What Are The Symptoms And Preventions Of Tattoo Flu?

Are you thinking of getting a tattoo? That is one fine choice you can make my friend, take my word for it. But you have been hearing about this “tattoo flu” term that worries you. Tattoo flu is a natural occurrence and it is not really dangerous as long as you treat it in time.

I get it, after 2022 any mild flu can stress you out. But knowing the difference between a normal illness and a tattoo flu is crucial. There is nothing to worry about if you face tattoo flu, as most people face this issue after getting inked. Treating it on time can prevent any complications and if you take some preventive measures from the get-go then it is even better. Fret not, in today’s article I will be elaborating on everything you need to know regarding tattoo flu symptoms, preventions, and more.

Key Takeaways:

• Tattoo flu is not a real illness, the negative impact you face after getting a tattoo is called tattoo flu.
• Symptoms of tattoo flu are fatigue, headache, sleepiness, dizziness, body ache or soreness, feeling weak, tattoo swelling, fever, nausea or vomiting.
• Reasons, why tattoo flu symptoms may worsen, are the size and complexity of the tattoo, pain threshold, dehydration, lack of rest, excess stress and anxiety, inadequate aftercare, allergic reaction, and infection.
• Ways to prevent tattoo flu are to stay well rested, stay hydrated, eat nutritious meals, take breaks, ensure proper aftercare, and avoid extensive physical activity.
• To treat tattoo flu you should take plenty of rest, eat healthy food, take proper care of your healing tattoo, apply a cold compress, avoid putting stress on the tattooed area, etc.
• If the symptoms get worse or not going away even after a few days of getting the tattoo then you should see a doctor.

Tattoo Flu: Short Primer

Let me tell you from the very start that, the term “tattoo flu” is not a medical term. You won’t find it in your medical textbook or in your grandmother’s ancient remedies. It’s more like a folklore of the ink community. So, does that mean the tattoo flu does not exist? Of course, it exists. To understand better, you might be thinking what is tattoo flue?

When your skin gets wounded or tattooed on, it starts to repair itself. During this repair process, you may feel a bit sick because your immune system working on an overdrive. It is not a matter of concern as it is a natural part of the healing process.

When your skin becomes wounded during the tattooing process as the tattoo needles poke deep into your skin, your pain receptors will react and send pain signals to your brain. Your brain will know something is wrong in that area and will send white blood sales to fix the issue. Your body’s immune system reacting and working to fix the tattooed skin can stress and weaken your immune system temporarily. This sudden change may leave you prone to infection and other illnesses. During this time you may experience some common flu-like symptoms which is not a big deal.

Symptoms of Tattoo Flu

You may experience various symptoms during the tattoo flu period. But make sure to examine each symptom so that you do not confuse them with other serious illnesses. A few symptoms of tattoo flu are:

1. Fatigue

Feeling unusually drained or fatigued right after the tattoo session is completely normal. The tattooing procedure can be a painful and draining process. Not wanting to do anything and just rest for a while is the usual feeling people get after going through the tattooing procedure. You may feel fatigued for a day or two as your body adjusts to the wound you have created on your skin by getting the tattoo.

2. Headache

Headache is by far the most annoying symptom of tattoo flu in my opinion. The tattoo gun making a buzzing sound and creating holes in your skin for hours can cause anyone a headache. And after finishing the procedure when your body does its best to fix the wound, you may feel a slight headache for some time.

3. Sleepiness

Going through any stressful event can cause you some sleepiness. After getting the tattoo your body pours all the resources to fix the skin. Which may cause you sleepiness for a while. As your tattooed area heal slightly, the sleepiness should go away on its own along with the tattoo flu.

4. Dizziness

As your immune system works to heal the tattooed area you may feel a bit weak. On top of that other symptoms of tattoo flu like fever can cause weakness and dizziness. When you are going about your daily life and suddenly feel dizzy, then most likely you have tattoo flu, my friend.

5. Body ache and soreness

If you get tattoo flu then you may body your body is in slight pain. The pain won’t be too much but it can be a slight and annoying pain. Your body aching and feeling soreness is a common symptom of experiencing tattoo flu.

6. Feeling weak

When your body’s immune system focuses on healing the wounded area, most of your body’s resources will be used there. It may create a tattoo flu issue where you feel physically weak. Feeling uneasy and weak when you do your daily work is a symptom of tattoo flu.

Feeling mentally and physically a bit weak right after getting the tattoo is absolutely fine. But if you feel weak even after weeks of getting the tattoo then most likely the tattoo flu situation got worse and you need to see a doctor.

7. Tattoo swelling

Tattoo flu is when your body reacts to the tattooed wound and in the process causes some negative symptoms. One of the common symptoms of tattoo flu is swelling of your tattoo. The tattooed skin or the area would appear slightly raised. This mild swelling should go away as the tattoo heals. But the swelling gets worse then I am afraid you probably caught and tattoo infection.

8. Fever

The fever you feel when you get a tattoo flu is very mild. You may not need any medication to deal with this fever. But I get it, the mild fever can be a pain in the neck for anybody. This mild fever will not impact your health negatively and will go away as the tattoo flu does.

9. Nausea or vomiting

If your body becomes too weak because of the tattoo flu then you may even face nausea issues. You may feel vomiting for no apparent reason. If you feel nausea or vomiting then it is one of those rare symptoms of tattoo flu. You may need to visit a doctor you get the situation under control.

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8 Reasons The Symptoms of A Tattoo Flu May Worsen

After checking out the list of tattoo flu symptoms I have provided above you can tell that not all symptoms are equal. Some symptoms are a bit more on the serious side than others. And it is not likely you will face all the symptoms I have mentioned above. Depending on the condition of your tattoo flu you experience a few of them. And there are a few reasons why your tattoo flu symptoms increase in number and get worse as well. I have listed a few reasons below.

1. Size and complexity of the tattoo

How much stress you will be putting on your body depends on the size and design of the tattoo. A bigger and more complicated tattoo design will cause more trauma to your skin. More trauma may cause more or more severe tattoo flu symptoms.

2. Pain threshold

Your pain threshold is another factor here. If you feel more pain then tattoo flu may put you through more pain. The amount of pain or discomfort you are supposed to feel during the healing time may increase too.

3. Dehydration

Not drinking plenty of water before and after getting a tattoo may worsen tattoo flu symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, lightheadedness, etc. So, staying hydrated is very crucial.

4. Lack of rest

You know your body is working hard to heal the tattooed area. And it needs proper rest to do so. If you do not rest then the tattoo flu symptoms like swollen tattooed area, headache, soreness, fever, body ache, etc. may worsen.

5. Excess stress and anxiety

Stressing over your newly done tattoo will not heal it any faster. On the contrary excessive stress and anxiety can negatively impact your body and worsen the tattoo flu symptoms.

6. Inadequate aftercare

If you do not take proffer after getting while your tattoo is healing then the tattoo flu symptoms may worsen. You may feel an increased amount of pain, swelling, and fever because of inadequate aftercare.

7. Allergic reaction

Most of the time allergic reactions occur out of the blue. If you get any allergic reaction while your tattoo is healing then it may worsen the symptoms of your tattoo flu.

8. Infection

Tattoo infection can do short-term and sometimes long-term damage to your healing tattoo. Infection can worsen the ongoing symptoms of tattoo flu. Any fever, weakness, or pain you are feeling will get worse if you catch an infection.

6 Ways to Prevent Tattoo Flu

Now that you know even a simple tattoo flu may cause discomfort, you should know the ways to prevent the tattoo flu. Preventing tattoo flu before it occurs can ensure a comfortable healing phase of your tattoo.

1. Stay well rested

Resting is the first thing you should be doing while your tattoo heals. If you feel sleepy right after getting a tattoo, take a nap. And after that make sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep everything until the tattoo is healed. Taking enough rest gives your body’s immune system some time to work on the tattooed area to heal it up fast. And as a result, you will be able to prevent tattoo flu issues altogether.

2. Stay hydrated

Your body requires fluid to function and repair itself. If you stay hydrated all the time by drinking fluid then not only it will fast the healing process but also prevent tattoo flu from occurring. Apart from preventing tattoo flu, you should stay hydrated all the time in general as it is good for your health.

3. Eat nutritious meal

Maintaining a healthy diet becomes even more crucial if you get yourself a tattoo. Foods with crucial nutrients can fasten healing by boosting your immune system. Because of this immune system boost you can prevent the annoying tattoo flu issue.

4. Take breaks

If the tattoo session is too long, there is no need to sit through the whole time. It can cause you more pain and put more stress on your body. You may feel weakness, dizziness, headache, etc. You can prevent tattoo flu and its symptoms by taking small breaks between your lengthy tattoo sessions. Take small breaks, eat some snacks, refresh your mind, and then go back to the tattooing procedure.

5. Ensure proper aftercare

Your healing tattoo is like a delicate flower. You have to ensure proper aftercare or you may face tattoo flu. Proper tattoo aftercare includes:

6. Avoid extensive physical activity

During the healing of your tattoo, your body may become slightly weak. But if you play outdoor sports, do exercise, or do anything that is physically extensive then it can put more stress on your body. This stress can trigger tattoo flu symptoms. So, make sure to avoid extensive physical activity while your tattoo heals to prevent tattoo flu.

Treating Tattoo Flu

If you face tattoo flu while your tattoo is healing then do not make things worse by getting stressed. There are plenty of simple ways you can go about to treat it. To treat your tattoo flu make sure to do the following:

That’s about it! There is not much you need to do because you should treat it just like you would treat a normal flu. As your immune system calms down a bit this tattoo flu will go away on its own within 2 days.

When You To See A Doctor: 6 Signs

Tattoo flu does not require any medical attention in general. But sometimes it can lead to other issues and it becomes mandatory to seek medical help. But how would you know when to see a doctor if you have tattoo flu? Do not worry, I have listed the signs that will tell you it is time to see a doctor.

1. Signs of infection

During the tattoo flu, your immune system becomes a bit weak, which makes you prone to get infected. So look for signs of infection, such as:

If you notice these signs then it is time to see a doctor.

2. Allergic reaction

If you suspect that you are having an allergic reaction then seek medical help. Allergic reactions can worsen the tattoo flu symptoms and complicate the situation.

3. Excessive bleeding

A certain amount of bleeding is unavoidable when getting a tattoo. But if the bleeding is too much or the bleeding is not stopping even the the tattooing procedure has ended, then you should seek medical help.

4. Prolong or severe pain

You will feel a certain level of pain during and after getting the tattoo. But the pain level will get lower as the tattoo heals. But if the pain does not seem to get lower for a prolonged time or the pain gets severe then you need to see a doctor.

5. Unusual discharge

After getting the tattoo, the tattooed area may release some white or transparent liquid for a day or two. But if it releases yellow or red color puss even after a few days of getting the tattoo then you should see a doctor.

6. Increased fever and body soreness

If the mild fever of tattoo flu gets worse and you feel your whole body is in pain then you should visit a doctor. Increased fever and body soreness a signs of something complicated. Only a medical professional can tell what is the issue and how to fix it.

Final Thoughts

Do not be stressed because of the tattoo flu. It can occur and go away on its own without causing any damage to your health or your tattoo. A few common signs of tattoo flu you should look out for are fatigue, dizziness, fever, soreness, headache, sleepiness, etc. And if you notice these signs does not mean you need medical help.

You can treat tattoo flu at home by taking proper care of your tattoo, applying a cold compress, plenty of rest, maintaining a proper diet, etc. In case the symptoms get worse or you notice severe issues then go see a doctor.

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