reaction to mosquito bites then things could get even worse. That is why you should wait until the negative effect of the mosquito bite is gone completely from your skin to get a tattoo.
Getting a tattoo over a mosquito bite or bumpy skin can create difficulty for the tattoo artist to create even art. And the ink injection process can get affected too. Ink injection or ink distribution has to be perfect, or else the tattoo would look weird. Tattooing over mosquito bites may worsen any allergic reaction you have. Imagine the tattooing pain and on top of that the allergic irritation, it can get really messy.
Did you know mosquito bites may carry viruses and can potentially cause infection? Getting a tattoo or injecting tattoo ink right where the virus or infection germs are residing could worsen the skin condition.
I am not saying it is impossible to tattoo over a mosquito bite, and there are many tattoo parlors and tattoo artists out there who would agree to tattoo over a mosquito bite without any issue. But now that I elaborated on a few issues, you should know better. Just because you can get a tattoo over a mosquito bit does not mean you should.
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7 Reasons You Should Not Get A Tattoo Over A Mosquito Bite
There are plenty of reasons why you should not get a tattoo over a mosquito bite. I have listed and elaborated on a few reasons below:
1. Difficulty working on an uneven surface
Mosquito bites may cause small bumps in your skin. These bumps will make your skin uneven. And if you know about art and tattooing, uneven surface is a no-go. It is not impossible to tattoo on an uneven surface, but surely it is much more difficult to tattoo on an uneven surface. It might be difficult for tattoo artists to vision the design they want to make on an uneven surface. This could cost more time for the artist to find a way to work around those bumps to make a fine tattoo.
2. Increased discomfort
Mosquito bites are not the sweetest thing out there. It can sting and make feel itchy for hours. And tattooing procedure can cause some discomfort as well. The discomfort the tattooing procedure provides can be more or less depending on a few factors like the placement of the tattoo, individual pain tolerance level, etc. But the amount of discomfort you feel during the tattooing procedure can increase by a lot if your try to tattoo over a mosquito bite. Your skin is already irritated because of the mosquito but further irritating or wounding the skin will definitely increase the discomfort level or pain level during the tattooing procedure.
3. Delayed healing
The tattooing procedure makes small or micro holes in the skin that requires healing. If you tattoo over a mosquito bite it would increase the irritation issue, hence your body will take more time to soothe the pain and heal the wound.
4. Infection
Mosquito bite has the potential to spread disease and infection. Tattooing over mosquito bites may infect the tattoo. If you have any idea bout tattoo infection then you know how harmful can infection can be for tattoos. Your tattoo may end up getting faded or distorted because of infection. So, think twice before you get a tattoo over a mosquito bite.
5. Tattoo artist may refuse
Usually, tattoo artists don’t hesitate to tattoo over small bumps but some tattoo artists may refuse to tattoo over mosquito bites or bumps. Because of the bumps or swelling from the mosquito bite the tattoo end result may not be perfect. Tell me, what sort of artist would choose to make art knowing the end result may not be good? Tattoo artists have their reputation to think of, even if the tattoo looks slightly off because of that small bump you had during the procedure, which could potentially tarnish the tattoo artist’s reputation.
6. Increased itchiness
Mosquito bites itches a bit. And if try to scratch the area during tattooing it would only lengthen the tattooing procedure. Not to mention when the tattoo session is over, the tender tattooed area may itch a bit. Remember that you already have a mosquito bite? Yeap, now the itchy feeling you get will increase by a lot because of that. Not to worry though, believe in yourself and bear that itchiness like a pro.
7. Tattoo not matching expectation
If you have an allergic reaction to mosquito bites, your skin may get swollen. Tattooing over swollen skin can be a bit difficult. And after some time when the swelling goes away, your tattoo may not look like what you expected it too.
Mosquito Bite After Getting A Tattoo: What Will Happen?
After getting a tattoo your skin becomes super sensitive. Getting a mosquito bite in a tattooed area? Ouch! That would definitely increase the issues you are already facing.
Your itchy tattooed area would itch even more if you get mosquito bites over it. The mild irritation and slight burning sensation you suppose to feel after getting a tattoo would also increase. You may apply aloe vera gel or some soothing ointment to reduce the overly itchy feeling and the burning sensation.
Does not matter how much it itches, do not try to scratch the tattooed area. Scratching the tattooed area while it heals may end up distorting it. Because the super sensitive skin may peel off along with some scabs, which can potentially not fade your tattoo but also distort it. You may gently tape the area to reduce the itchiness.
Mosquito bites can introduce germs, and viruses to your open wound. Getting sick or getting infected during tattoo healing will definitely prolong the healing phase. The prolonged healing phase means you will have to bear the annoying irritation feeling for more, nobody wants that, right? And the possible infection you may get on the tattooed area can be troublesome on its own. It can potentially distort your tattoo. If you see signs of infection then go see a doctor as soon as you can. They might be able to treat the infection correctly and save your tattoo from possible distortion.
FAQs
Can I find any tattoo artist who would agree to tattoo over a mosquito bite?
It is possible to find a tattoo artist who would agree to tattoo over a mosquito bite. To be honest, most tattoo artist nowadays just disinfects the skin and tattoo over any sort of small bug bites including mosquito bites. But it can be to issue in some cases which is why it is recommended to wait till the bumps or swelling that you got because of the mosquito bite are gone completely.
A mosquito bite on an old tattoo, should I be concerned?
No, there is no need to be concerned if you get a mosquito bite on an old tattoo. Any healed tattoo is considered an old tattoo. Usually after 3 to 6 months of getting the tattoo it completely heals and after healing it becomes like your regular skin. Just like you would not panic because of getting a mosquito bite on your regular skin, there is no need to panic if you get a mosquito bite on a healed tattoo.
What should I do to get a tattoo after I got a mosquito bite?
If you got a mosquito bite then the only thing you should do is wait. Wait for about 4 to 6 hours and see if the bumps and the swellings are gone or not. Generally, the bumps or swelling of the skin that you get because of a mosquito bit should go away on its own within a few hours. After your skin surface has become even, you can proceed to get your dream tattoo.
Got an infection after getting tattooed over a mosquito bite, what should I do now?
You should go see a doctor to treat the infection first, then consult your tattoo artist and seek their advice on how to take care of your tattoo now. If treated properly and in time, tattoo infection can be cured without getting any tattoo damage.
Final Thoughts
There you have it my friend, low down on if you can tattoo over a mosquito bite or not. You should not get a tattoo over a mosquito bite or any sort of bug bite. Because your skin may get small bumps or swelling because of the bite. Such irritated and uneven skin is not ideal for tattooing.
Tattooing over a mosquito bite is a bit difficult for any tattoo artist and it would cause you more irritation during the tattooing procedure as well. After getting the tattoo, when the swelling or bumps are gone, the tattoo may look a bit different because when it was made the skin had a different texture. You don’t want your dream tattoo to look weird because of mosquito bites right? Not to mention your tattoo might get infected because of the bite and get delayed healing and distorted.
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