I have a bump under my tattoo. What can I expect?

July 5, 2015 8:07 PM

I have a tattoo on my calf. In an area of solid black ink, there's a small bump in my skin. If I go to a dermatologist, what will happen?

I had a zit or a bug bite there before my tattoo was done, and while it healed enough that my artist didn't bat an eye tattooing over it, it left sort of a flat bump. Three years later, the bump is still there and I can feel it with my fingertips if I'm looking for it. It doesn't hurt, it's not growing (I don't think), but I also can't see if it's pigmented due to the ink.

If I go to a dermatologist for a mole check and point out this bump, will my beautiful artwork be wrecked via exploratory mole removal? I realize that my health is more important than an expensive piece of art, but I don't want to go wrecking it with my hypochondria. I also don't want to watch and wait in case it's a melanoma.

Can any dermatologists weigh in with advice on how to manage moles and skin checks while bearing lots of tattoos? I can't find any legitimate advice out there, just Daily Mail-esque scare pieces about the dangers of tattooing.

posted by theraflu to Health & Fitness (5 answers total)

Disclaimer: I am not a dermatologist, but I am a very heavily tattooed person with a bonus history of melanoma. I have a great dermatologist who does a normal mole check and also checks within my tattoos. The derm will likely just look at the bump, maybe take a photo, and watch for changes. (For what it's worth, it's really probably nothing. I have raised areas within a couple of tattoos and it's just normal light scar tissue.)

If you happen to be in or near NYC, MeMail me and I will give you my dermatologist's info. She is AWESOME and loves tattoos.
posted by bedhead at 8:17 PM on July 5, 2015

It could just be scar tissue. I have many tattoos and some of them have bumpy areas. They've never changed. And I in fact for sure have scar tissue below a tattoo that feels like how you describe. (It was a thin skin area that got a bit overworked.) Some people also have thinner skin that is more prone to scarring during tattooing or how your artist set their needles. (Also a very tattooed person reporting.)
posted by Crystalinne at 8:24 PM on July 5, 2015

I have no direct advice to give you about your bump, but remember it is 100% OK to fire a doctor if the first one you go to gives you a bad vibe. Tattoos aren't just for sailors and prisoners, they're a pretty mundane fact of life. If you walk into an appointment with a dermatologist who wants to start moralizing about your skin aesthetic choices, DTMFD and find a new one. Don't let yourself get bullied or your body art get marred without a second opinion!
posted by phunniemee at 8:34 PM on July 5, 2015

Best answer: You have a small bump in your skin which was there prior to the tattoo and which hasn't changed in three years? It would never cross my mind to show something like that to a doctor. I am no dermatologist, but my underatanding has always been that melanoma first presents as either a new mole or an old mole which changes its size or shape. Melanomas are also asymmeteical and continue to change shape over time.

What you describe does not sound like that. To this layman, it sounds like you had a bug bite or a zit which scarred up a bit due to being tattooed over. As far as I know this is pretty normal; I have a tattoo on my shoulder which I can feel if I run my fingers over it, as the inked skin thickened a bit when it healed. It's always just been like that, and it seems a pretty reasonable thing to expect.

That said, don't let me talk you out of going to a doctor if this is worrying you. Worst case scenario the doctor cuts out the mole for a biopsy, and later you get the hole in your tattoo filled in. You say it's in an area of solid black, so it should be very simple to repair. No big deal!
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 8:39 PM on July 5, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: IANA dermatologist, but I do have a nine-year-old bump that used to be an ingrown hair or something. (Also a family history of melanoma, yay.) My dermatologist said it's a dermatofibroma - totally benign and with me for the long haul. Sounds a lot like you've got the same thing.

Take a picture, ideally with the bump's borders outlined in some sort of contrasting color (silver eyeliner?) and a ruler for reference, and check back on it every month or so to see if it's grown or changed.
posted by Metroid Baby at 3:26 AM on July 6, 2015