Tattoo

Its 3 weeks today since I got my very first tattoo. Iv been really wanting a tattoo for the past few years so I eventually picked a nice small swallow to get tattoo'ed on my right foot. I absolutly love it, although its safe to say I will not be getting any more! I thought long and hard about what I was getting and where - its easy to cover up and its nothing that has a meaning that could change. There's nothing worse than seeing someone plastered in a tattoo that you know they are gonna regret by the time they are 30! It was pretty painful to get done, Im not gonna lie...but It wasnt unbareable and actually not as bad as I expected. It was healing good for the first week, I kept it clean done everything you are "supposed" to do to keep it healing well. Its started to get itchy after this...I mean, I know they are supposed to be a little itchy in the healing process but this was unbareable - cant sleep or think kind of itchy! By the second week I had a massive rash right around the tattoo and in the following days it spread right over both legs and my other foot, the rash was very raised and looked hideous! Turns out Im allergic to my tattoo....I never even knew it was possible to be allergic to a tattoo...but of course in typical Ruth fashion im one of a small handful of people who have bad reactions to being inked! After researching tattoo allergies online I discovered that red ink is the only colour that is not yet hyopallergenic (my tattoo has the tiniest amount of red in it). Red ink also apprently contains an element of the metal nickel. Nickel is the same metal that is in cheap earrings and other nasty cheap jewellery. I dont really have any other allergies but I remember always being very sensitive to cheap earrings - they would always be extreamly irritating and I'd have to take them out. I have my ears pierced several times and have worn the same silver earrings in them for years for this reason. I never even considered this when thinking about getting a tattoo though! Its interesting that all the other colours of ink have been developed into hypoallergenic versions to stop this kind of reactions from happening - I wonder why red is the colour that still isnt developed in this way. Maybe its something I could look into at some point as a Design student. I went to the doctors about it (they are very un-sympathetic and gave me the "well its your own fault" kinda attitude- I guess they're right!) Im currently on a course of anti-biotics and anti allergy pills to help clear up the inflammed scabby mess that is my legs and feet! Its got alot better over the past few days but because my tattoo is obviously permanent, it might flare up again at any point in my life which is annoying as its really uncomfortable. So just a little warning...not only should you be careful about what you get tattoo'd on your body for life....you should make sure you're not gonna be allergic to it for life too!